Shloka 84

दुर्वासाशापः, क्षीरसागरमन्थनम्, श्रीः (लक्ष्मी) उद्भवः तथा श्रीस्तुतिः

Devanagari script

ते तस्य फणनिःश्वासवह्निनापहतत्विषः निस्तेजसो ऽसुराः सर्वे बभूवुर् अमितद्युते

Transliteration

te tasya phaṇaniḥśvāsavahnināpahatatviṣaḥ nistejaso 'surāḥ sarve babhūvur amitadyute

Translation

Struck by the fire of his breath that issued from the hoods, all the Asuras—once radiant—were robbed of their splendor and became utterly powerless, O you of boundless brilliance.

Word by Word

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचन (Nominative plural)

• तस्य: of him/it (of Vāsuki)
• तस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्गे षष्ठी एकवचन (Genitive singular)

• फणनिःश्वासवह्निना: by the fire of (his) hood-breath
• फणनिःश्वासवह्निना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फण + निःश्वास + वह्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (फणस्य निःश्वासः; तस्य वह्निः ‘fire of the breath from the hoods’); पुल्लिङ्गे तृतीया एकवचन (Instrumental singular)

• अपहतत्विषः: whose radiance was destroyed
• अपहतत्विषः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अप-हन् (धातु) → अपहत (कृदन्त, क्त) + त्विष् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (अपहता त्विष् येषाम्); पुल्लिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचन (agreeing with असुराः)

• निस्तेजसः: devoid of splendor
• निस्तेजसः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निः + तेजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उपपद-तत्पुरुष (निःतेजस् ‘without brilliance’); पुल्लिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचन (agreeing with असुराः)

• असुराः: the asuras
• असुराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचन (Nominative plural)

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

• बभूवुः: became
• बभूवुः: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect); प्रथमपुरुष बहुवचन (3rd plural) परस्मैपद

• अमितद्युते: O one of immeasurable splendor
• अमितद्युते: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमित + द्युति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि (अमिता द्युतिः यस्य); पुल्लिङ्गे सम्बोधन एकवचन (Vocative singular)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Teaching: Historical

Quality: vivid

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Prideful power is fragile: a single turn in the cosmic process can strip the asuras of tejas and expose dependence on forces beyond control.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Practice humility and steadiness when circumstances reverse; do not equate temporary ‘splendor’ with true strength.

Vishishtadvaita: Tejas and capacity belong to the Lord’s ordered cosmos; individual power is contingent, reinforcing dependence on the supreme ruler.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Hari (name)

Characters & Entities

• Asuras
• Serpent (Nāga) with hoods (phaṇa)
• Maitreya (implied addressee)

FAQs

What is the significance of tejas (splendor) being destroyed in this Vishnu Purana verse?

Tejas symbolizes empowered potency and cosmic legitimacy; its removal marks the Asuras’ loss of effective agency when confronted by a higher, order-preserving power.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the turning point in the battle here?

He frames it as a decisive reversal: the Asuras are not merely wounded but spiritually and energetically “de-lustred,” indicating a collapse of their capacity to oppose the ordained order.

What is the theological importance of this scene for Vaishnava thought?

Even when a non-Vishnu agent is described (the hooded serpent’s fire), the episode reinforces the Purāṇic principle that dharma is upheld by superior, divinely-aligned power against adharmic forces.