Shloka 20

मानवसर्गः, चातुर्वर्ण्य-गुणकर्म, यज्ञ-प्रतिपादनम्, आश्रमधर्म-फल, नरकवर्णनम्

Devanagari script

प्रतीकारम् इमं कृत्वा शीतादेस् ताः प्रजाः पुनः वार्तोपायं ततश् चक्रुर् हस्तसिद्धिं च कर्मजाम्

Transliteration

pratīkāram imaṃ kṛtvā śītādes tāḥ prajāḥ punaḥ vārtopāyaṃ tataś cakrur hastasiddhiṃ ca karmajām

Translation

Thus, having made this countermeasure against the afflictions of cold and the like, the people became steady again in the ordered rhythm of life; then they set in motion the means of livelihood, establishing crafts of the hand and the attainments born of disciplined karma.

Word by Word

• प्रतीकारम्: remedy, countermeasure
• प्रतीकारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतीकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• इमम्: this
• इमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative, Singular (demonstrative)

• कृत्वा: having made/done
• कृत्वा: Kriya (Gerundial action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (त्वा-प्रत्यय), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया — Absolutive (gerund), ‘having done’

• शीतात्: from cold
• शीतात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शीत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (अपादान), एकवचन — Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• एः: of this
• एः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Genitive, Singular (enclitic ‘asya’ type)

• ताः: those
• ताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• प्रजाः: people, subjects
• प्रजाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण — Indeclinable adverb

• वार्तोपायम्: means of livelihood
• वार्तोपायम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वार्ता (प्रातिपदिक) + उपाय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Accusative, Singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (‘वार्तायाः उपायः’)

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण — Indeclinable adverb (‘thereupon/from that’)

• चक्रुः: they did/made
• चक्रुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्शभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद — Perfect, 3rd person plural, Parasmaipada

• हस्तसिद्धिम्: manual skill, handicraft
• हस्तसिद्धिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हस्त (प्रातिपदिक) + सिद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Feminine, Accusative, Singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (‘हस्तस्य सिद्धिः’)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय-बोधक — Indeclinable conjunction

• कर्मजाम्: arising from work
• कर्मजाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + ज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Feminine, Accusative, Singular; तृतीया/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थ (‘कर्मणः जाता’ = born of work)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: How beings resumed orderly livelihood after countering cold and other afflictions in early human settlement.

Teaching: Historical

Quality: authoritative

Cosmological Context

Creation Stage: Secondary

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Disciplined action and practical skill (karma-ja hastasiddhi) restore stability and sustain life when adversity is met with wise countermeasures.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Respond to hardship with measured remedies, then re-establish steady daily duties and skillful work as a dharmic support for self and community.

Vishishtadvaita: Worldly order and human vocation are meaningful within the Lord-governed cosmos, where embodied agency functions as a real mode of divine governance.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Characters & Entities

• Prajāḥ (the people/subjects)

FAQs

What is the significance of vārttā (livelihood) in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse presents vārttā as the practical restoration of society—once hardships are checked, people re-establish sustainable means of living through organized work and skills.

How does Sage Parāśara explain recovery after suffering (like cold and hardship)?

He frames recovery as a two-step return to order: first a remedy against the affliction, then the rebuilding of livelihood through disciplined labor and craftsmanship.

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

Even when not named directly, the Purāṇic worldview assumes Vishnu’s sovereignty as the ground of ṛta/dharma—human prosperity arises when life is re-aligned with ordered action (karma) and stability.