Shloka 21

नरकासुरवधः, अदीतिकुण्डल-प्रत्यर्पणम्, तथा भारावतरण-लीला

Devanagari script

शस्त्रास्त्रवर्षं मुञ्चन्तं तं भौमं नरकं बली क्षिप्त्वा चक्रं द्विधा चक्रे चक्री दैतेयचक्रहा

Transliteration

śastrāstravarṣaṃ muñcantaṃ taṃ bhaumaṃ narakaṃ balī kṣiptvā cakraṃ dvidhā cakre cakrī daiteyacakrahā

Translation

As Naraka Bhauma poured forth a rain of weapons, the discus-bearing Lord hurled His Sudarśana and in an instant cleft the daitya host in two.

Word by Word

• शस्त्रास्त्रवर्षम्: a shower of weapons and missiles
• शस्त्रास्त्रवर्षम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शस्त्र-अस्त्र-वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्वन्द्व-समास (शस्त्र + अस्त्र) ततः तत्पुरुष (वर्षम्)

• मुञ्चन्तम्: hurling/releasing
• मुञ्चन्तम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमान-कृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘नरकम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• भौमम्: earth-born (son of Bhūmi)
• भौमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भौम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘नरकम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• नरकम्: Naraka
• नरकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• बली: mighty
• बली: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बलिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्तृ-विशेषणम्

• क्षिप्त्वा: having hurled
• क्षिप्त्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्षिप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• चक्रम्: discus
• चक्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• द्विधा: in two
• द्विधा: Sambandha (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: द्विधा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (in two, in two parts)

• चक्रे: made (into)/split
• चक्रे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• चक्री: the discus-bearer (Krishna)
• चक्री: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चक्रिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘चक्र’धारी इति बहुव्रीह्यर्थे तद्धित/प्रातिपदिक

• दैतेयचक्रहा: destroyer of the demon host/array
• दैतेयचक्रहा: Karta (Appositional epithet/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैतेय-चक्र-हन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (दैतेयानां चक्रं हन्ति/हृतवान्) उपाधि

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: Śrī Kṛṣṇa counters Naraka’s weapon-rain by releasing Sudarśana to shatter the daitya battle-formation and turn the tide toward dharma.

Leela: Yuddha

Dharma Restored: Neutralization of adharma’s organized violence and protection of the righteous

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: No matter how dense the assault of adharma, the Lord’s dharma-śakti (symbolized by Sudarśana) decisively cuts through it.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: When overwhelmed by ‘weapon-rain’ (stress, hostility, propaganda), return to a clear dharmic center and act with disciplined precision.

Vishishtadvaita: Sudarśana as the Lord’s ordering power—His immanent governance that protects beings while remaining transcendent.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Krishna

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu (as Krishna, the cakrī)
• Naraka (Bhauma)
• Daityas (demon host)

FAQs

What is the significance of the Sudarśana Chakra in the Vishnu Purana?

In this verse, the Chakra represents Vishnu’s sovereign power to restore cosmic order instantly—cutting through the demon’s weapon-storm and breaking the adharma-driven war formation.

How does Sage Parāśara explain divine victory in such battles?

Parāśara frames victory as an expression of the Lord’s inherent supremacy: when adharma culminates in violent force (a ‘rain’ of weapons), the divine will (Chakra) decisively re-establishes dharma.

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

Vishnu appears as the cakrī—Supreme Reality acting immanently—whose effortless action subdues demonic power and safeguards the moral and cosmic order.