Shloka 21

पुनर्जन्म-दैत्यावतार-यादववंशमहिमा

Rebirth, Daitya Incarnations, and the Glory of the Yādava/Vṛṣṇi Line

Devanagari script

तिस्रः कोट्यः सहस्राणाम् अष्टाशीतिशतानि च कुमाराणां गृहाचार्याश् चापयोग्यासु ये रताः

Transliteration

tisraḥ koṭyaḥ sahasrāṇām aṣṭāśītiśatāni ca kumārāṇāṃ gṛhācāryāś cāpayogyāsu ye ratāḥ

Translation

There were three crores, and eighty-eight hundred besides, of youthful students; and among them were also household-teachers—those who, turning away from what is truly fit, were attached to unworthy pursuits.

Word by Word

• तिस्रः: three
• तिस्रः: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; संख्या-विशेषण; कोट्यः इति विशेषण

• कोट्यः: crores
• कोट्यः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोटि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• सहस्राणाम्: of thousands
• सहस्राणाम्: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन

• अष्टाशीतिशतानि: eighty (and) hundreds (i.e., eighty hundred = 8000)
• अष्टाशीतिशतानि: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्टाशीति (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समास (numerical): अष्टाशीतिः शतानि; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन (here enumerative, nominative)

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

• कुमाराणाम्: of the princes/boys
• कुमाराणाम्: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुमार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• गृहाचार्याः: household teachers
• गृहाचार्याः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक) + आचार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: गृहस्य आचार्यः; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

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

• अपयोग्यासु: in improper (things/places)
• अपयोग्यासु: अधिकरण (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-योग्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचन; नञ्-पूर्वक विशेषण; (स्त्रीलिङ्ग-बहुवचन पदे)

• ये: who
• ये: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सम्बन्ध-सूचक (relative pronoun)

• रताः: engaged/attached
• रताः: कर्ता-विशेषण (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रम् (धातु) → रत (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ये इति विशेषण

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Large numbers and social institutions (students and teachers) can still be corrupted when they abandon what is truly fit (yogya) for unworthy aims.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Choose mentors carefully; evaluate education by character and dharma-alignment rather than prestige or popularity.

Vishishtadvaita: Dharma is meaningful as service to the Lord’s order; deviation (ayogya-rati) obscures the jīva’s proper dependence on Hari.

Characters & Entities

• Kumāras (youthful students)
• Gṛhācāryas (household-teachers)

FAQs

What is the significance of mentioning such large numbers of kumāras (students) in the Vishnu Purana?

It emphasizes the scale of social organization and learning, while also setting up a contrast: even vast institutions of education can be undermined when people become attached to what is apayogya (unfit).

How does Sage Parāśara frame the problem of apayogya (unworthy pursuits) here?

He describes a class of teachers and students who are “ratāḥ” (attached) to improper aims, indicating that the failure is not lack of knowledge alone but misdirected desire and practice.

What is the theological takeaway about Vishnu’s sovereignty in this context?

By highlighting disorder in human conduct, the Purana implicitly points to the need for alignment with dharma upheld under Vishnu’s cosmic governance—true fitness (yogya) is ultimately measured against the divine order He sustains.