Shloka 14

Devanagari script

मया दत्ताम् इमां मालां यस्मान् न बहु मन्यसे त्रैलोक्यश्रीर् अतो मूढ विनाशम् उपयास्यति

Transliteration

mayā dattām imāṃ mālāṃ yasmān na bahu manyase trailokyaśrīr ato mūḍha vināśam upayāsyati

Translation

Because you do not value this garland that I have given, O deluded one, the splendor and sovereignty of the three worlds will, for that very reason, pass toward ruin.

Word by Word

• मया: by me
• मया: Kartr-karana (Agent-instrument/कर्ता-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• दत्ताम्: given
• दत्ताम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दत्त (कृदन्त; √दा (धातु) क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण

• इमाम्: this
• इमाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

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

• यस्मात्: since/because
• यस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययप्रायः; पञ्चमी-एकवचनरूपेण हेतु/कारणार्थे (ablative used as causal ‘since/because’)

• न: not
• न: Nishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• बहु: much/highly
• बहु: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial accusative) ‘much/highly’

• मन्यसे: you consider/esteem
• मन्यसे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √मन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• त्रैलोक्य-श्रीः: the prosperity of the three worlds
• त्रैलोक्य-श्रीः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रैलोक्य (प्रातिपदिक; त्रि + लोक) + श्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (त्रैलोक्यस्य श्रीः)

• अतः: therefore
• अतः: Hetu-phala (Result marker/फलसूचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अतः (अव्यय; तद्-प्रातिपदिकात्)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थक क्रियाविशेषण (therefore)

• मूढ: O fool
• मूढ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूढ (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; √मुह् (धातु) क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• विनाशम्: destruction
• विनाशम्: Gati/Karma (Goal/Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विनाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• उपयास्यति: will go to/meet (will come to)
• उपयास्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-√या (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Likely Śrī (Lakṣmī) speaking as a personified goddess of fortune (Śrī) in a narrative exemplum recounted by Sage Parāśara to Maitreya.

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: How the loss of Śrī causes the devas’ decline and sets up the churning of the ocean and Viṣṇu’s intervention

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: revealing

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Prosperity and sovereignty endure only when aligned with reverence and dependence on Nārāyaṇa and Śrī; contempt for grace precipitates systemic ruin.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: See success as entrusted stewardship; maintain gratitude, worship, and ethical restraint so ‘śrī’ (well-being) remains stable in one’s life and community.

Vishishtadvaita: Śrī-Nārāyaṇa theology: Śrī is the mediating grace and auspicious power inseparable from the Lord; when dharma is breached, Śrī withdraws, compelling surrender to Nārāyaṇa as jagat-kāraṇa.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Narayana

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Lakshmi Presence: Sri

Jagat Karana: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Lakshmi (Śrī)
• Trailokya (the three worlds)

FAQs

What is the significance of Śrī (Lakṣmī) and the garland motif in the Vishnu Purana?

The garland symbolizes bestowed grace and legitimacy; to slight it is to slight Śrī herself, implying that prosperity and authority withdraw when reverence and dharma are neglected.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the downfall of sovereignty in such episodes?

Through illustrative dialogues, Parāśara shows that fortune is not random: arrogance and disregard for divine gifts disrupt dharmic alignment, leading to the departure of Śrī and consequent ruin.

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

In Vaishnava theology, Śrī’s presence is inseparable from Vishnu’s sustaining order; when beings act against dharma, the sustaining grace connected to Vishnu’s sovereignty ceases to support their rule.