Shloka 60

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

Devanagari script

एवं संस्तूयमानस् तु भगवान् परमेश्वरः उज्जहारात्मनः केशौ सितकृष्णौ महामुने

Transliteration

evaṃ saṃstūyamānas tu bhagavān parameśvaraḥ ujjahārātmanaḥ keśau sitakṛṣṇau mahāmune

Translation

Thus praised with hymns, the Blessed Lord—the Supreme Sovereign—drew forth from His own being two hairs, O great sage: one white and one black.

Word by Word

• evam: thus
• evam: Adverbial (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (manner adverb)

• saṃstūyamānaḥ: being praised
• saṃstūyamānaḥ: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: saṃ-√stu (स्तु धातु; स्तुतौ)
• Form: वर्तमान कर्मणि कृदन्त (शानच्/मान), प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग; ‘being praised’

• tu: then/indeed
• tu: Discourse particle (Nipāta/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/अन्वय (particle)

• bhagavān: the Lord
• bhagavān: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhagavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• parameśvaraḥ: the Supreme Lord
• parameśvaraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: parama (प्रातिपदिक) + īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रthama), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (परमः ईश्वरः)

• ujjahāra: drew forth; plucked out
• ujjahāra: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ud-√hṛ (हृ धातु; हरणे)
• Form: लिट् (perfect/परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ātmanaḥ: of himself
• ātmanaḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठī)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; स्वत्व/सम्बन्ध

• keśau: two hairs
• keśau: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: keśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), द्विवचन

• sita-kṛṣṇau: white and black
• sita-kṛṣṇau: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sita (प्रातिपदिक) + kṛṣṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), द्विवचन; समासः—द्वन्द्वः (सितश्च कृष्णश्च)

• mahā-mune: O great sage
• mahā-mune: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + muni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (महान् मुनिः)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: How the Lord initiates the avatāra for bhāra-haraṇa, including the manifestation of the two ‘hairs’ (white and black)

Teaching: Historical

Quality: revealing

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: To relieve Earth’s burden, the Lord manifests as Kṛṣṇa (dark) and causes the manifestation of Balarāma (white) from Himself, initiating the descent that will remove oppressive forces.

Leela: Loka-rakshana

Dharma Restored: Cosmic balance and dharmic rule through the Lord’s descent and the defeat of adharma

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The Lord’s avatāra arises from His own being, indicating divine sovereignty over manifestation and the non-dependence of the Supreme on external causes.

Vedantic Theme: Moksha

Application: See sacred history as purposeful divine governance; cultivate trust that the Lord can manifest means of protection from within His own power.

Vishishtadvaita: Avatāra is not a forced embodiment by karma but a free, compassionate self-manifestation of Bhagavān, consistent with His transcendence and immanence.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Vasudeva

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Vyuha Form: Vasudeva

Jagat Karana: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu (Bhagavān/Parameśvara)
• Balarāma (white hair implication)
• Kṛṣṇa (black hair implication)

FAQs

What is the significance of the white and black hairs in the Vishnu Purana?

They signify the Lord’s deliberate manifestation of two divine descents—traditionally understood as Balarāma (white) and Kṛṣṇa (black)—arising directly from the Supreme Lord’s own being.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the avatāra principle here?

Parāśara frames the event as a sovereign act of Bhagavān Parameśvara: the incarnations are not independent births but purposeful manifestations proceeding from Vishnu Himself.

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

Vishnu is presented as Parameśvara—the supreme source who can emanate forms at will—supporting a Vaishnava view in which all avatāras are grounded in the one Supreme Reality.