Shloka 62

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

Devanagari script

सुराश् च सकलाः स्वांशैर् अवतीर्य महीतले कुर्वन्तु युद्धम् उन्मत्तैः पूर्वोत्पन्नैर् महासुरैः

Transliteration

surāś ca sakalāḥ svāṃśair avatīrya mahītale kurvantu yuddham unmattaiḥ pūrvotpannair mahāsuraiḥ

Translation

“Let all the gods, descending to the earth with portions of their own divine power, wage war against those frenzied, mighty Asuras born in former times.”

Word by Word

• सुराः: the gods
• सुराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

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

• सकलाः: all
• सकलाः: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सकल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifier of सुराः)

• स्वांशैः: with their own portions (partial incarnations)
• स्वांशैः: Karana (Instrument/means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + अंश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थ (svāḥ aṃśāḥ: 'own portions'); पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (instrumental, 3rd), बहुवचन

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

• महीतले: on the earth’s surface
• महीतले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मही (प्रातिपदिक) + तल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (mahīyāḥ talaṃ: 'surface of the earth'); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• कुर्वन्तु: let them do/perform
• कुर्वन्तु: Kriya (Injunctive/command/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन

• युद्धम्: battle
• युद्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• उन्मत्तैः: with the frenzied
• उन्मत्तैः: Karana (Co-agent/instrumental association/सहकारक)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उन्मत्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifier of महासुरैः)

• पूर्वोत्पन्नैः: with those born earlier
• पूर्वोत्पन्नैः: Karana (Co-agent/instrumental association/सहकारक)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्पन्न (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (पूर्वं उत्पन्न: 'previously born'); पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; विशेषण (of महासुरैः)

• महासुरैः: with the great demons
• महासुरैः: Karana (Co-agent/instrumental association/सहकारक)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + असुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (mahān asuraḥ: 'great demon'); पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: How the devas participate in the Earthly līlā through partial incarnations to defeat asuric powers.

Teaching: Historical

Quality: strategic and authoritative

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: To orchestrate the devas’ partial descents and the ensuing conflict that eliminates the ancient asuric forces burdening the Earth.

Leela: Yuddha

Dharma Restored: Re-establishment of righteous governance by defeating asuric domination.

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Dharma is protected not only by the Lord’s descent but also through empowered agents who act as instruments of His will.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Act as an instrument of dharma within one’s capacity (svadharma), cooperating with the good to restrain destructive forces.

Vishishtadvaita: The devas’ ‘aṃśa’ participation reflects dependent agency (śeṣatva) under the Supreme’s sovereignty.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Narayana

Characters & Entities

• Devas (Suras)
• Asuras

FAQs

What is the significance of the Devas descending with ‘aṃśas’ (portions) in the Vishnu Purana?

It signals a controlled, purposeful descent where divine forces manifest partially in the world to re-establish balance, rather than acting only from the celestial realm.

How does Sage Parāśara frame the Deva–Asura conflict in this context?

He presents it as an ordered response to earlier-born, powerful Asuras—battle undertaken as a means to uphold cosmic stability, not mere rivalry.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu here, even though he is not named in the verse?

In the Vishnu Purana’s worldview, such descents and restorations ultimately operate under Vishnu’s supreme sovereignty—divine action in history is part of his governance of dharma and the cosmos.