Shloka 4

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

Devanagari script

मैत्रेय श्रूयताम् एतद् यत् पृष्टो ऽहम् इह त्वया विष्णोर् अंशांशसंभूतिचरितं जगतो हितम्

Transliteration

maitreya śrūyatām etad yat pṛṣṭo 'ham iha tvayā viṣṇor aṃśāṃśasaṃbhūticaritaṃ jagato hitam

Translation

O Maitreya, listen: what you have asked of me here I shall now relate—an account of the deeds of those who arise from Vishnu’s own portions and sub-portions, a sacred narration meant for the welfare of the whole world.

Word by Word

• मैत्रेय: O Maitreya
• मैत्रेय: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मैत्रेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• श्रूयताम्: let it be heard
• श्रूयताम्: Kriya (Injunction/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive imperative)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन

• यत्: that which / since
• यत्: Sambandha (Clause linker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सम्बन्धबोधक-अव्यय (relative particle introducing clause)

• पृष्टः: (I) have been asked
• पृष्टः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रच्छ् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past Passive Participle/क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karana (Agent in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• विष्णोः: of Viṣṇu
• विष्णोः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• अंशांशसंभूतिचरितम्: the account of the manifestation of (His) partial portions
• अंशांशसंभूतिचरितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अंश (प्रातिपदिक) + अंश (प्रातिपदिक) + सम्भूति (प्रातिपदिक) + चरित (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त-आधारित)
• Form: बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (अंशांशस्य सम्भूतेः चरितम्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन

• जगतः: of the world
• जगतः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• हितम्: beneficial
• हितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हित (प्रातिपदिक; √धा + क्त/निष्ठा-आधारित)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन; विशेषण

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (addressing Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Response to Maitreya’s request to hear the full account of Viṣṇu’s aṃśāvatāra(s), especially in the Yadu line.

Teaching: Devotional

Quality: authoritative, benevolent

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: Parāśara announces he will narrate the world-benefiting deeds of those born from Viṣṇu’s portions and sub-portions, culminating in the Yādava avatāra narrative.

Leela: Dharma-upadesa

Dharma Restored: Lokahita through sacred narration—strengthening dharma by transmitting avatāra-carita.

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Hearing avatāra-carita is ‘jagato hitam’—spiritually beneficial for all beings and a means to cultivate devotion and dharmic clarity.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Use kathā-śravaṇa as a disciplined practice (weekly or daily), treating it as sādhana for inner purification and ethical steadiness.

Vishishtadvaita: Grace flows through the Lord’s historical manifestations and their narration; the world is upheld by Bhagavān’s purposeful engagement, not dismissed as unreal.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Hari

Bhakti Type: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Maitreya
• Vishnu

FAQs

What is the significance of aṃśa and aṃśāṃśa (portions and sub-portions) in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse frames the coming narrative as the deeds of Vishnu’s partial manifestations, emphasizing that divine descents occur by Vishnu’s supreme agency for cosmic and worldly welfare.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the purpose of narrating these deeds?

He explicitly states the narration is “jagato hitam”—intended for the good of the world—presenting Purāṇic history as spiritually and ethically transformative.

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

Vishnu is presented as the ultimate source from whom manifestations arise; the focus is not merely heroic biography but revelation of divine sovereignty guiding the world’s order.