Shloka 16

Devanagari script

वरुणप्रहितां चास्मै मालाम् अम्लानपङ्कजाम् समुद्राभे तथा वस्त्रे नीले लक्ष्मीर् अयच्छत

Transliteration

varuṇaprahitāṃ cāsmai mālām amlānapaṅkajām samudrābhe tathā vastre nīle lakṣmīr ayacchata

Translation

Lakṣmī bestowed upon him a garland of unfading lotuses sent by Varuṇa, and she also granted him two dark-blue garments, ocean-hued, as tokens of sacred majesty.

Word by Word

• वरुणप्रहिताम्: sent by Varuṇa
• वरुणप्रहिताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वरुण (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रहित (कृदन्त; √प्र-हि/हिण् प्रेषणे)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle) — ‘sent by Varuṇa’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अस्मै: to him
• अस्मै: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/सर्वनाम, चतुर्थी (सम्प्रदान), एकवचन — ‘to him’

• मालाम्: garland
• मालाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन

• अम्लानपङ्कजाम्: of unwithered lotuses
• अम्लानपङ्कजाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अम्लान (प्रातिपदिक) + पङ्कज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास — ‘unwithered-lotus(-made)’ (qualifying माला)

• समुद्राभे: ocean-colored
• समुद्राभे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समुद्र (प्रातिपदिक) + आभा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), द्विवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास — ‘ocean-like (in appearance)’ (qualifying वस्त्रे)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb) — ‘likewise/also’

• वस्त्रे: two garments
• वस्त्रे: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), द्विवचन

• नीले: blue
• नीले: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नील (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), द्विवचन; (qualifying वस्त्रे)

• लक्ष्मीः: Lakṣmī
• लक्ष्मीः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लक्ष्मी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), एकवचन

• अयच्छत: bestowed
• अयच्छत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √यम् (धातु; यमँ उपरमे/दान-ग्रहणे)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतन-भूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — ‘gave/bestowed’

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Krishna-Balarama’s deeds and associated events in Vraja/Dvaraka

Teaching: Historical

Quality: authoritative

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Hari

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Lakshmi Presence: Sri

Characters & Entities

• Lakshmi
• Varuna

FAQs

What is the significance of Lakṣmī giving garments and a garland in the Vishnu Purana?

They function as auspicious insignia of divine legitimacy—Lakṣmī’s gifts mark the recipient as supported by Śrī (prosperity, fortune) and thus fit for sovereign or cosmic authority.

How does Sage Parāśara explain divine sovereignty through such gifts?

By narrating how cosmic deities (like Varuṇa) and Śrī (Lakṣmī) confer emblems of rule, Parāśara frames kingship/lordship as grounded in cosmic order rather than mere power.

What is the theological importance of the ocean-hued garments in this context?

The sea-like blue evokes vastness, depth, and dominion—linking the recipient to the cosmic expanse and reinforcing the Vaishnava idea of divinely sanctioned, all-pervading sovereignty.