Shloka 23

प्रह्लादस्य विष्णुमयता, विष्णोः दर्शनं, वरदानं, तथा चरितश्रवण-फलम्

Devanagari script

बद्ध्वा समुद्रे यत् क्षिप्तो यच् चितो ऽस्मि शिलोच्चयैः अन्यानि चाप्य् असाधूनि यानि पित्रा कृतानि मे

Transliteration

baddhvā samudre yat kṣipto yac cito 'smi śiloccayaiḥ anyāni cāpy asādhūni yāni pitrā kṛtāni me

Translation

That I was bound and hurled into the ocean, and that I was heaped over with piles of stones—these and other unrighteous deeds that my father committed against me…

Word by Word

• बद्ध्वा: having bound
• बद्ध्वा: Purvakala (Absolutive/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: बन्ध् (धातु) → बद्ध्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययभाव कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• समुद्रे: in the ocean
• समुद्रे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अधिकरण

• यत्: which/that which
• यत्: Sambandha (Relative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक

• क्षिप्तः: (I) having been thrown
• क्षिप्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्षिप् (धातु) → क्षिप्त (क्त कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि

• यत्: which/that which
• यत्: Sambandha (Relative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक

• चितः: (I) having been piled up
• चितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चि (धातु) → चित (क्त कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि

• अस्मि: I am
• अस्मि: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष (1st), एकवचन

• शिलोच्चयैः: with heaps of stones
• शिलोच्चयैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिला (प्रातिपदिक) + उच्चय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (शिलानाम् उच्चयाः)

• अन्यानि: other
• अन्यानि: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावना/समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (particle: also/even)

• असाधूनि: wicked/unsaintly (deeds)
• असाधूनि: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: असाधु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; नञ्-समासान्त विशेषण

• यानि: which (things)
• यानि: Sambandha (Relative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक

• पित्रा: by (my) father
• पित्रा: Kartr (Agent in passive/कर्तृ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; कर्तृ/करण

• कृतानि: done
• कृतानि: Kriya (Predicate participle/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कृत (क्त कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि

• मे: my/of me
• मे: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध

Speaker

Prahlada (recounting the persecutions inflicted by his father Hiranyakashipu)

Avatara Context

Avatara: Narasimha

Purpose: To end the asuric persecution culminating in attempts to drown and crush Prahlāda, proving the Lord’s unfailing refuge for His devotee.

Leela: Loka-rakshana

Dharma Restored: Sanctity of devotion and the moral limit placed upon tyrannical power.

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Adharma intensifies through repeated cruelty, yet the devotee’s inner steadiness and compassion expose tyranny as spiritually self-destructive.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: When harmed, refuse to cultivate retaliation; document truth calmly, seek protection through dharmic means, and keep the heart free of hatred.

Vishishtadvaita: The devotee’s dependence (śeṣatva) on the Lord enables steadfastness while acknowledging real worldly suffering.

Prahlada Narrative

Phase: Persecution

Bhakti Quality: Unresentful endurance and compassion even toward the persecutor.

Persecution: Cliff

Narasimha: Prahlāda continues enumerating persecutions (ocean-drowning, crushing under stones), setting the moral backdrop for Narasiṃha’s righteous intervention.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Hari

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Characters & Entities

• Prahlada
• Hiranyakashipu
• Father (pitr)

FAQs

What is the significance of Prahlada being thrown into the ocean in the Vishnu Purana?

It illustrates extreme adharma and the futility of violence against a true devotee, highlighting that divine protection ultimately overrules worldly coercion.

How does the Vishnu Purana frame a father’s wrongdoing against a righteous son here?

The verse treats such acts as ‘asādhūni’ (unrighteous), using familial betrayal to sharpen the dharma-adharma contrast central to the Purana’s moral narrative.

What is Lord Vishnu’s theological importance in this context?

Even when not named in the line, the episode functions as a bhakti-proof: Vishnu stands as the Supreme Reality and ultimate refuge who safeguards devotion beyond all material threats.