Shloka 10

दुर्वासाशापः, क्षीरसागरमन्थनम्, श्रीः (लक्ष्मी) उद्भवः तथा श्रीस्तुतिः

Devanagari script

मदान्धकारिताक्षो ऽसौ गन्धाकृष्टेन वारणः करेणाघ्राय चिक्षेप तां स्रजं धरणीतले

Transliteration

madāndhakāritākṣo 'sau gandhākṛṣṭena vāraṇaḥ kareṇāghrāya cikṣepa tāṃ srajaṃ dharaṇītale

Translation

His eyes clouded by the darkness of rut-maddened frenzy, that elephant—drawn by the fragrance—lifted the garland with its trunk, smelled it, and then flung it down upon the ground.

Word by Word

• मद-अन्धकारित-अक्षः: whose eyes were darkened by intoxication
• मद-अन्धकारित-अक्षः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मद (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्धकारित (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; √कृ (धातु) क्त-प्रत्यय) + अक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (मदेन अन्धकारिताः अक्षाणि यस्य)

• असौ: that (one)
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• गन्ध-आकृष्टेन: drawn by the scent
• गन्ध-आकृष्टेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गन्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + आकृष्ट (कृदन्त; आ-√कृष् (धातु) क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (गन्धेन आकृष्टः)

• वारणः: elephant
• वारणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• करेण: with (his) trunk/hand
• करेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• आघ्राय: having smelled
• आघ्राय: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-√घ्रा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund); ‘having smelled’

• चिक्षेप: threw
• चिक्षेप: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √क्षिप् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ताम्: that (her/it)
• ताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• स्रजम्: garland
• स्रजम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्रज् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• धरणी-तले: on the ground
• धरणी-तले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धरणी (प्रातिपदिक) + तल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (धरण्याः तलम्)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating) to Maitreya

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: How Indra incurred Durvāsā’s curse and the loss of Śrī (prosperity) for the gods

Teaching: Historical

Quality: authoritative

Vaishnava Theology

Lakshmi Presence: Sri

Characters & Entities

• Elephant (vāraṇa)
• Garland (sraj)

FAQs

What is the significance of the elephant throwing down the garland in the Vishnu Purana?

It functions as a narrative omen: a public sign that honor has been rejected, foreshadowing conflict or a reversal of fortune tied to pride and worldly status.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the role of desire and delusion in such scenes?

Through concrete imagery—here, a rut-maddened elephant pulled by scent—Parāśara shows how sense-drag (gandha) and intoxication (mada) eclipse discernment, leading to disrespectful action and its consequences.

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

Even in royal-dynastic episodes, the Purāṇa implies that worldly power is unstable; true sovereignty belongs to Vishnu as the supreme regulator of outcomes, while pride-driven acts set karmic turns in motion.