Shloka 16
प्रसन्नश् च देवानाम् अनादिनिधनः सकलजगत्परायणो नारायणः प्राह । ज्ञातम् एव मया युष्माभिर् यद् अभिलषितं तदर्थम् इदं श्रूयताम् । पुरंजयो नाम शशादस्य च राजर्षेस् तनयः क्षत्रियवर्यस् तच्छरीरे ऽहम् अंशेन स्वयम् एवावतीर्य तान् अशेषान् असुरान् निहनिष्यामि तद् भवद्भिः पुरंजयो ऽसुरवधार्थाय कार्योद्योगः कार्य इति एतच् च श्रुत्वा प्रणम्य भगवन्तं विष्णुम् अमराः पुरंजयसकाशम् आजग्मुः ॥
prasannaś ca devānām anādinidhanaḥ sakalajagatparāyaṇo nārāyaṇaḥ prāha | jñātam eva mayā yuṣmābhir yad abhilaṣitaṃ tadartham idaṃ śrūyatām | puraṃjayo nāma śaśādasya ca rājarṣes tanayaḥ kṣatriyavaryas taccharīre 'ham aṃśena svayam evāvatīrya tān aśeṣān asurān nihaniṣyāmi tad bhavadbhiḥ puraṃjayo 'suravadhārthāya kāryodyogaḥ kārya iti etac ca śrutvā praṇamya bhagavantaṃ viṣṇum amarāḥ puraṃjayasakāśam ājagmuḥ ||
Pleased with the gods, Nārāyaṇa—beginningless and endless, the supreme refuge toward whom the whole universe tends—spoke: “I already know what you have desired. Therefore hear what is to be done for that very purpose. There is a prince named Purāñjaya, the son of the royal sage Śaśāda, a foremost among kṣatriyas. Entering his body Myself as a portion of My power, I shall personally destroy all those asuras without remainder. Therefore, let Purāñjaya be set in motion by you for the task of slaying the demons.” Having heard this, the immortals bowed to Lord Viṣṇu and went to Purāñjaya’s presence.
Nārāyaṇa (Lord Viṣṇu), addressing the Devas (as narrated within Parāśara’s discourse to Maitreya)
Creation Stage: Manvantara
Cosmic Hierarchy: Lokas
Purpose: To enter Purāñjaya as an aṃśa and annihilate the asuras who had defeated the devas.
Leela: Loka-rakshana
Dharma Restored: Restoration of deva-sovereignty and stability of the three worlds
Concept: Nārāyaṇa, the refuge of the universe, responds to supplication and acts through chosen instruments, even by entering them as an aṃśa.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Practice śaraṇāgati (seeking refuge) and offer oneself as an instrument of dharma; align personal effort with divine purpose.
Vishishtadvaita: Antaryāmin emphasis—Bhagavān can indwell and empower a finite self while remaining the transcendent Nārāyaṇa, supporting qualified non-dualism.
Vamsha: Surya
Dharma Exemplar: Kṣatriya duty of protection (rakṣaṇa) embodied by Purāñjaya
Key Kings: Sasada, Puranjaya
Vishnu Form: Narayana
Bhakti Type: Dasya
Antaryamin: Yes
FAQs
This verse presents Purāñjaya as a divinely empowered kṣatriya through whom Viṣṇu manifests a portion of His power to eliminate the asuras, linking royal genealogy with the restoration of dharma.
Viṣṇu, portrayed as the universe’s ultimate refuge and the beginningless Lord, does not merely advise the gods—He enters history through an aṃśa (partial manifestation) and ensures the defeat of adharma.
It emphasizes Viṣṇu’s status as the Supreme, eternal reality who transcends time while still acting within time—supporting a Vaishnava view of God as both absolute and personally active in protecting cosmic order.