Shloka 82

Devanagari script

मन्थानं मन्दरं कृत्वा नेत्रं कृत्वा च वासुकिम् ततो मथितुम् आरब्धा मैत्रेय तरसामृतम्

Transliteration

manthānaṃ mandaraṃ kṛtvā netraṃ kṛtvā ca vāsukim tato mathitum ārabdhā maitreya tarasāmṛtam

Translation

Making Mandara the churning-staff and appointing Vāsuki as the pulling-cord, they then began—O Maitreya—to churn with force the ocean that held ambrosia within it.

Word by Word

• मन्थानम्: the churning-rod
• मन्थानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म of कृत्वा)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचन (Accusative singular)

• मन्दरम्: Mandara (mountain)
• मन्दरम्: Karma (Object complement/कर्मपूरक)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्दर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचन (Accusative singular; apposition to मन्थानम्)

• कृत्वा: having made
• कृत्वा: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Prior action/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कृत्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive)

• नेत्रम्: the rope; leader (here: pulling cord)
• नेत्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म of कृत्वा)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचन (Accusative singular)

• कृत्वा: having made
• कृत्वा: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Prior action/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कृत्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive)

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

• वासुकिम्: Vāsuki (serpent)
• वासुकिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वासुकि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचन (Accusative singular; object complement to नेत्रम् कृत्वा)

• ततः: then
• ततः: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तदा/अनन्तरम् (temporal adverb)

• मथितुम्: to churn
• मथितुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मथ् (धातु) → मथितुम् (तुमुन्-प्रत्यय, infinitive)
• Form: तुमुनन्त (infinitive); क्रियार्थक (purpose)

• आरब्धाः: began; set about
• आरब्धाः: Kriya (Predicate participle/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-रभ् (धातु) → आरब्ध (कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त); पुल्लिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचन (agreeing with implied देवदैतेयदानवाः)

• मैत्रेय: O Maitreya
• मैत्रेय: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मैत्रेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्गे सम्बोधन एकवचन (Vocative singular)

• तरसा: swiftly; with force
• तरसा: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे तृतीया एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् प्रयोग (instrumental used adverbially ‘swiftly’)

• अमृतम्: nectar (amṛta)
• अमृतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म of मथितुम्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचन (Accusative singular)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: How the devas obtained amṛta through the churning of the ocean.

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: authoritative

Cosmological Context

Cosmic Hierarchy: Lokas

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Great results arise when proper instruments (Mandara, Vāsuki) are employed with sustained collective effort.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Choose right means—teachers, methods, and disciplines—and apply steady effort to ‘churn’ latent potential into realized wisdom.

Vishishtadvaita: The world is a meaningful field for divine purpose; finite agents act, yet the cosmic process remains under Viṣṇu’s overarching order.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Narayana (cosmic)

Characters & Entities

• Maitreya
• Mandara
• Vasuki

FAQs

What is the significance of Mandara and Vāsuki in the churning of the ocean (Samudra Manthana) in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse identifies Mandara as the churning-staff and Vāsuki as the pulling-cord, establishing the classic cosmic mechanism through which amṛta is brought forth.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the process of obtaining amṛta in this episode?

Parāśara presents amṛta as latent within the ocean and made manifest through the act of churning—an ordered cosmic operation described step-by-step to Maitreya.

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

Even when not named in this line, the Samudra Manthana narrative in the Vishnu Purana is framed as occurring under Vishnu’s supreme governance, where cosmic forces yield their fruits only within divinely upheld order (dharma).