Shloka 25

पुनर्जन्म-दैत्यावतार-यादववंशमहिमा

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

Devanagari script

विष्णुस् तेषां प्रमाणे च प्रभुत्वे च व्यवस्थितः निदेशस्थायिनस् तस्य बभूवुः सर्वयादवाः

Transliteration

viṣṇus teṣāṃ pramāṇe ca prabhutve ca vyavasthitaḥ nideśasthāyinas tasya babhūvuḥ sarvayādavāḥ

Translation

Among them, Viṣṇu stood established as the very measure of authority and the seat of rightful lordship; and all the Yādavas became steadfast in abiding by His command, in harmony with His sovereign order.

Word by Word

• विष्णुः: Vishnu
• विष्णुः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम्

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे षष्ठी बहुवचनम्

• प्रमाणे: in measure/authority (as standard)
• प्रमाणे: Adhikarana (Domain/Respect)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रमाण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे सप्तमी एकवचनम् (locative singular)

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

• प्रभुत्वे: in lordship/sovereignty
• प्रभुत्वे: Adhikarana (Domain/Respect)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभुत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे सप्तमी एकवचनम् (locative singular)

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

• व्यवस्थितः: was established/present
• व्यवस्थितः: Karta (Predicate adjective of विष्णुः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि (उपसर्ग) + अव (उपसर्ग) + √स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम्; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle)

• निदेशस्थायिनः: abiding by (his) command
• निदेशस्थायिनः: Visheshana (Qualifier of सर्वयादवाः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निदेश (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थायिन् (प्रातिपदिक; from √स्था)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्; समासः—निदेशे स्थायिनः (सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष)

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे षष्ठी एकवचनम्

• बभूवुः: became/were
• बभूवुः: Kriya (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (परोक्शभूत/Perfect); प्रथमपुरुषः; बहुवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• सर्वयादवाः: all the Yadavas
• सर्वयादवाः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + यादव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्; समासः—सर्वे यादवाः

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: How Viṣṇu’s sovereignty structured Yādava power and legitimacy

Teaching: Devotional

Quality: authoritative

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: To govern and harmonize the Yādavas under divine sovereignty, making them instruments of dharma in destroying oppressive forces.

Leela: Dharma-upadesa

Dharma Restored: Rightful lordship (prabhutva) and obedience to divine command as the measure of authority

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: True authority and lordship are measured by alignment with Viṣṇu, and power becomes legitimate when it abides by His command.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Treat power—personal, social, or political—as stewardship under divine/ethical law; cultivate disciplined devotion expressed as obedience and service.

Vishishtadvaita: The Lord as antaryāmin and sovereign norm (pramāṇa/prabhutva) integrates transcendence with immanent governance of communities.

Dynasty & Genealogy

Vamsha: Chandra

Dharma Exemplar: Obedience to dharma and rightful sovereignty

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Hari

Bhakti Type: Dasya

Vyuha Form: Vasudeva

Antaryamin: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu

FAQs

What is the significance of Viṣṇu being 'pramāṇa' (the measure/authority) in this verse of the Vishnu Purana?

It presents Viṣṇu as the ultimate standard of legitimacy—both for knowledge and for kingship—so authority in the Yādava line is portrayed as valid only when aligned with His supreme order.

How does Sage Parāśara explain divine sovereignty in the dynastic sections of the Vishnu Purana?

By showing that royal power (prabhutva) is not autonomous: dynasties flourish when they remain 'nideśasthāyin'—steadfast in obedience to the divine directive that upholds dharma.

What is the theological importance of Lord Viṣṇu here for Vaishnava philosophy?

The verse frames Viṣṇu as the supreme ruler whose will grounds worldly governance, reflecting a Vaishnava view where cosmic and social order depend on the Lord’s sustaining sovereignty.