Shloka 28

कुब्जानुग्रहः, धनुर्भङ्गः, कुवलयापीडवधः, मल्लयुद्धं, कंसवधः, स्तुतयः

Devanagari script

नागरीयोषितां मध्ये देवकी पुत्रगृद्धिनी अन्तकाले ऽपि पुत्रस्य द्रक्ष्यामि रुचिरं मुखम्

Transliteration

nāgarīyoṣitāṃ madhye devakī putragṛddhinī antakāle 'pi putrasya drakṣyāmi ruciraṃ mukham

Translation

Among the noble women of the city, Devakī—yearning for her son—declares: “Even at the final hour, I shall behold my son’s radiant, beautiful face.”

Word by Word

• नागरीयोषिताम्: of the city women
• नागरीयोषिताम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नागरीयोषित् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन; समासः—नागरी + योषित् (तत्पुरुष)

• मध्ये: in the midst
• मध्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (locative: ‘in the midst’)

• देवकी: Devakī
• देवकी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवकी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• पुत्रगृद्धिनी: yearning for her son
• पुत्रगृद्धिनी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + गृद्धिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—पुत्रे गृद्धा (उपपद-तत्पुरुष); विशेषणम् (देवकी)

• अन्तकाले: at the final time (death)
• अन्तकाले: Kala-adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्तकाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; समासः—अन्तस्य कालः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावन/अपि-कारक अव्यय (particle: ‘even/also’)

• पुत्रस्य: of (my) son
• पुत्रस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• द्रक्ष्यामि: I shall see
• द्रक्ष्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future/लृट्), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• रुचिरम्: beautiful
• रुचिरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रुचिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (मुखम्)

• मुखम्: face
• मुखम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

Devakī (as reported within Parāśara’s narration to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Teaching: Devotional

Quality: compassionate

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: Krishna descends to protect devotees and relieve the world’s burden by destroying Kamsa and allied forces.

Leela: Moksha-dana

Dharma Restored: Sanctity of familial dharma and protection of the faithful

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Even at life’s end, remembrance and vision of the Lord is held as the supreme refuge and fulfillment.

Vedantic Theme: Moksha

Application: Cultivate daily darśana/meditation so that at crisis or death the mind naturally turns to the divine form.

Vishishtadvaita: Personal relation (mother-to-son) becomes a valid path of grace-filled communion with the Supreme Person.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Krishna

Bhakti Type: Vatsalya

Characters & Entities

• Devakī
• Krishna (implied as her son)

FAQs

What is the significance of Devakī’s desire to see her son’s face in the Vishnu Purana?

The verse highlights darśana as a form of saving grace: Devakī’s longing culminates in the conviction that even at life’s end, the vision of Krishna (Vishnu’s manifestation) is spiritually decisive.

How does Sage Parāśara frame devotion in the Krishna narrative when speaking to Maitreya?

Through intimate human emotions—here, a mother’s yearning—Parāśara shows that bhakti is not abstract; it becomes a direct relationship to the Supreme, where remembrance and sight of the Lord carry liberating power.

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

Krishna is implicitly treated as the Supreme Reality present in the world: the promise of beholding him even at the last moment underscores Vishnu’s compassionate accessibility and sovereignty over life, death, and liberation.