Shloka 61

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

Devanagari script

उवाच च सुरान् एतौ मत्केशौ वसुधातले अवतीर्य भुवो भारक्लेशहानिं करिष्यतः

Transliteration

uvāca ca surān etau matkeśau vasudhātale avatīrya bhuvo bhārakleśahāniṃ kariṣyataḥ

Translation

He said to the gods: “These two hairs of Mine shall descend to the earth; taking birth in the world, they will remove the affliction born of the earth’s burden.”

Word by Word

• उवाच: said/spoke
• उवाच: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक निपात (conjunction/particle: 'and')

• सुरान्: the gods
• सुरान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), द्वितीया (accusative, 2nd), बहुवचन (plural)

• एतौ: these two
• एतौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (nominative, 1st), द्विवचन (dual)

• मत्केशौ: my two hairs/locks
• मत्केशौ: Karta (Apposition to subject/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मत् (अस्मद्-षष्ठी एकवचनार्थक) + केश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative: 'my' + 'hair/lock'); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन

• वसुधातले: on the earth’s surface
• वसुधातले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसुधा (प्रातिपदिक) + तल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (vasudhāyāḥ talaṃ: 'surface of the earth'); नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), सप्तमी (locative, 7th), एकवचन

• अवतीर्य: having descended
• अवतीर्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव-तॄ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive): 'having descended'

• भुवः: of the earth
• भुवः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू (प्रातिपदिक: भुव्/भू)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), षष्ठी (genitive, 6th), एकवचन

• भारक्लेशहानिम्: the removal of the burden and affliction
• भारक्लेशहानिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भार (प्रातिपदिक) + क्लेश (प्रातिपदिक) + हानि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समाहार-तत्पुरुष (determinative: 'removal/cessation of burden and distress'); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• करिष्यतः: will do/bring about
• करिष्यतः: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (simple future), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), द्विवचन (dual)

Speaker

Vishnu (as recounted by Sage Parāśara in the Parāśara–Maitreya dialogue)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: The descent of Vishnu to relieve the Earth’s burden and the divine plan for the avatāra.

Teaching: Historical

Quality: authoritative

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: To descend as Krishna (with Balarama) and remove the Earth’s burden by destroying oppressive asuric forces.

Leela: Loka-rakshana

Dharma Restored: Restoration of dharma by relieving Bhū-devī’s burden and re-establishing righteous rule.

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The Lord freely manifests within the world to protect creation and remove the weight of adharma.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Trust divine providence and align one’s life with dharma, seeing crises as occasions for the restoration of order through surrender and right action.

Vishishtadvaita: Vishnu’s transcendence is retained even as He acts within the world, showing immanence without loss of supremacy.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Hari

Lakshmi Presence: Bhumi

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Devas (gods)
• Earth (Bhū/Vasudhā)

FAQs

What is the significance of removing the earth’s burden in the Vishnu Purana?

It signals a cosmic crisis where adharma becomes heavy upon the world; Vishnu intervenes through descent to restore balance and relieve that oppressive weight.

How does Sage Parāśara frame Vishnu’s intervention in this passage?

As a purposeful, sovereign act: Vishnu addresses the devas and declares a concrete means of descent, emphasizing that restoration of order proceeds from his will.

What is Vishnu’s theological importance in this context?

Vishnu appears as the Supreme Reality who governs cosmic order—responding to the gods, entering the world, and removing suffering rooted in imbalance and unrighteousness.