Shloka 6

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

Devanagari script

स च तं शैलसंघातं दैत्यैर् न्यस्तम् अथोपरि प्रक्षिप्य तस्मात् सलिलान् निश्चक्राम महामतिः

Transliteration

sa ca taṃ śailasaṃghātaṃ daityair nyastam athopari prakṣipya tasmāt salilān niścakrāma mahāmatiḥ

Translation

Prahlāda, of mighty understanding, cast away the mass of rock the Daityas had laid upon him, and emerged forth from those waters.

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

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

• तम्: that (him/it)
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• शैल-संघातम्: mass/heap of rocks
• शैल-संघातम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शैल (प्रातिपदिक) + संघात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (शैलानां संघातः)

• दैत्यैः: by the demons
• दैत्यैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन

• न्यस्तम्: placed/laid down
• न्यस्तम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि-√अस् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगः

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरार्थक-अव्यय (then/thereupon)

• उपरि: above/on top
• उपरि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उपरि (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb/preposition)

• प्रक्षिप्य: having thrown/cast
• प्रक्षिप्य: Kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√क्षिप् (धातु) + ल्यप् (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यबन्त अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• तस्मात्: from that (place/thing)
• तस्मात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• सलिलान्: waters
• सलिलान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सलिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन

• निश्चक्राम: came out/emerged
• निश्चक्राम: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-√क्रम् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• महामतिः: the great-minded one
• महामतिः: Karta (Subject apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महामति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (महती मतिः यस्य)

Speaker

Sage Parasara (narrating to Maitreya)

Prahlada Narrative

Phase: Divine-protection

Bhakti Quality: Steadfast śaraṇāgati (unshaken reliance on Viṣṇu) amid mortal danger

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Hari

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Characters & Entities

• Daityas

FAQs

What is the significance of the Daityas placing a mass of rock above him in the Vishnu Purana?

It symbolizes obstructive, asuric resistance to cosmic order; the verse emphasizes that such barriers cannot bind the divinely empowered being, who simply casts them away and re-emerges.

How does Sage Parasara explain the restoration of order in this episode?

Parasara frames it as a decisive turning point: the great-minded figure breaks the Daityas’ constraint and rises from the waters, signaling the reassertion of rightful order over disruptive forces.

The theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this context?

Even when the verse does not name Vishnu explicitly, the narrative pattern reflects Vaishnava theology: supreme sovereignty over chaos and obstruction, with restoration of order proceeding from the highest divine power.