Shloka 83

दुर्वासाशापः, क्षीरसागरमन्थनम्, श्रीः (लक्ष्मी) उद्भवः तथा श्रीस्तुतिः

Devanagari script

विबुधाः सहिताः सर्वे यतः पुच्छं ततः कृताः कृष्णेन वासुकेर् दैत्याः पूर्वकाये निवेशिताः

Transliteration

vibudhāḥ sahitāḥ sarve yataḥ pucchaṃ tataḥ kṛtāḥ kṛṣṇena vāsuker daityāḥ pūrvakāye niveśitāḥ

Translation

All the Devas together took their stand at the tail-end; and, by Kṛṣṇa’s direction, the Daityas were made to hold Vāsuki at the forepart of his body.

Word by Word

• विबुधाः: the gods
• विबुधाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विबुध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचन (Nominative plural)

• सहिताः: together; united
• सहिताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सह (उपसर्ग) + इ (धातु) → सहित (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुल्लिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचन (agreeing with विबुधाः)

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचन

• यतः: from the side where
• यतः: Adhikarana (Reference/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; यतः (relative adverb ‘from where/at which side’)

• पुच्छम्: the tail
• पुच्छम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुच्छ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (here: द्वितीया as object of implied ‘took/held’)

• ततः: from that side
• ततः: Adhikarana (Reference/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तस्मात्/ततः (correlative adverb ‘there/from that side’)

• कृताः: were placed; were made (to be)
• कृताः: Kriya (Predicate participle/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कृत (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त); पुल्लिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचन (predicate with विबुधाः)

• कृष्णेन: by Kṛṣṇa
• कृष्णेन: Karana (Agent/instrument in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्गे तृतीया एकवचन (Instrumental singular)

• वासुकेः: of Vāsuki
• वासुकेः: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वासुकि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्गे षष्ठी एकवचन (Genitive singular)

• दैत्याः: the Daityas (demons)
• दैत्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचन (Nominative plural)

• पूर्वकाये: in the forepart (of the body)
• पूर्वकाये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूर्व + काय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष (पूर्वः कायः ‘front part of the body’); पुल्लिङ्गे सप्तमी एकवचन (Locative singular)

• निवेशिताः: were stationed; were placed
• निवेशिताः: Kriya (Predicate participle/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-विश् (धातु) → निवेशित (णिच् causative + क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त); पुल्लिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचन (agreeing with दैत्याः)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Teaching: Historical

Quality: revealing

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: He directs the devas and asuras in the churning so that the cosmic process yields amṛta in a controlled, dharma-serving manner.

Leela: Loka-rakshana

Dharma Restored: Right distribution of power and preservation of deva-order through Viṣṇu’s guidance.

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The Lord’s guidance (kṛṣṇena—‘by Kṛṣṇa’) orders even rival forces, showing divine sovereignty over outcomes.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Rely on īśvara-prāṇidhāna: do your part, but let the Lord’s direction govern strategy and attachment to results.

Vishishtadvaita: Personal Lordhood: Viṣṇu/Kṛṣṇa is not an abstract absolute but the intentional director of cosmic history and its moral balance.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Krishna (personal)

Characters & Entities

• Kṛṣṇa (Vishnu)
• Vāsuki
• Devas (Vibudhas)
• Daityas

FAQs

What is the significance of assigning the Devas to the tail and the Daityas to the front during Samudra Manthana in the Vishnu Purana?

It shows Vishnu’s governance of cosmic balance: the sides are arranged by divine will, shaping outcomes in the churning while preserving universal order.

How does Sage Parāśara explain divine control in this event?

Parāśara frames it as Kṛṣṇa’s instruction—both factions act, but the decisive arrangement and its consequences proceed from Vishnu’s directing intelligence.

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

Vishnu appears as the Supreme Reality who orchestrates even rival powers, ensuring that the cosmic process yields its destined fruits under his sovereignty.