Shloka 2

Daitya–Dānava Vaṁśa, Kaśyapa’s Progeny, and the Birth of the Maruts

Devanagari script

बलेः पुत्रशतं त्व् आसीद् बाणज्येष्ठं महामुने हिरण्याक्षसुताश् चासन् सर्व एव महाबलाः

Transliteration

baleḥ putraśataṃ tv āsīd bāṇajyeṣṭhaṃ mahāmune hiraṇyākṣasutāś cāsan sarva eva mahābalāḥ

Translation

O great sage, Bali had a hundred sons, and Bāṇa was the eldest among them; the sons of Hiraṇyākṣa also were all exceedingly mighty.

Word by Word

• बलेः: of Bali
• बलेः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)

• पुत्रशतम्: a hundred sons
• पुत्रशतम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (genitive determinative)

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle)

• आसीत्: was/existed
• आसीत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular); परस्मैपद

• बाणज्येष्ठम्: with Bāṇa as the eldest
• बाणज्येष्ठम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बाण (प्रातिपदिक) + ज्येष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (genitive determinative)

• महामुने: O great sage
• महामुने: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महामुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन (Singular); कर्मधारयः (mahā + muni)

• हिरण्याक्षसुताः: sons of Hiraṇyākṣa
• हिरण्याक्षसुताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हिरण्याक्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + सुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (genitive determinative)

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

• आसन्: were
• आसन्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural); परस्मैपद

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphatic particle)

• महाबलाः: very strong/mighty
• महाबलाः: Visheshana (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाबल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural); कर्मधारयः (mahā + bala)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Genealogical enumeration of Daityas/Asuras descended from Diti/Danu and related lines.

Teaching: Genealogical

Quality: authoritative

Dynasty & Genealogy

Key Kings: Bali, Bana, Hiranyaksha

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Hari

Characters & Entities

• Bali
• Bāṇa
• Hiraṇyākṣa
• Daityas
• Asuras
• Viṣṇu

FAQs

What is the significance of Bali’s lineage in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse anchors Bali’s dynastic prominence—his many sons and Bāṇa’s primacy—setting up how Asura power expands through genealogy before being checked by Viṣṇu’s higher cosmic sovereignty.

How does Sage Parāśara explain royal and Asura lineages in this section?

Parāśara uses concise genealogical enumeration—naming progenitors, number of offspring, and notable heirs—to map political-spiritual history, where worldly might is contextualized within dharma and divine governance.

The theological importance of Lord Viṣṇu in this context?

Even when Viṣṇu is not the grammatical subject, the narrative implies that all dynastic power—especially Asura might—operates under Viṣṇu’s supreme order, reinforcing the Purāṇic theme of divine sovereignty over temporal rule.