Shloka 1

प्रद्युम्न-अपहरणम्, मत्स्य-उद्धारः, मायावती-शिक्षा, शम्बरवधः, रुक्मिणी-पुत्र-संगमः

Devanagari script

शम्बरेण हृतो वीरः प्रद्युम्नः स कथं मुने शम्बरश् च महावीर्यः प्रद्युम्नेन कथं हतः

Transliteration

śambareṇa hṛto vīraḥ pradyumnaḥ sa kathaṃ mune śambaraś ca mahāvīryaḥ pradyumnena kathaṃ hataḥ

Translation

O sage, how was the hero Pradyumna carried off by Śambara? And how was Śambara, mighty in power, slain by Pradyumna?

Word by Word

• शम्बरेण: by Śambara
• शम्बरेण: Karana (Instrument/Agent-in-passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शम्बर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचनम्

• हृतः: abducted
• हृतः: Kriya (Predicate in passive)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्तः (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्

• वीरः: the hero
• वीरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्

• प्रद्युम्नः: Pradyumna
• प्रद्युम्नः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रद्युम्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Sambandha (Interrogative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्ययम् (interrogative adverb)

• मुने: O sage
• मुने: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सम्बोधन-विभक्तिः (Vocative), एकवचनम्

• शम्बरः: Śambara
• शम्बरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शम्बर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; समुच्चयार्थक

• महावीर्यः: of great prowess
• महावीर्यः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा + वीर्य (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; कर्मधारयः (महच्च तत् वीर्यम् यस्य)

• प्रद्युम्नेन: by Pradyumna
• प्रद्युम्नेन: Karana (Instrument/Agent-in-passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रद्युम्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Sambandha (Interrogative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्ययम्

• हतः: was slain
• हतः: Kriya (Predicate in passive)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्तः (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्

Speaker

Maitreya (questioning Sage Parāśara)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Maitreya

Topic: How Pradyumna was abducted by Śambara and how Pradyumna later slew him.

Teaching: Historical

Quality: inquiring

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: As Kṛṣṇa, Viṣṇu enacts līlā in which even apparent vulnerability becomes the means of destroying asuric power and safeguarding dharma.

Leela: Loka-rakshana

Dharma Restored: Vindication of divine protection over the Lord’s devotees and heirs; the inevitability of adharma’s downfall.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Krishna

Characters & Entities

• Pradyumna
• Shambara
• Sage Parāśara
• Maitreya

FAQs

What is the significance of Pradyumna’s abduction by Shambara in the Vishnu Purana?

It sets up a dharmic reversal: apparent defeat of a divine-descended hero becomes the ground for demonstrating providence and the eventual triumph of righteous power in the Yadava narrative.

How does Sage Parāśara explain events when a powerful figure like Shambara seems to prevail?

Through Maitreya’s inquiry, the text frames Parāśara’s response as a guided unfolding of causes—where temporary dominance by adharma is permitted but ultimately resolved by higher order.

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

Even when Vishnu is not named in the verse, the episode belongs to Vishnu’s sovereign dispensation through Krishna’s lineage—affirming that divine order prevails through time, agency, and rightful outcome.