Shloka 22

देवकी-विवाहः, आकाशवाणी, भूरभारावतरण-याचना, क्षीराब्धि-स्तुति, केशावतार-नियोजनम्

Devanagari script

तत्साम्प्रतम् इमे दैत्याः कालनेमिपुरोगमाः मर्त्यलोकं समाक्रम्य बाधन्ते ऽहर्निशं प्रजाः

Transliteration

tatsāmpratam ime daityāḥ kālanemipurogamāḥ martyalokaṃ samākramya bādhante 'harniśaṃ prajāḥ

Translation

But now these Daityas—led in the vanguard by Kālanemi—have overrun the world of mortals and torment the people day and night without respite.

Word by Word

• तत्साम्प्रतम्: now, at present
• तत्साम्प्रतम्: Adhikarana (Time locus/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + साम्प्रतम् (अव्यय/नपुंसक-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययप्रायः; कालवाचक-प्रयोगः (temporal adverb: “now/at present”)

• इमे: these
• इमे: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• दैत्याः: Daityas, demons
• दैत्याः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• कालनेमिपुरोगमाः: led by Kālanemi
• कालनेमिपुरोगमाः: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कालनेमि (प्रातिपदिक) + पुरोगम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (those who have Kālanemi as leader/forerunner)

• मर्त्यलोकम्: the mortal world
• मर्त्यलोकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक) + लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• समाक्रम्य: having overrun
• समाक्रम्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + क्रम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive): “having overrun/attacked”

• बाधन्ते: they oppress, harass
• बाधन्ते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: बाध् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

• अहर्निशम्: day and night
• अहर्निशम्: Adhikarana (Time locus/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अहर्निशम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक-क्रियाविशेषणम्

• प्रजाः: the people, subjects
• प्रजाः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Why the Lord manifests in the world and what immediate threat necessitates the descent

Teaching: Historical

Quality: authoritative

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: He descends to protect the afflicted in the mortal world by subduing the Daityas led by Kālanemi’s faction and re-establishing dharma.

Leela: Loka-rakshana

Dharma Restored: Protection of subjects and stability of righteous rule

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: When adharma overwhelms the human realm, the Lord’s protective power becomes manifest for the welfare of beings.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: In times of societal or personal oppression, cultivate steadfast devotion and align actions with dharma, trusting divine protection while doing one’s duty.

Vishishtadvaita: The Lord’s compassion operates within history to safeguard dependent souls (śeṣa) who rely on Him as protector (rakṣaka).

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Krishna

Characters & Entities

• Daityas
• Kālanemi
• Martyaloka (mortal world)
• Prajāḥ (the people)

FAQs

What is the significance of Daitya oppression in the Vishnu Purana?

It signals a breakdown of dharma in the mortal realm and functions as the narrative trigger for Vishnu’s protective intervention to restore cosmic and social order.

How does Sage Parāśara frame the crisis in this verse?

He presents it as a present, ongoing invasion—Daityas led by Kālanemi overrunning Martyaloka and tormenting the people continuously—establishing urgency for divine action.

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

Even when not named in the verse, Vishnu is implied as the supreme governor who responds to sustained adharma by reasserting sovereignty through preservation and restoration.