Shloka 14

Jarāsandha’s Sieges and the Lord’s Human-Conforming Strategy

Rāja-dharma as Līlā

Devanagari script

मनुष्यधर्मशीलस्य लीला सा जगतः पतेः अस्त्राण्य् अनेकरूपाणि यद् अरातिषु मुञ्चति

Transliteration

manuṣyadharmaśīlasya līlā sā jagataḥ pateḥ astrāṇy anekarūpāṇi yad arātiṣu muñcati

Translation

That conduct—seemingly shaped by the codes of human righteousness—is in truth the divine play of the Lord of the universe, when He releases weapons of many forms against His foes.

Word by Word

• मनुष्यधर्मशीलस्य: of him whose conduct accords with human dharma
• मनुष्यधर्मशीलस्य: Sambandha (Genitive qualifier/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मनुष्य + धर्म + शील (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष: मनुष्यधर्मे शीलं यस्य (one whose disposition is in accordance with human dharma)

• लीला: play/divine sport
• लीला: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लीला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• सा: that
• सा: Viśeṣaṇa (Demonstrative adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'लीला' इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

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

• पतेः: of the lord
• पतेः: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• अस्त्राणि: weapons
• अस्त्राणि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case/accusative), बहुवचन

• अनेकरूपाणि: of many forms
• अनेकरूपाणि: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective to 'अस्त्राणि'/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनेक + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; कर्मधारय: अनेकानि रूपाणि (of many forms)

• यत्: which/that (which)
• यत्: Karma (Relative object marker/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; यत्-तत् सम्बन्धे कर्मत्वेन (that which)

• अरातिषु: among/against enemies
• अरातिषु: Adhikaraṇa (Target/location: against enemies/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अराति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचन

• मुञ्चति: releases/lets fly
• मुञ्चति: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान/present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating) to Maitreya

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Teaching: Devotional

Quality: revealing

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: Kṛṣṇa adopts human-like dharmic conduct as līlā while effortlessly destroying foes with manifold divine weapons to protect the world.

Leela: Loka-rakshana

Dharma Restored: Maintenance of loka-dharma through the Lord’s measured, ‘human’ yet sovereign action

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The Lord’s avatāra acts within ‘human dharma’ by choice, yet His deeds remain līlā—sovereign, compassionate governance of the world.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Interpret life’s events with a theistic lens: practice dharma diligently while remembering the Lord’s higher agency and protective intent.

Vishishtadvaita: Affirms the Lord’s saulabhya (accessibility) in human-like conduct and His aiśvarya (sovereignty) in divine action—both simultaneously real.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu (Jagatpati)
• Enemies (Arāti)

FAQs

What is the significance of līlā (divine play) in this Vishnu Purana verse?

The verse frames the Lord’s battle-actions not as ordinary violence but as līlā—sovereign, purposeful activity that restores order while appearing to follow human dharma.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the Lord acting with “human dharma”?

Parāśara presents the Lord as adopting human-like ethical conduct in narrative history, while remaining Jagatpati—His actions are pedagogical and protective, not limited by human constraints.

What is the theological importance of calling Vishnu “Jagatpati” here?

“Jagatpati” asserts Vishnu’s supreme rulership: even when He appears as a human agent in conflict, the many-formed weapons and outcomes express the Supreme Reality directing the cosmos.