Shloka 15

रुद्रसर्गः (नीललोहितः), अष्टनाम-स्थान-परिवारः, श्री-नारायणयोः अभेदव्याप्तिः

Devanagari script

क्षीराब्धौ श्रीः समुत्पन्ना श्रूयते ऽमृतमन्थने भृगोः ख्यात्यां समुत्पन्नेत्य् एतद् आह कथं भवान्

Transliteration

kṣīrābdhau śrīḥ samutpannā śrūyate 'mṛtamanthane bhṛgoḥ khyātyāṃ samutpannety etad āha kathaṃ bhavān

Translation

It is heard that Śrī (Lakṣmī) arose from the Ocean of Milk during the churning for nectar; yet you also say that she was born from Khyāti, the wife of Bhṛgu. How, then, are these two accounts to be understood from your teaching?

Word by Word

• kṣīra-abdhau: in the ocean of milk
• kṣīra-abdhau: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣīra (प्रातिपदिक) + abdhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular); तत्पुरुष-समास (kṣīrasya abdhiḥ)

• śrīḥ: Śrī (Lakṣmī)
• śrīḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• samutpannā: arisen, produced
• samutpannā: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam-ud-√pad (धातु) + -ta (कृत्)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; śrīḥ इति विशेषण

• śrūyate: is heard/said
• śrūyate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śru (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद, कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

• amṛta-manthane: in the churning for nectar
• amṛta-manthane: Adhikaraṇa (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: amṛta (प्रातिपदिक) + manthana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (amṛtasya manthanam)

• bhṛgoḥ: of Bhṛgu
• bhṛgoḥ: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhṛgu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• khyātyām: in/through Khyāti (as mother)
• khyātyām: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: khyāti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• samutpannā: arisen (born)
• samutpannā: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam-ud-√pad (धातु) + -ta (कृत्)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (śrīḥ) इति अनुवृत्त-विशेषण

• iti: thus
• iti: Quotation marker (इति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण-चिह्नक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• etat: this (statement)
• etat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; अत्र द्वितीया (object)

• āha: said
• āha: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ah (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• katham: how
• katham: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: katham (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्न-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• bhavān: you (sir)
• bhavān: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhavat (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; आदरार्थ-प्रयोग (honorific pronoun)

Speaker

Maitreya (questioning Sage Parāśara)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Maitreya

Topic: Reconciling Śrī’s ‘birth’ from Khyāti with her arising from the Kṣīra-samudra during amṛta-manthana.

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: inquiring

Cosmological Context

Cosmic Hierarchy: Lokas (worlds)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Apparent multiple ‘births’ of divine principles require interpretive reconciliation between eternal nature and manifest appearances.

Vedantic Theme: Brahman

Application: Hold scriptural reports together by distinguishing eternal reality from contextual manifestation, rather than forcing contradiction.

Vishishtadvaita: Śrī is not a created entity; her ‘arising’ is a manifestation within cosmic history while remaining inseparable from Nārāyaṇa.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Narayana

Lakshmi Presence: Sri (fortune)

Characters & Entities

• Lakshmi (Śrī)
• Ocean of Milk (Kṣīrābdhi)
• Amrita (nectar)
• Bhṛgu
• Khyāti

FAQs

What is the significance of Lakshmi arising from the Ocean of Milk in the Vishnu Purana?

It marks Śrī’s cosmic manifestation during Samudra Manthana—her appearance as divine sovereignty and auspicious fortune that accompanies Viṣṇu’s ordering of the universe.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the two different origins of Lakshmi (from the ocean and from Khyāti)?

This verse sets up the reconciliation: Purāṇic tradition often describes the same divine principle as both eternally existent and repeatedly manifesting—Śrī can be spoken of as born in a lineage (Bhṛgu–Khyāti) and also as arising again in a cosmic event (the churning).

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

Śrī’s appearance is inseparable from Viṣṇu’s supreme lordship: she signifies the power of prosperity and order that naturally belongs to the Supreme Reality (Viṣṇu) and becomes visible in pivotal cosmic cycles like the churning of the ocean.