Shloka 20

नरकासुरवधः, अदीतिकुण्डल-प्रत्यर्पणम्, तथा भारावतरण-लीला

Devanagari script

नरकेणास्य तत्राभून् महासैन्येन संयुगः कृष्णस्य यत्र गोविन्दो जघ्ने दैत्यान् सहस्रशः

Transliteration

narakeṇāsya tatrābhūn mahāsainyena saṃyugaḥ kṛṣṇasya yatra govindo jaghne daityān sahasraśaḥ

Translation

There a great battle arose for Kṛṣṇa with Naraka, backed by a vast host; on that field Govinda struck down the Daityas by the thousand.

Word by Word

• नरकेण: by/with Naraka
• नरकेण: Karana/Hetu (Agent/Instrument or cause/करण-हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अस्य: of him
• अस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (locative adverb)

• अभूत्: there was/arose
• अभूत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (अनद्यतनभूत/Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• महासैन्येन: with a great army
• महासैन्येन: Sahakari/Instrument (Accompaniment/सहकारि-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा-सैन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (महत् सैन्यम्)

• संयुगः: battle
• संयुगः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संयुग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कृष्णस्य: of Krishna
• कृष्णस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सम्बन्ध/देशवाचक (relative adverb: where)

• गोविन्दः: Govinda
• गोविन्दः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोविन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• जघ्ने: slew
• जघ्ने: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• दैत्यान्: demons (Daityas)
• दैत्यान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• सहस्रशः: by thousands
• सहस्रशः: Sambandha (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सहस्रशस् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/परिमाणवाचक (in thousands, by the thousand)

Speaker

Sage Parashara (narrating to Maitreya)

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: Śrī Kṛṣṇa engages Naraka’s vast forces at Prāgjyotiṣa to crush daityas and restore safety and righteous order.

Leela: Yuddha

Dharma Restored: Protection of the worlds by destroying organized asuric aggression

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: When adharma consolidates into collective violence, the Lord’s protection manifests to re-ground the world in order.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Do not normalize mass wrongdoing; support dharmic institutions and personal integrity when harm becomes systemic.

Vishishtadvaita: Divine sovereignty operates within history to uphold the moral structure of the world (niyantṛ as protector of all beings).

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Krishna

Characters & Entities

• Krishna
• Naraka (Narakasura)
• Daityas

FAQs

What is the significance of Narakasura’s battle in the Vishnu Purana?

It frames adharma as a collective force (a vast host) and shows Krishna/Govinda as the restoring power who ends demonic oppression decisively, re-establishing dharma.

How does Sage Parashara explain divine action in such war narratives?

Through concise battlefield descriptions, Parashara presents the Lord’s acts as purposeful avatara-karya—intervening in history to protect the world-order, not as ordinary conflict.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu (Krishna) here?

Krishna as Govinda is portrayed as the supreme ruler whose effortless victory signals transcendence over hostile powers, affirming the Vaishnava claim of the Lord as the ultimate ground of protection and order.