Shloka 17

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

Devanagari script

इत्य् उक्तः शम्बरं युद्धे प्रद्युम्नः स समाह्वयत् क्रोधाकुलीकृतमना युयुधे च महाबलः

Transliteration

ity uktaḥ śambaraṃ yuddhe pradyumnaḥ sa samāhvayat krodhākulīkṛtamanā yuyudhe ca mahābalaḥ

Translation

Thus addressed, Pradyumna challenged Śambara on the battlefield. His mind, churned by wrath, that mighty hero engaged him in combat.

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण-परिसमाप्ति-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• उक्तः: having been told
• उक्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• शम्बरम्: Śambara
• शम्बरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शम्बर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; नाम (proper noun)

• युद्धे: in battle
• युद्धे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• प्रद्युम्नः: Pradyumna
• प्रद्युम्नः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रद्युम्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; नाम (proper noun)

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

• समाह्वयत्: challenged, called out
• समाह्वयत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-ह्वे (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• क्रोधाकुलीकृतमना: whose mind was agitated by anger
• क्रोधाकुलीकृतमना: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्रोध (प्रातिपदिक) + आकुलीकृत (कृ धातु, णिच्, क्त) + मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—'क्रोधेन आकुलीकृतं मनो यस्य सः'

• युयुधे: fought
• युयुधे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: युध् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

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

• महाबलः: mighty, of great strength
• महाबलः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा + बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: Vishnu as Krishna establishes dharma by empowering His divine lineage—here Pradyumna—to confront and destroy asuric aggression.

Leela: Yuddha

Dharma Restored: Kṣatriya-dharma of protecting the innocent and restoring rightful order by confronting adharma directly.

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: When injustice is identified, righteous strength—guided by dharma—must confront it without hesitation.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Stand up to wrongdoing in one’s sphere with disciplined courage, avoiding both passivity and uncontrolled rage.

Vishishtadvaita: Dharma as service to the Lord’s order: heroic action is meaningful as participation in Bhagavān’s governance, not as egoic violence.

Dynasty & Genealogy

Vamsha: Chandra

Dharma Exemplar: Vīrya (valor)

Key Kings: Pradyumna, Śambara

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Vishnu

Vyuha Form: Pradyumna

Characters & Entities

• Pradyumna
• Śambara

FAQs

What is the significance of Pradyumna challenging Śambara in the Vishnu Purana?

It marks the turning point where the divine lineage (through Krishna’s son Pradyumna) openly confronts adharma, portraying the restoration of order through righteous strength and resolve.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the mood of the hero in this scene?

Parāśara emphasizes Pradyumna’s krodha (wrath) as a battle-ready intensity—an emotional force channeled into dharmic action against a demonic adversary.

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

Even when Vishnu is not named in the verse, the episode presents Vishnu’s sustaining power operating through his divine family—protecting cosmic order by empowering his devotees and descendants to overcome adharma.