Shloka 15

नरकासुरवधः, अदीतिकुण्डल-प्रत्यर्पणम्, तथा भारावतरण-लीला

Devanagari script

आरुह्यैरावतं नागं शक्रो ऽपि त्रिदिशालयम् ततो जगाम मैत्रेय पश्यतां द्वारकौकसाम्

Transliteration

āruhyairāvataṃ nāgaṃ śakro 'pi tridiśālayam tato jagāma maitreya paśyatāṃ dvārakaukasām

Translation

Mounting the elephant Airāvata, Śakra (Indra) then departed for Tridiśālaya—his celestial realm—O Maitreya, while the people of Dvārakā looked on.

Word by Word

• आरुह्य: having mounted
• आरुह्य: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-√रुह् (धातु) ल्यप् (gerund)
• Form: ल्यबन्त/ल्यपन्त अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund)

• ऐरावतम्: Airāvata
• ऐरावतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऐरावत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• नागम्: elephant
• नागम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; ऐरावतस्य विशेषण (elephant/serpent)

• शक्रः: Śakra (Indra)
• शक्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अपि-कार (also/even)

• त्रिदिशालयम्: the abode of the three directions (heaven)
• त्रिदिशालयम्: Karma (Goal/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि + दिश् + आलय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; षष्ठी/सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष (त्रिदिशां आलयम्)

• ततः: then/from there
• ततः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय; तद्-तसिल्)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverb: from there/then)

• जगाम: went
• जगाम: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √गम् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मैत्रेय: O Maitreya
• मैत्रेय: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मैत्रेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• पश्यताम्: of those who were watching
• पश्यताम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पश् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (present participle) षष्ठी बहुवचन (genitive plural)

• द्वारकौकसाम्: of the inhabitants of Dvārakā
• द्वारकौकसाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वारका + ओकस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (द्वारकायाः ओकसः = inhabitants)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Teaching: Historical

Quality: authoritative

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Krishna

Characters & Entities

• Maitreya
• Indra (Śakra)
• Airāvata
• Dvaraka (Dvārakā)
• Dvaraka residents (Dvārakaukas)

FAQs

What is the significance of Indra departing on Airāvata in the Vishnu Purana?

It signals the restoration of cosmic protocol: the king of the gods resumes his station, implicitly acknowledging a higher sovereignty that governs even Svarga.

How does Sage Parāśara frame this moment for Maitreya?

Parāśara narrates it as an eyewitness-style transition—Indra leaves while the citizens of Dvārakā watch—anchoring the event in the lived reality of Krishna’s city.

What is the theological importance of Vishnu in this context?

Even though Vishnu is not named in the verse, the scene reflects Vaishnava theology: Indra’s movement and authority operate within the supreme order ultimately upheld by Vishnu (manifest as Krishna in the Dvārakā narrative).