Shloka 7

श्रीकृष्ण-जन्म, वसुदेव-यमुनातरण, बालिका-उत्क्षेपः, देवी-प्रादुर्भावः

Devanagari script

मध्यरात्रे ऽखिलाधारे जायमाने जनार्दने मन्दं जगर्जुर् जलदाः पुष्पवृष्टिमुचो द्विज

Transliteration

madhyarātre 'khilādhāre jāyamāne janārdane mandaṃ jagarjur jaladāḥ puṣpavṛṣṭimuco dvija

Translation

O brāhmaṇa, at midnight—when Janārdana, the very support of all existence, was being born—the clouds rumbled softly, releasing a rain of flowers, as the cosmos itself offered homage to the Supreme.

Word by Word

• मध्यरात्रे: at midnight
• मध्यरात्रे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्य (प्रातिपदिक) + रात्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी/सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषः (रात्रेः मध्ये)

• अखिलाधारे: in the support of all (the universe)
• अखिलाधारे: Adhikarana (Circumstance/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अखिल (प्रातिपदिक) + आधार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular); कर्मधारय/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अखिलस्य आधारः)

• जायमाने: while being born
• जायमाने: Adhikarana (Circumstance/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जन् (धातु) + शानच् (प्रत्यय)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (शानच्), आत्मनेपद-भावः; पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular); सति-सप्तमी

• जनार्दने: in/when Janārdana
• जनार्दने: Adhikarana (Circumstance/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जनार्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• मन्दम्: gently; softly
• मन्दम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverbial accusative)

• जगर्जुः: roared; thundered
• जगर्जुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गर्ज् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural)

• जलदाः: clouds
• जलदाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जलद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• पुष्पवृष्टिमुचः: shedding a rain of flowers
• पुष्पवृष्टिमुचः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुष्प (प्रातिपदिक) + वृष्टि (प्रातिपदिक) + मुच् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural); उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (पुष्पवृष्टिं मुञ्चन्ति ये); विशेषणम् जलदाः-शब्दस्य

• द्विज: O twice-born (brāhmaṇa)
• द्विज: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Portents at the midnight birth of Janārdana

Teaching: Devotional

Quality: revealing

Cosmological Context

Manvantara: Vaivasvata

Cosmic Hierarchy: Lokas

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: To manifest as the support of all (akhilādhāra) in human form, protecting the world and guiding it back to dharma through his līlā.

Leela: Loka-rakshana

Dharma Restored: Stability of the world upheld by the Lord’s presence and protection of the righteous

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The ‘support of all’ can appear within time (midnight) while remaining the cosmic foundation, inviting reverent surrender.

Vedantic Theme: Brahman

Application: Practice remembrance at liminal times (night, transition, silence), using japa or stotra to recognize the divine support beneath ordinary life.

Vishishtadvaita: Akhilādhāra: the Lord as inner controller and ground of beings who yet takes a localized birth—immanence and transcendence together.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Narayana

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Antaryamin: Yes

Jagat Karana: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Janardana
• Krishna
• Clouds (jaladāḥ)

FAQs

What is the significance of the flower-rain (puṣpavṛṣṭi) in the Vishnu Purana?

It marks cosmic celebration and reverence: nature and the heavens respond to the Lord’s descent, signaling that the birth is not ordinary but a divine avatāra event.

How does Sage Parāśara explain Krishna’s nature here?

By calling him “akhilādhāra,” Parāśara identifies Krishna/Janārdana as the underlying support of all existence—even while appearing to take birth—uniting immanence with transcendence.

The theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this context?

Vishnu as Janārdana is portrayed as the Supreme who enters history without losing sovereignty, and the universe itself offers homage through auspicious signs.