Shloka 26

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

Devanagari script

इयं मायावती भार्या तनयस्यास्य ते सती शम्बरस्य न भार्येयं श्रूयताम् अत्र कारणम्

Transliteration

iyaṃ māyāvatī bhāryā tanayasyāsya te satī śambarasya na bhāryeyaṃ śrūyatām atra kāraṇam

Translation

This virtuous Māyāvatī is the wife ordained for your son. She is not, in truth, Śambara’s wife—hear now the reason for this.

Word by Word

• इयम्: this (woman)
• इयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• मायावती: Māyāvatī
• मायावती: Samanaadhikarana (Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मायावत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नाम/विशेषणवत्

• भार्या: wife
• भार्या: Samanaadhikarana (Predicate nominal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भार्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तनयस्य: of the son
• तनयस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तनय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अस्य: of this (one)
• अस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• ते: your
• ते: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• सती: virtuous
• सती: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (virtuous/true)

• शम्बरस्य: of Śambara
• शम्बरस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शम्बर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Nishedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• भार्या: wife
• भार्या: Samanaadhikarana (Predicate nominal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भार्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• इयम्: this (woman)
• इयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• श्रूयताम्: let it be heard
• श्रूयताम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद (passive sense)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• कारणम्: the reason
• कारणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (here: object of ‘श्रूयताम्’)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Identity of Māyāvatī and her true relation to Pradyumna (not Śambara)

Teaching: Historical

Quality: revealing

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: Within Krishna’s līlā, divine destinies (Rati for Kāma/Pradyumna) are restored despite asuric disruption, reaffirming dharma and rightful unions.

Leela: Dharma-upadesa

Dharma Restored: Rightful marital order and the triumph of truth over deceptive appearances

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Apparent social ties formed under coercion or deception do not override dharmic truth and rightful relationship.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Do not accept surface appearances or social pressure as final; examine truth, consent, and dharma before judging relationships.

Vishishtadvaita: Dharma is grounded in Bhagavān’s order; divine providence aligns rightful bonds even within worldly confusion.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Krishna

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Vyuha Form: Pradyumna

Characters & Entities

• Māyāvatī
• Śambara
• Pradyumna (implied as 'your son')
• Sri Krishna (implied via Pradyumna’s parentage)

FAQs

What is the significance of Māyāvatī in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse identifies Māyāvatī as the rightful wife destined for Krishna’s son (Pradyumna), establishing her legitimacy in the narrative despite her presence in Śambara’s household.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the apparent contradiction of Māyāvatī being with Śambara?

Parāśara signals that her association with Śambara is incidental and not marital in truth, and he proceeds (in the surrounding passage) to give the causal backstory that resolves the contradiction.

The theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this context?

By safeguarding the rightful order of relationships and destiny within Krishna’s lineage, the text underscores Vishnu’s sovereignty in restoring dharma even when asuric power attempts to appropriate what is not rightfully theirs.