Shloka 145

दुर्वासाशापः, क्षीरसागरमन्थनम्, श्रीः (लक्ष्मी) उद्भवः तथा श्रीस्तुतिः

Devanagari script

एतत् ते कथितं ब्रह्मन् यन् मां त्वं परिपृच्छसि क्षीराब्धौ श्रीर् यथा जाता पूर्वं भृगुसुता सती

Transliteration

etat te kathitaṃ brahman yan māṃ tvaṃ paripṛcchasi kṣīrābdhau śrīr yathā jātā pūrvaṃ bhṛgusutā satī

Translation

O Brahmin, I have told you what you asked of me—how Śrī (Lakṣmī) arose in the Ocean of Milk, and how in former times she was indeed the virtuous daughter of Bhṛgu.

Word by Word

• एतत्: this (matter)
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• ते: of you / your
• ते: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th case, Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• कथितम्: told / narrated
• कथितम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथ् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle, क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• ब्रह्मन्: O Brahman (sage)
• ब्रह्मन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• यत्: which (that)
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया (2nd case, Accusative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1st case, Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• परिपृच्छसि: you ask (in detail)
• परिपृच्छसि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि + प्रच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन

• क्षीराब्धौ: in the ocean of milk
• क्षीराब्धौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षीर + अब्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th case, Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (क्षीरस्य अब्धिः)

• श्रीः: Śrī (Lakṣmī)
• श्रीः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case, Nominative), एकवचन

• यथा: as / how
• यथा: Sambandha (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमान/प्रकारवाचक (comparative/manner adverb)

• जाता: was born / arose
• जाता: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle, क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• पूर्वम्: formerly / earlier
• पूर्वम्: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (temporal adverb)

• भृगुसुता: daughter of Bhṛgu
• भृगुसुता: Apposition (Viśeṣya/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भृगु + सुता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (भृगोः सुता)

• सती: virtuous / true
• सती: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; गुणवाचक (adjectival)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (addressing Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Origin of Śrī (Lakṣmī): her arising in the Milk Ocean and her prior identity as Bhṛgu’s daughter

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: authoritative

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Narayana

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Lakshmi Presence: Sri

Characters & Entities

• Parāśara
• Maitreya
• Śrī (Lakṣmī)
• Bhṛgu
• Kṣīrābdhi (Ocean of Milk)

FAQs

What is the significance of Śrī (Lakṣmī) arising from the Ocean of Milk in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse closes Parāśara’s explanation of how Śrī manifests from the Kṣīrābdhi, presenting her emergence as a cosmic event that signifies auspicious order and divine sovereignty.

How does Sage Parāśara explain Lakṣmī’s identity as Bhṛgu’s daughter?

He links her oceanic manifestation with an earlier identity—Bhṛgu-sutā—showing continuity of divine presence across cycles and narratives rather than a merely isolated “birth” event.

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

By emphasizing Śrī as a cosmic principle of auspiciousness and rightful dominion, the passage supports the Vaiṣṇava view that Viṣṇu’s supreme order is inseparable from Śrī—his eternal, glory-bearing power.