Shloka 13
देवकी-विवाहः, आकाशवाणी, भूरभारावतरण-याचना, क्षीराब्धि-स्तुति, केशावतार-नियोजनम्
सब्रह्मकान् सुरान् सर्वान् प्रणिपत्याथ मेदिनी कथयाम् आस तत् सर्वं खेदात् करुणभाषिणी
sabrahmakān surān sarvān praṇipatyātha medinī kathayām āsa tat sarvaṃ khedāt karuṇabhāṣiṇī
Then the Earth, her speech gentle with compassion yet heavy with sorrow, bowed down before all the gods, even up to Brahmā, and told them in full the cause of her distress.
Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)
Speaker: Parasara
Topic: The devas’ assembly and the formal petition arising from Earth’s distress
Teaching: Historical
Quality: compassionate
Manvantara: Vaivasvata
Cosmic Hierarchy: Lokas
Concept: Humble prostration and truthful articulation of suffering before higher authority is presented as a dharmic mode of seeking protection.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Approach the divine (and rightful authority) with humility, clarity, and compassion rather than bitterness.
Vishishtadvaita: The cosmic administration (Brahmā-devas) functions under the supreme Lord; petitioning them is indirectly approaching Nārāyaṇa’s governance.
Vishnu Form: Narayana
Bhakti Type: Dasya
Lakshmi Presence: Bhumi
FAQs
It frames cosmic disorder as a burden upon the Earth and initiates the divine response mechanism—appeal to the higher celestial hierarchy—leading toward Vishnu’s restorative intervention.
Parāśara presents Medinī’s sorrowful petition as the immediate catalyst: she prostrates before the gods and reports the full extent of the affliction, which sets the stage for seeking Vishnu’s remedy.
The verse participates in a standard Purāṇic pattern where the gods’ deliberation culminates in reliance on Vishnu as the supreme sustainer whose avatāra restores dharma and rebalances the world.