Shloka 61

इक्ष्वाकुवंश-श्रवण-फलश्रुतिः

Devanagari script

एते हीक्ष्वाकुभूपालाः प्राधान्येन मयेरिताः एतेषां चरितं शृण्वन् सर्वपापैः प्रमुच्यते

Transliteration

ete hīkṣvākubhūpālāḥ prādhānyena mayeritāḥ eteṣāṃ caritaṃ śṛṇvan sarvapāpaiḥ pramucyate

Translation

These indeed are the kings of Ikṣvāku’s line, recounted by me in their foremost greatness. Whoever hears the tale of their deeds is freed from all sins.

Word by Word

• एते: these
• एते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural); सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक (pronoun)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/emphasis)

• इक्ष्वाकु-भूपालाः: the kings of Ikṣvāku’s line
• इक्ष्वाकु-भूपालाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इक्ष्वाकु (प्रातिपदिक) + भूपाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative): 'इक्ष्वाकोः भूपालाः'

• प्राधान्येन: by way of prominence / chiefly
• प्राधान्येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राधान्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; भाववाचक (abstract noun)

• मया: by me
• मया: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• ईरिताः: have been narrated/uttered
• ईरिताः: Karma (Predicate participle; passive relation/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ईर् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; 'ईरित' = 'उक्त/प्रेरित'

• एतेषाम्: of these
• एतेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• चरितम्: deeds, life-story
• चरितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चरित (प्रातिपदिक; √चर् + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; क्तान्त-नाम (action/result noun)

• शृण्वन्: hearing/listening
• शृण्वन्: Karta (Subject of implied action/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त प्रत्यय)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि

• सर्व-पापैः: from all sins (lit. by all sins)
• सर्व-पापैः: Apadana (Ablative-like separation sense via instrumental/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; कर्मधारय: 'सर्वाणि पापानि'

• प्रमुच्यते: is freed
• प्रमुच्यते: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद, कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive): 'is released'

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Solar dynasty narration and its phala (merit) of hearing royal-caritas.

Teaching: Genealogical

Quality: authoritative, phala-śruti style

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Śravaṇa (devout listening) to dhārmic royal narratives is a purificatory act that removes sin.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Regularly listen to or study Purāṇic itihāsa with attentive reverence, treating it as sādhana rather than mere history.

Vishishtadvaita: Grace-mediated purification through śravaṇa of narratives that ultimately glorify Hari’s order (niyati) in the world

Dynasty & Genealogy

Vamsha: Surya

Dharma Exemplar: Śravaṇa of righteous royal-carita as pāpa-kṣaya (sin-destroying) practice

Key Kings: Ikshvaku

Vaishnava Theology

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Characters & Entities

• Ikṣvāku
• Kings (Ikṣvāku dynasty)
• Sage Parāśara
• Maitreya

FAQs

What is the significance of hearing the Ikṣvāku dynasty narratives in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse states that attentive listening to the lives of these Solar-dynasty kings grants purification—freedom from sins—because their stories preserve dharma, right rule, and sacred memory.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the dynasty section here?

Parāśara clarifies that he has presented the Ikṣvāku kings “in their principal form,” meaning a focused summary of the most important rulers rather than an exhaustive list.

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

Even when Vishnu is not named in the verse, the Purāṇa frames righteous lineage and kingship as operating under Vishnu’s universal sovereignty; hearing such accounts is treated as spiritually efficacious within a Vaishnava dharma worldview.