Shloka 20

Devanagari script

यावन् महीतले शक्र स्थास्याम्य् अहम् अरिंदम न तावद् अर्जुनं कश्चिद् देवेन्द्र युधि जेष्यति

Transliteration

yāvan mahītale śakra sthāsyāmy aham ariṃdama na tāvad arjunaṃ kaścid devendra yudhi jeṣyati

Translation

So long as I remain upon the earth, O Śakra, subduer of foes—so long, O Devendra, no one at all shall conquer Arjuna in battle.

Word by Word

• यावन्: as long as
• यावन्: Kāla-avadhi (Temporal limit/काल-अवधि)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय/सम्बन्ध)
• Form: अव्यय; यावत्-शब्दस्य रूपम् (as long as)

• महीतले: on the earth
• महीतले: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महीतल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• शक्र: O Śakra (Indra)
• शक्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• स्थास्यामि: I will remain
• स्थास्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार, उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

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

• अरिंदम: O subduer of enemies
• अरिंदम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अरि (प्रातिपदिक) + दम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अरिणां दमः)

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation particle)

• तावत्: so long, until then
• तावत्: Kāla-avadhi (Correlative temporal/तावत्)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तावत्-शब्दः (so long/then) — correlates with yāvan

• अर्जुनम्: Arjuna
• अर्जुनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्जुन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• कश्चित्: anyone
• कश्चित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + चित् (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; अनिश्चितवाचक-सर्वनाम (indefinite pronoun)

• देवेन्द्र: O lord of the gods (Indra)
• देवेन्द्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; समासः कर्मधारयः (देवानाम् इन्द्रः)

• युधि: in battle
• युधि: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युध्/युधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; ‘युद्धे’ (in battle)

• जेष्यति: will defeat
• जेष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जि (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

A divine protector/ally speaking to Indra (Śakra/Devendra), offering a boon-like assurance regarding Arjuna’s victory

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Assurance of Arjuna’s unconquerability during the Lord’s earthly sojourn and its role in the divine plan.

Teaching: Historical

Quality: authoritative

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: Kṛṣṇa ensures the invincibility of Arjuna during His earthly presence so that the destined dharma-war can proceed to remove the Earth’s burden.

Leela: Yuddha

Dharma Restored: Triumph of righteous rule through victory of the dharmic side in the ordained war.

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: When the Lord stands as ally, dharmic effort becomes unconquerable; divine friendship (sakhya) functions as protection and empowerment.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Cultivate steadfast reliance on God while performing duty; let devotion mature into courageous action without despair.

Vishishtadvaita: Divine grace cooperates with human agency—distinct yet inseparable in outcome, like śeṣa serving the śeṣi.

Dynasty & Genealogy

Vamsha: Chandra

Dharma Exemplar: Vīrya (valor) under divine guidance

Key Kings: Arjuna, Śakra (Indra)

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Krishna

Bhakti Type: Sakhya

Characters & Entities

• Indra (Śakra/Devendra)
• Arjuna

FAQs

What is the significance of Indra (Śakra) being addressed directly in this verse of the Vishnu Purana?

It frames the event as part of cosmic governance: Indra, as king of the gods, receives assurance that dharma-aligned power (here, Arjuna’s victory) is protected by a higher divine presence.

How does the Vishnu Purana present the idea of invincibility in battle in this context?

Invincibility is not merely personal strength; it is conditional upon divine protection—“so long as I remain on earth”—showing victory as a function of cosmic sanction.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this type of assurance narrative?

Even when Vishnu is not named in the verse, the Purana’s worldview implies that ultimate sovereignty and the power sustaining dharma flow from the Supreme Reality (Vishnu), through whom protection and rightful victory become possible.