Shloka 14

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

Devanagari script

प्रसज्जन्तीं तु ताम् आह स कार्ष्णिः कमलेक्षणाम् मातृभावाम् अपाहाय किम् एवं वर्तसे ऽन्यथा

Transliteration

prasajjantīṃ tu tām āha sa kārṣṇiḥ kamalekṣaṇām mātṛbhāvām apāhāya kim evaṃ vartase 'nyathā

Translation

Seeing her thus overcome by feeling, Kārṣṇi spoke to the lotus‑eyed lady: “Casting aside the attitude of a mother, why do you conduct yourself in this other manner?”

Word by Word

• प्रसज्जन्तीम्: becoming attached
• प्रसज्जन्तीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म) (qualifying tām)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र- सज्ज् (धातु) → प्रसज्जन्ती (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ/शानच्), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; present participle

• तु: but
• तु: Nipata (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; contrastive particle

• ताम्: her
• ताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; accusative pronoun

• आह: said
• आह: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अह्/ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; parasmaipada

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

• कार्ष्णिः: the Kārṣṇi (Pradyumna)
• कार्ष्णिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता) (apposition to saḥ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्ष्णि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; patronymic (descendant of Kṛṣṇa)

• कमलेक्षणाम्: lotus-eyed
• कमलेक्षणाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म) (qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कमल + ईक्षण (प्रातिपदिकौ)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि-समास (कमलवत् ईक्षणे यस्याः), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; qualifies tām

• मातृभावाम्: the feeling of being a mother (maternal attitude)
• मातृभावाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म) (object of apāhāya)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ + भाव (प्रातिपदिकौ)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (मातुः भावः), पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; accusative

• अपाहाय: having cast aside
• अपाहाय: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अप-हा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्यय; ‘having abandoned’

• किम्: why? / what?
• किम्: Kriya-vishesana (Interrogative adverbial/प्रश्न)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; interrogative used adverbially

• एवम्: thus, in this way
• एवम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; manner-adverb

• वर्तसे: do you behave / act
• वर्तसे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृत् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• अन्यथा: otherwise, differently
• अन्यथा: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; adverb

Speaker

Kārṣṇi (a Yādava/Krishna-related figure, speaking to a lotus-eyed woman)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Teaching: Ethical

Quality: authoritative

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: To manifest divine līlā and re-establish dharmic order in relationships and society.

Leela: Dharma-upadesa

Dharma Restored: Proper conduct (maryādā) and clarity of relational dharma.

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Dharma includes appropriate boundaries of role and relationship; desire must not overturn rightful conduct.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Maintain clear ethical boundaries in relationships; when emotions surge, return to responsibility and truth.

Vishishtadvaita: Even within līlā, Bhagavān’s manifestation (here as Kārṣṇi/Pradyumna) upholds moral order, showing divinity as regulator within the world, not apart from it.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Krishna

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Vyuha Form: Pradyumna

Characters & Entities

• Kārṣṇi
• Kamalekṣaṇā (lotus-eyed woman)

FAQs

What is the significance of mātṛbhāva (motherly disposition) in this Vishnu Purana verse?

The verse contrasts a socially and ethically expected maternal stance with behavior driven by attachment, using mātṛbhāva as a marker of dharmic propriety in relationships.

How does the Vishnu Purana present moral instruction through dialogue in Krishna’s narrative?

By placing admonition and correction into character speech (here, Kārṣṇi addressing the lotus‑eyed woman), the text teaches dharma through lived situations rather than abstract rules.

What is the theological importance of Vishnu in this context?

Within Ansha 5, Krishna’s world functions as a stage where dharma is restored and clarified; even interpersonal conduct is framed as part of the larger order sustained by Vishnu’s avatāra presence.