Shloka 5

इक्ष्वाकुवंश-प्रसङ्गः, पुरंजय-दैवसाहाय्य-कथा, युवनाश्व-मांधातृ-उत्पत्तिः, सौभरि-वैराग्योपदेशः

Devanagari script

नभगस्यात्मजो नाभागसंज्ञो ऽभवत् । तस्य अम्बरीषः । अम्बरीषस्यापि विरूपो ऽभवत् ॥

Transliteration

nabhagasyātmajo nābhāgasaṃjño 'bhavat | tasya ambarīṣaḥ | ambarīṣasyāpi virūpo 'bhavat ||

Translation

Nabhāga had a son who became known as Nābhāga. From Nābhāga was born Ambarīṣa; and from Ambarīṣa, in turn, was born Virūpa.

Word by Word

• नभगस्य: of Nabhaga
• नभगस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नभग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• आत्मजः: son
• आत्मजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मज (प्रातिपदिक; आत्मन् + ज)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular; ‘आत्मनः जायते’ (son)

• नाभागसंज्ञः: named Nābhāga
• नाभागसंज्ञः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नाभाग-संज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक; नाभाग + संज्ञ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular; ‘नाभाग इति संज्ञा यस्य’ (named Nābhāga)

• अभवत्: was/became
• अभवत्: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — Imperfect, 3rd person singular

• तस्य: of him/of that (Nābhāga)
• तस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Genitive, Singular

• अम्बरीषः: Ambarīṣa
• अम्बरीषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अम्बरीष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular; विशेषनाम

• अम्बरीषस्य: of Ambarīṣa
• अम्बरीषस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अम्बरीष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; समुच्चयार्थक — particle ‘also’

• विरूपः: Virūpa (name; lit. ‘deformed/varied-form’)
• विरूपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विरूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular; विशेषनाम/विशेषणवत्

• अभवत्: was/became
• अभवत्: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — Imperfect, 3rd person singular

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Enumeration of the Ikṣvāku (Solar) dynasty succession.

Teaching: Genealogical

Quality: authoritative

Dynasty & Genealogy

Vamsha: Surya

Dharma Exemplar: Dharma-rājya (righteous kingship)

Key Kings: Nabhāga, Nābhāga, Ambarīṣa, Virūpa

Characters & Entities

• Nabhāga
• Ambarīṣa
• Virūpa
• Solar Dynasty (Sūrya-vaṃśa)

FAQs

What is the significance of genealogical verses like this in the Vishnu Purana?

They preserve the remembered succession of kings, presenting history as a dharmic continuum upheld within Vishnu’s overarching cosmic order.

How does Sage Parāśara explain lineage in the Vishnu Purana’s narrative structure?

Parāśara delivers compact, sequential parentage statements to Maitreya, building an authoritative chain of transmission for dynasties and their dharma-bearing rulers.

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

Even when Vishnu is not named in a verse, the Purana frames kingship and succession as operating under Vishnu’s sovereignty, where worldly order reflects divine order.