Shloka 13

Devanagari script

सो ऽब्रवीद् अवजानासि मम शौर्यबले नदि सो ऽहं त्वां हलपातेन विनेष्यामि सहस्रधा

Transliteration

so 'bravīd avajānāsi mama śauryabale nadi so 'haṃ tvāṃ halapātena vineṣyāmi sahasradhā

Translation

He said: “O river, you slight my valor and my strength. Therefore, with the blow of my plough I shall strike you down and shatter you into a thousand pieces.”

Word by Word

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

• अब्रवीत्: said
• अब्रवीत्: Kriya (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अवजानासि: you disregard/insult
• अवजानासि: Kriya (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव-ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मम: my
• मम: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• शौर्यबले: in (my) valor and strength
• शौर्यबले: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शौर्य + बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; समाहार-द्वन्द्व: शौर्यं च बलं च

• नदि: O river
• नदि: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नदी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन

• सः: that (same) one, he
• सः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• त्वाम्: you
• त्वाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• हलपातेन: with the blow of the plough
• हलपातेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हल + पात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; समास: हलस्य पातः (plough’s stroke/strike)

• विनेष्यामि: I will destroy/lead to ruin
• विनेष्यामि: Kriya (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-नी (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (भविष्यत्/Future), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; causative sense not marked here

• सहस्रधा: into a thousand pieces/ways
• सहस्रधा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सहस्रधा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (adverb: into a thousand ways)

Speaker

Balarama (Halāyudha), as narrated by Sage Parāśara to Maitreya

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: Balarāma chastises the Yamunā’s disregard and threatens punitive force to correct her arrogance and enforce cosmic-social order.

Leela: Yuddha

Dharma Restored: Upholding reverence to divinity and preventing adharmic insolence from becoming normative.

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Ava jñā (contempt toward rightful authority and dharma) invites corrective discipline; power must serve order, not ego.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Avoid contempt in relationships and institutions; when correction is needed, pair firmness with the aim of restoring harmony rather than vengeance.

Vishishtadvaita: The Lord’s governance is personal and moral: His power disciplines for the world’s welfare, not from need—aligning justice with grace.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Krishna

Vyuha Form: Sankarshana

Characters & Entities

• Balarama
• River (Yamuna implied)

FAQs

What is the significance of Balarama’s plough (hala) in the Vishnu Purana?

In this verse the hala functions as a symbol of divine authority—Balarama’s power can compel even a river, showing nature’s subordination to dharma upheld by the avatāra.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the theme of sovereignty in this episode?

Through the narrative voice, Parāśara presents a concrete demonstration of cosmic governance: when an element of nature (the river) acts contrary to the divine intent, the avatāra asserts order through irresistible शक्ति (power).

The theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this context?

Although Balarama speaks here, the episode belongs to the Vishnu-centered avatāra framework: divine power manifests in the world to restore order, underscoring Vishnu’s supremacy expressed through his divine forms and associates.