Shloka 57

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

Devanagari script

एषा मही देव महीप्रसूतैर् महासुरैः पीडितशैलबन्धा परायणं त्वां जगताम् उपैति भारावतारार्थम् अपारपारम्

Transliteration

eṣā mahī deva mahīprasūtair mahāsuraiḥ pīḍitaśailabandhā parāyaṇaṃ tvāṃ jagatām upaiti bhārāvatārārtham apārapāram

Translation

O Deva, this Earth—bound down by mountains and oppressed by mighty Asuras born of the Earth—now approaches You, the supreme refuge of all worlds, the limitless One beyond all bounds, seeking You to lighten the burden that has grown upon her.

Word by Word

• eṣā: this (she)
• eṣā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• mahī: Earth
• mahī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• deva: O god
• deva: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• mahī-prasūtaiḥ: by those born of the Earth
• mahī-prasūtaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahī (प्रातिपदिक) + prasūta (कृदन्त; √sū/सू धातु, ‘born/produced’)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (मह्याः प्रसूताः)

• mahā-asuraiḥ: by great demons
• mahā-asuraiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + asura (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (महान्तः असुराः)

• pīḍita-śaila-bandhā: whose mountains are oppressed/held fast
• pīḍita-śaila-bandhā: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pīḍita (कृदन्त; √pīḍ/पीड् धातु, ‘afflicted’) + śaila (प्रातिपदिक) + bandhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः; ‘whose mountains/structures are afflicted/bound’ (बहिर्वृत्ति-विशेषण)

• parāyaṇam: refuge; ultimate resort
• parāyaṇam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: parāyaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्म

• tvām: you
• tvām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (सर्वनाम), द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• jagatām: of the worlds/beings
• jagatām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jagat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन

• upaiti: approaches
• upaiti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: upa-√i (इ धातु; गत्यर्थ)
• Form: लट् (present/वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• bhāra-avatāra-artham: for the purpose of relieving the burden (by descent)
• bhāra-avatāra-artham: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhāra (प्रातिपदिक) + avatāra (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः; प्रयोजन (purpose)

• apāra-pāram: the unfathomable one
• apāra-pāram: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: apāra (प्रातिपदिक) + pāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (अपारं च तत् पारं च/‘whose far shore is unfathomable’)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya; invoking the divine context of Vishnu’s saving descent)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Why the Lord descends when Earth is overburdened by asuric forces

Teaching: Historical

Quality: revealing

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: Bhūdevī approaches the Lord to reduce Earth’s burden by the removal of oppressive asuric powers, prompting the descent leading to Kṛṣṇa’s advent.

Leela: Loka-rakshana

Dharma Restored: Restoration of righteous kingship and the rebalancing of Earth’s load (bhāra-haraṇa)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: When dharma is crushed and the Earth is overburdened, she seeks refuge in the Lord alone, who is the limitless support of all worlds.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: In collective crisis, cultivate śaraṇāgati—turning first to the divine refuge while acting in one’s duty as service to Him.

Vishishtadvaita: The world (Earth) approaches the Lord as dependent (śeṣa) upon the independent ruler (śeṣin), highlighting cosmic dependence central to Viśiṣṭādvaita.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Narayana

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Lakshmi Presence: Bhumi

Jagat Karana: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Earth (Mahī/Bhūmi)
• Asuras

FAQs

What is the significance of Earth approaching Vishnu in the Vishnu Purana?

It frames Vishnu as the ultimate refuge of all beings and presents avatāra as a compassionate, cosmic response to restore dharma when the world is overwhelmed.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the need for avatāra in this context?

By depicting the Earth oppressed by powerful Asuras and weighed down by disorder, Parāśara shows that Vishnu’s descent is purposive—meant to remove the burden and re-establish universal balance.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu here?

Vishnu is portrayed as parāyaṇa (supreme refuge) and apārapāra (infinite, beyond limits), emphasizing His sovereignty and transcendence even while He intervenes within history through avatāra.