Shloka 9

Devanagari script

तस्य पुत्रशतप्रवरा विकुक्षिनिमिदण्डाख्यास् त्रयः पुत्रा । शकुनिप्रमुखाः पञ्चाशत् पुत्राः उत्तरापथरक्षितारो बभूवुः । चत्वारिंशद् अष्टौ च दक्षिणापथभूपालाः ॥

Transliteration

tasya putraśatapravarā vikukṣinimidaṇḍākhyās trayaḥ putrā | śakunipramukhāḥ pañcāśat putrāḥ uttarāpatharakṣitāro babhūvuḥ | catvāriṃśad aṣṭau ca dakṣiṇāpathabhūpālāḥ ||

Translation

Among his hundred eminent sons, three were especially renowned by the names Vikukṣi, Nimidaṇḍa, and others of that line. Of his sons, fifty—led by Śakuni—became guardians of the Northern region (Uttarāpatha); and forty-eight became kings who ruled the Southern region (Dakṣiṇāpatha).

Word by Word

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

• पुत्रशतप्रवराः: a hundred eminent sons
• पुत्रशतप्रवराः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुत्र-शत-प्रवर (प्रातिपदिक; पुत्र + शत + प्रवर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Plural; ‘पुत्राणां शते प्रवराः’ (the foremost among a hundred sons / a hundred excellent sons)

• विकुक्षि-निमि-दण्ड-आख्याः: named Vikukṣi, Nimi, and Daṇḍa
• विकुक्षि-निमि-दण्ड-आख्याः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विकुक्षि + निमि + दण्ड + आख्य (प्रातिपदिक; नामसमाहार)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Plural; नामद्वन्द्वः ‘विकुक्षिः निमिः दण्डः’ इति आख्याः (named Vikukṣi, Nimi, Daṇḍa)

• त्रयः: three
• त्रयः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Plural; संख्याविशेषणम्

• पुत्राः: sons
• पुत्राः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• शकुनिप्रमुखाः: with Śakuni as the foremost
• शकुनिप्रमुखाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शकुनि-प्रमुख (प्रातिपदिक; शकुनि + प्रमुख)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Plural; ‘शकुनिः प्रमुखः येषाम्’ (having Śakuni as the chief)

• पञ्चाशत्: fifty
• पञ्चाशत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्चाशत् (संख्याशब्द; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याशब्दः; प्रथमा/द्वितीया-समर्थः, बहुवचनार्थक — numeral ‘fifty’ (indeclinable-like)

• पुत्राः: sons
• पुत्राः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• उत्तरापथरक्षितारः: guardians of the northern region
• उत्तरापथरक्षितारः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उत्तरापथ-रक्षितृ (प्रातिपदिक; उत्तरापथ + रक्षितृ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Plural; ‘उत्तरापथस्य रक्षितारः’ (guardians of the northern route/region)

• बभूवुः: became
• बभूवुः: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परिपूर्णभूत), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन — Perfect, 3rd person plural

• चत्वारिंशत्: forty
• चत्वारिंशत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चत्वारिंशत् (संख्याशब्द; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याशब्दः; बहुवचनार्थक — numeral ‘forty’

• अष्टौ: eight
• अष्टौ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्टन् (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Plural; संख्याविशेषणम्

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्ययम् — conjunction

• दक्षिणापथभूपालाः: kings of the southern region
• दक्षिणापथभूपालाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्षिणापथ-भूपाल (प्रातिपदिक; दक्षिणापथ + भूपाल)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Plural; ‘दक्षिणापथस्य भूपालाः’ (kings of the southern region)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: How the Solar dynasty expanded into regional rulership and guardianship across North and South.

Teaching: Genealogical

Quality: authoritative

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Kingship is portrayed as protective stewardship: distributing capable heirs as guardians and rulers sustains social order across regions.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: In leadership, delegate authority with clear responsibility and accountability; prioritize protection of people and stability over personal aggrandizement.

Vishishtadvaita: Political order is a limb of cosmic order under Nārāyaṇa: differentiated roles (guardians, rulers) serve the welfare of the Lord’s embodied universe (jagat as His śarīra).

Dynasty & Genealogy

Vamsha: Surya

Dharma Exemplar: Rāja-dharma (regional protection and orderly governance)

Key Kings: Vikukṣi, Nimidaṇḍa, Śakuni

Characters & Entities

• Parāśara
• Maitreya
• Vikukṣi
• Nimidaṇḍa
• Śakuni
• Uttarāpatha
• Dakṣiṇāpatha
• Kings

FAQs

What is the significance of Uttarāpatha and Dakṣiṇāpatha in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse uses the North–South division to map how a royal lineage spreads into regional rulership, showing political order as a structured expression of dharma within the Purāṇic world.

How does Sage Parāśara explain dynastic expansion in this chapter?

Parāśara summarizes expansion through progeny: certain sons become protectors of the northern realms while others rule the southern realms, presenting genealogy as the mechanism by which governance and protection are established.

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

Even when Vishnu is not named in the verse, the Purāṇic genealogy is framed as unfolding within Vishnu’s sustaining sovereignty—kingship and regional order function as instruments of preservation (sthiti) under the Supreme.