Shloka 6

बलरामस्य वारुणी-प्रसङ्गः, यमुनाकर्षणम्, लक्ष्मी-प्रदत्त-विभूषणम्, रेवती-विवाहः

Devanagari script

ततः कदम्बात् सहसा मद्यधारां स लाङ्गली पतन्तीं वीक्ष्य मैत्रेय प्रययौ परमां मुदम्

Transliteration

tataḥ kadambāt sahasā madyadhārāṃ sa lāṅgalī patantīṃ vīkṣya maitreya prayayau paramāṃ mudam

Translation

Then, O Maitreya, the Plough-bearer (Balarāma), suddenly beholding a stream of intoxicating liquor pouring down from the kadamba tree, was seized by the highest delight.

Word by Word

• ततः: then; from there
• ततः: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) — ‘ततः’ = ‘तस्मात्’ (ablatival adverb: ‘from there/then’)

• कदम्बात्: from the kadamba (tree)
• कदम्बात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कदम्ब (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/अपादान), एकवचन

• सहसा: suddenly
• सहसा: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सहसा (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण)

• मद्यधाराम्: a stream of liquor
• मद्यधाराम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मद्य-धारा (प्रातिपदिक; मद्य + धारा)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन

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

• लाङ्गली: the plough-bearer (Balarāma)
• लाङ्गली: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लाङ्गलिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (लाङ्गली = लाङ्गलीन्/लाङ्गली इति नाम)

• पतन्तीम्: falling
• पतन्तीम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पत् (धातु) → पतन्ती (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; शतृ/वर्तमान कृदन्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; वर्तमान-कर्तरि कृदन्त (present active participle)

• वीक्ष्य: having seen
• वीक्ष्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वीक्ष् (धातु) → वीक्ष्य (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय; अव्ययीभाव)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive) — ‘having seen’

• मैत्रेय: O Maitreya
• मैत्रेय: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मैत्रेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• प्रययौ: went; attained
• प्रययौ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-या (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect/परोक्षभूत), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• परमाम्: supreme; great
• परमाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मुदम्: joy
• मुदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुद्/मुदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Teaching: Historical

Quality: narrative

Characters & Entities

• Maitreya
• Balarama (Lāṅgalī)
• Kadamba tree

FAQs

What is the significance of the kadamba tree and the falling stream of liquor in the Vishnu Purana?

In this episode it functions as a narrative trigger: the sudden appearance of madya from the kadamba tree becomes the immediate cause for Balarāma’s exhilaration and the unfolding of the surrounding Yādava events.

How does Sage Parāśara explain Balarāma’s reaction in this passage?

Parāśara reports it straightforwardly as an observed consequence—upon seeing the liquor-stream, Balarāma ‘entered great joy’—keeping the focus on sequence and causality within the story he is recounting to Maitreya.

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

Although Vishnu is not named in this specific verse, the setting belongs to the Vishnu Purana’s Krishna-cycle where divine sovereignty is conveyed through the broader narrative: events around Krishna and his kin are presented as part of the Lord’s overarching order (niyati) governing the world.