Shloka 85

दुर्वासाशापः, क्षीरसागरमन्थनम्, श्रीः (लक्ष्मी) उद्भवः तथा श्रीस्तुतिः

Devanagari script

तेनैव मुखनिःश्वासवायुनास्तबलाहकैः पुच्छप्रदेशे वर्षद्भिस् तदा चाप्यायिताः सुराः

Transliteration

tenaiva mukhaniḥśvāsavāyunāstabalāhakaiḥ pucchapradeśe varṣadbhis tadā cāpyāyitāḥ surāḥ

Translation

Then, by the very wind of His exhalation from the mouth, driving dense rain-clouds, showers fell upon the region of the tail; and by those rains the gods too were nourished and restored.

Word by Word

• तेन: by him/thereby
• तेन: करण (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम-रूपम् (instrumental singular of 'that/he')

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: सम्बन्ध/निपात (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/emphasis)

• मुख-निःश्वास-वायुनā: by the wind of (his) breath from the mouth
• मुख-निःश्वास-वायुनā: करण (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुख (प्रातिपदिक) + निःश्वास (प्रातिपदिक) + वायु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मुखस्य निःश्वासः → मुखनिःश्वासः; मुखनिःश्वासस्य वायुः → मुखनिःश्वासवायुः)

• आस्त: was/existed
• आस्त: क्रिया (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• बलाहकैः: with clouds
• बलाहकैः: करण/सह (Instrument/Association)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बलाहक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचनम्

• पुच्छ-प्रदेशे: in the tail-region
• पुच्छ-प्रदेशे: अधिकरण (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुच्छ (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रदेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पुच्छस्य प्रदेशः)

• वर्षद्भिः: by (them) raining
• वर्षद्भिः: करण (Instrument)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृष् (धातु) → वर्षत् (शतृ-कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम् (बलाहकानाम्)

• तदा: then
• तदा: कालाधिकरण (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Coordination)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-निपात (conjunction)

• अप्यायिताः: were nourished/refreshed
• अप्यायिताः: कर्म (Patient)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अपि-आ-या (धातु) → अप्यायित (क्त-कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचनम्; विधेय-विशेषणरूपेण (surāḥ)

• सुराः: the gods
• सुराः: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचनम्

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Account of the devas’ and asuras’ churning of the Ocean of Milk and Hari’s interventions

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: authoritative

Avatara Context

Avatara: Kurma

Purpose: He supports the churning of the Ocean of Milk by stabilizing Mandara and sustaining devas through restorative rains.

Leela: Loka-rakshana

Dharma Restored: Cosmic balance by replenishing the devas and sustaining the churning process

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The Lord sustains different orders of beings through appropriate means, maintaining equilibrium in the cosmos.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: See sustaining power (prāṇa, nature’s cycles, nourishment) as divine stewardship and act as a protector of balance in one’s duties.

Vishishtadvaita: Vishnu’s governance is immanent in natural processes (wind, rain) while remaining the sovereign transcendent agent.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Hari

Characters & Entities

• Devas (Surāḥ)
• Rain-clouds (Balāhaka)

FAQs

What is the significance of rain and clouds in this Vishnu Purana verse?

Rain here symbolizes cosmic replenishment—nature’s forces are portrayed as instruments through which higher order restores vitality, even to the Devas.

How does Sage Parāśara explain restoration in the cosmic narrative?

He frames restoration as a lawful, divinely-governed process: wind, clouds, and rain operate in sequence to renew weakened beings, reflecting preservation within cosmic cycles.

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

Even when not named explicitly, the verse reflects Vaishnava cosmology where the Supreme Reality stands behind natural forces—sustaining the universe and re-energizing the gods through ordered processes.