Shloka 31

वाराहावतारः (भूम्युद्धारः) — Varāha, the Raising of the Earth and the Recommencement of Creation

Devanagari script

जयेश्वराणां परमेश केशव प्रभो गदाशङ्खधरासिचक्रधृक् प्रसूतिनाशस्थितिहेतुर् ईश्वरस् त्वम् एव नान्यत् परमं च यत् पदम्

Transliteration

jayeśvarāṇāṃ parameśa keśava prabho gadāśaṅkhadharāsicakradhṛk prasūtināśasthitihetur īśvaras tvam eva nānyat paramaṃ ca yat padam

Translation

Victory to You—the Lord of all lords, the Supreme Master, O Keśava, sovereign Protector who bears the mace, conch, sword, and discus. You alone are Īśvara, the cause of creation, dissolution, and preservation; besides You there is nothing else. You are the highest, ultimate abode.

Word by Word

• जय: O victorious one
• जय: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• ईश्वराणाम्: of the lords
• ईश्वराणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• परमेश: O Supreme Lord
• परमेश: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परम-ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular); समासः कर्मधारयः (परमः ईशः)

• केशव: O Keśava
• केशव: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केशव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्रभो: O Lord
• प्रभो: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• गदा-शङ्ख-धर-असि-चक्र-धृक्: bearer of mace, conch, sword, and discus
• गदा-शङ्ख-धर-असि-चक्र-धृक्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गदा (प्रातिपदिक) + शङ्ख (प्रातिपदिक) + धर (प्रातिपदिक) + असि (प्रातिपदिक) + चक्र (प्रातिपदिक) + धृक् (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक, √धृ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); समासः बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (गदां शङ्खं धरम् असिं चक्रं च धारयति इति)

• प्रसूति-नाश-स्थिति-हेतुः: the cause of creation, destruction, and maintenance
• प्रसूति-नाश-स्थिति-हेतुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रसूति (प्रातिपदिक) + नाश (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थिति (प्रातिपदिक) + हेतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); समासः इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (प्रसूति-नाश-स्थिति) + तत्पुरुषः (हेतुः)

• ईश्वरः: the Lord
• ईश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम, प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुषार्थे (2nd person pronoun), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• एव: indeed, alone
• एव: Sambandha/Emphasis
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Indeclinable), निपात (particle), अवधारण (emphasis)

• न: not
• न: Negation
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Indeclinable), निषेध (negation particle)

• अन्यत्: anything else
• अन्यत्: Pratisedhya (Negated complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular)

• परमम्: supreme
• परमम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular)

• च: and
• च: Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Indeclinable), समुच्चय (conjunction)

• यत्: which
• यत्: Visheshana (Relative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम, प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular); सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• पदम्: state, abode, goal
• पदम्: Samanaadhikarana/Complement
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (instructing Maitreya; voiced as a stuti/hymn within the discourse)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: The theological import of Varāha’s manifestation—who the Lord truly is

Teaching: Devotional

Quality: authoritative

Cosmological Context

Creation Stage: Kalpa

Avatara Context

Avatara: Varaha

Purpose: The stuti identifies the Lord (present as Varāha) as the sole cause behind creation, preservation, and dissolution.

Leela: Dharma-upadesa

Dharma Restored: Metaphysical order: recognition of the Supreme as the single ultimate refuge and ruler

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Vishnu alone is the supreme Lord and the unified cause of origination, maintenance, and dissolution; there is no higher reality than his abode.

Vedantic Theme: Brahman

Application: Anchor practice in exclusive refuge (śaraṇāgati): orient worship, ethics, and meditation toward the one Supreme.

Vishishtadvaita: Affirms the Lord as both nimitta and upādāna-kāraṇa (efficient and material cause), central to Viśiṣṭādvaita cosmology.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Jagat Karana: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu (Keśava)
• Divine weapons (gadā, śaṅkha, asi, cakra)

FAQs

What is the significance of calling Vishnu the cause of creation, preservation, and destruction in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse identifies Vishnu as the ultimate sovereign principle behind the entire cosmic cycle—origination, continuance, and dissolution—placing all powers under His supremacy.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the Supreme Reality in this chapter’s discourse?

Through devotional and philosophical praise, Parāśara presents Vishnu (Keśava) as the one Lord beyond whom nothing exists, and as the “parama padam,” the final refuge and goal.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu bearing the conch, discus, mace, and sword here?

The weapons function as a theological marker of divine sovereignty—Vishnu is not only transcendent as the highest abode, but also the active ruler who sustains order and removes disorder in the cosmos.