Shloka 30

Devanagari script

बलशौर्याद्यभावश् च पुरुषाणां गुणैर् विना लङ्घनीयः समस्तस्य बलशौर्यविवर्जितः भवत्य् अपध्वस्तमतिर् लङ्घितः प्रथितः पुमान्

Transliteration

balaśauryādyabhāvaś ca puruṣāṇāṃ guṇair vinā laṅghanīyaḥ samastasya balaśauryavivarjitaḥ bhavaty apadhvastamatir laṅghitaḥ prathitaḥ pumān

Translation

A man bereft of strength and valor, and lacking the other sustaining qualities, becomes one whom all may readily overstep and disregard. Deprived of power and courage, his judgment is shattered; and when treated with contempt, he is spoken of as one humiliated.

Word by Word

• बलशौर्याद्यभावः: absence of strength, valor, etc.
• बलशौर्याद्यभावः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बल (प्रातिपदिक) + शौर्य (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक) + अभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—बलशौर्यादीनाम् अभावः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction/particle)

• पुरुषाणाम्: of men
• पुरुषाणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• गुणैः: with qualities
• गुणैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• विना: without
• विना: Sambandha (Exclusion/वियोग)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विना (अव्यय)
• Form: उपपद-अव्यय (preposition-like indeclinable)

• लङ्घनीयः: to be overstepped / contemptible
• लङ्घनीयः: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लङ्घ् (धातु) + अनीय (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त (भाव्य/अनियतव्य), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘लङ्घनीय’ = लङ्घितुं योग्यः (to be overstepped)

• समस्तस्य: of everyone / of the whole
• समस्तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समस्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• बलशौर्यविवर्जितः: devoid of strength and valor
• बलशौर्यविवर्जितः: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बल (प्रातिपदिक) + शौर्य (प्रातिपदिक) + विवर्जित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्त-विशेषण, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—बलशौर्ययोः विवर्जितः (तृतीया/पञ्चमी-तत्पुरुषार्थः: deprived of)

• भवति: becomes
• भवति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अपध्वस्तमतिः: one whose understanding is ruined
• अपध्वस्तमतिः: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपध्वस्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + मति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि-समासः—अपध्वस्ता मतिः यस्य सः; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• लङ्घितः: overstepped / disregarded
• लङ्घितः: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लङ्घ् (धातु) + क्त (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• प्रथितः: becomes well-known (as such)
• प्रथितः: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रथ् (धातु) + क्त (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• पुमान्: a man
• पुमान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुमांस्/पुं (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya in the Vishnu Purana’s narrative frame)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Without strength, courage, and sustaining virtues, a person’s discernment collapses and he becomes subject to contempt.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Cultivate steadiness, courage, and character through disciplined conduct so judgment remains firm under pressure.

Vishishtadvaita: Virtues are meaningful as dharma that supports the jīva’s ordered life under the Lord’s governance, not as independent power.

FAQs

What is the significance of strength (bala) and valor (śaurya) in the Vishnu Purana’s view of rulership?

This verse treats bala and śaurya as foundational supports of authority: without them, a person becomes easily disregarded, loses sound judgment, and is publicly dishonored—undermining the stability expected in royal and social order.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the social consequence of being ‘laṅghanīyaḥ’ (one who can be overstepped)?

Parāśara links moral-psychological decline to social perception: lacking key virtues, one is treated with contempt; that repeated disregard breaks resolve and counsel (mati), and the person becomes widely known for humiliation rather than merit.

The theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this context?

Though Vishnu is not named in the verse, the teaching aligns with the Purana’s broader vision of dharma upheld under Vishnu’s sovereign order: rulers and persons must embody stabilizing virtues so society reflects cosmic harmony rather than disorder.