Shloka 10

Devanagari script

मत्स्यकूर्मवराहाश्वसिंहरूपादिभिः स्थितिम् चकार जगतो यो ऽजः सो ऽद्य माम् आलपिष्यति

Transliteration

matsyakūrmavarāhāśvasiṃharūpādibhiḥ sthitim cakāra jagato yo 'jaḥ so 'dya mām ālapiṣyati

Translation

He who—though unborn—upholds the stability of the worlds by assuming forms such as the Fish, the Tortoise, the Boar, the Horse, and the Lion: that very Lord will speak with me today.

Word by Word

• मत्स्यकूर्मवराहाश्वसिंहरूपादिभिः: by (his) forms such as fish, tortoise, boar, horse, lion, etc.
• मत्स्यकूर्मवराहाश्वसिंहरूपादिभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मत्स्य (प्रातिपदिक) + कूर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + वराह (प्रातिपदिक) + अश्व (प्रातिपदिक) + सिंह (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; रूप-आदि-समास (…रूप-आदि) + बहुवचन-प्रत्यय; अर्थ: ‘मत्स्यादिरूपैः’

• स्थितिम्: stability/maintenance
• स्थितिम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थिति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• चकार: made/caused
• चकार: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• जगतः: of the world
• जगतः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• अजः: the unborn one
• अजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• अद्य: today/now
• अद्य: Kala-adhikarana (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• आलपिष्यति: will speak to/address
• आलपिष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + लप् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya; the verse expresses Parāśara’s reverent anticipation of the Lord’s discourse/manifest guidance)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Avatāra doctrine: the unborn Lord assumes forms (Matsya, Kūrma, Varāha, Hayagrīva/horse, Narasiṃha, etc.) to uphold the worlds and will now speak.

Teaching: Devotional

Quality: authoritative

Cosmological Context

Cosmic Hierarchy: Lokas (worlds)

Avatara Context

Avatara: Narasimha

Purpose: He descends in multiple forms to protect the worlds and re-establish stability when cosmic order is threatened.

Leela: Loka-rakshana (world-protection)

Dharma Restored: Stability of the worlds and the dharmic order upheld by divine intervention.

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Though unborn, the Lord freely assumes avatāra-forms to preserve the stability of the worlds, revealing compassionate sovereignty over cosmic order.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: In personal crises, remember avatāra as a theology of divine nearness—seek protection through prayer, ethical living, and trust in the Lord’s governance.

Vishishtadvaita: The unborn Supreme takes real, purposeful manifestations without losing transcendence, supporting a qualified non-dual view of a personal Brahman engaged with the world.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Narayana (cosmic)

Bhakti Type: Shanta (peaceful)

Jagat Karana: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Matsya
• Kurma
• Varaha
• Narasimha
• Hayagriva (implied by aśva)

FAQs

What is the significance of the avatars (Matsya, Kurma, Varaha, Narasimha) in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse frames the avatars as deliberate manifestations through which the unborn Vishnu establishes and preserves the world’s stability (sthiti), protecting dharma whenever it is threatened.

How does Sage Parāśara explain Vishnu being both 'unborn' (aja) and yet active in the world?

The verse presents a key Purāṇic theology: Vishnu remains transcendent and unoriginated, yet out of sovereignty and compassion he assumes forms to sustain creation without being limited by those forms.

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

Vishnu is portrayed as the supreme sustainer of cosmic order—personally accessible (“will speak to me today”) while remaining the ultimate, unborn ground of the universe.