Shloka 50

प्रह्लादस्य अव्यभिचारिणी भक्ति, मायाविनाशः, तथा विष्णोः विश्वरूप-स्तुतिः

Devanagari script

एतच् छ्रुत्वा तु कोपेन समुत्थाय वरासनात् हिरण्यकशिपुः पुत्रं पदा वक्षस्य् अताडयत्

Transliteration

etac chrutvā tu kopena samutthāya varāsanāt hiraṇyakaśipuḥ putraṃ padā vakṣasy atāḍayat

Translation

Hearing this, Hiraṇyakaśipu—inflamed with rage—rose from his splendid throne and struck his own son upon the chest with his foot.

Word by Word

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु) → श्रुत्वा (क्त्वान्त/absolutive)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive): ‘having heard’

• तु: but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विरोध/अनुक्रम (but/indeed)

• कोपेन: with anger / out of anger
• कोपेन: Karana/Hetu (Instrument/Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• समुत्थाय: having risen
• समुत्थाय: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + उत् + स्था (धातु) → समुत्थाय (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त: ‘having risen’

• वर-आसनात्: from the excellent seat/throne
• वर-आसनात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक) + आसन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (वरम् आसनम्)

• हिरण्यकशिपुः: Hiraṇyakaśipu
• हिरण्यकशिपुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हिरण्यकशिपु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पुत्रम्: (his) son
• पुत्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पदा: with the foot
• पदा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वक्षसि: on the chest
• वक्षसि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वक्षस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• अताडयत्: struck
• अताडयत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तड्/ताड् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: How Hiraṇyakaśipu reacts to Prahlāda’s doctrine of Viṣṇu’s all-pervasion

Teaching: Historical

Quality: authoritative

Prahlada Narrative

Phase: Persecution

Bhakti Quality: Steadfastness under threat (dhairya) and unwavering remembrance of Hari

Persecution: Weapons

Narasimha: Context set for Narasiṃha’s intervention: the father’s violent outrage against Prahlāda’s Hari-bhakti escalates.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Hari (name)

Bhakti Type: Dasya (servant)

Characters & Entities

• Hiraṇyakaśipu
• Prahlāda

FAQs

What is the significance of Hiraṇyakaśipu striking Prahlāda in the Vishnu Purana?

It marks the escalation of the asura king’s hostility toward devotion to Vishnu, intensifying the moral contrast between tyrannical power and steadfast bhakti.

How does Sage Parāśara frame this episode in the dialogue with Maitreya?

Parāśara narrates it as a cause-and-effect moment: Prahlāda’s words provoke the king’s rage, setting the stage for divine intervention that upholds cosmic order.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this context?

Though not named in the verse, Vishnu’s supremacy is implicit: the devotee’s persecution becomes the narrative ground for Vishnu’s protective sovereignty over dharma and bhakti.