Shloka 22

स्वर्गगमनम्, अदितिस्तुतिः-मायातत्त्वम्, तथा पारिजात-प्रसङ्गे इन्द्रयुद्धम्

Devanagari script

नमस् ते चक्रहस्ताय शार्ङ्गहस्ताय ते नमः गदाहस्ताय ते विष्णो शङ्खहस्ताय ते नमः

Transliteration

namas te cakrahastāya śārṅgahastāya te namaḥ gadāhastāya te viṣṇo śaṅkhahastāya te namaḥ

Translation

Salutations to You who bear the discus; salutations to You who hold the Śārṅga bow. Salutations to You who wield the mace; O Viṣṇu, salutations to You who carry the conch.

Word by Word

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Sambandha (Salutation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नमः-शब्दः निपातवत् प्रयोगः; अव्ययीभाव-प्रायः (उपपद-योगे दत्तिवाचकः)

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; enclitic ‘to you/your’ (here: dative ‘to you’)

• चक्र: discus
• चक्र: Sambandha (Qualifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रातिपदिक-रूपम् (समास-पूर्वपद)

• हस्ताय: to (you) whose hand bears the discus
• हस्ताय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हस्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः—चक्रहस्त (बहुव्रीहि; ‘whose hand holds a discus’); पुंलिङ्गे, चतुर्थी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; Dative singular with नमः

• शार्ङ्ग: Śārṅga (bow)
• शार्ङ्ग: Sambandha (Qualifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शार्ङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे/पुंलिङ्गे (धनुर्नाम), प्रातिपदिक-रूपम् (समास-पूर्वपद)

• हस्ताय: to (you) whose hand bears Śārṅga
• हस्ताय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हस्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः—शार्ङ्गहस्त (बहुव्रीहि); पुंलिङ्गे, चतुर्थी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; Dative singular enclitic

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Sambandha (Salutation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नमः-निपातः; salutation particle

• गदा: mace
• गदा: Sambandha (Qualifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रातिपदिक-रूपम् (समास-पूर्वपद)

• हस्ताय: to (you) whose hand bears the mace
• हस्ताय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हस्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः—गदाहस्त (बहुव्रीहि); पुंलिङ्गे, चतुर्थी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; Dative singular enclitic

• विष्णो: O Viṣṇu
• विष्णो: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सम्बोधन-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; Vocative singular

• शङ्ख: conch
• शङ्ख: Sambandha (Qualifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शङ्ख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रातिपदिक-रूपम् (समास-पूर्वपद)

• हस्ताय: to (you) whose hand bears the conch
• हस्ताय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हस्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः—शङ्खहस्त (बहुव्रीहि); पुंलिङ्गे, चतुर्थी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; Dative singular enclitic

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Sambandha (Salutation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नमः-निपातः; salutation particle

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (as narrator, within a stotra-style passage addressed to Vishnu in dialogue with Maitreya)

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: To be adored as Viṣṇu bearing divine weapons that signify protection and the restoration of order.

Leela: Loka-rakshana

Dharma Restored: Protection of dharma through the Lord’s sovereign power (cakra, śaṅkha, gadā, śārṅga).

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Salutation to Viṣṇu through His emblematic weapons expresses surrender to the Lord as protector and ruler of dharma.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Use nāma and arcana with mindful contemplation of the Lord’s symbols (cakra, śaṅkha, gadā, dhanuḥ) as inner supports for courage and ethical steadiness.

Vishishtadvaita: Personal devotion to the iconographic Lord (with attributes) affirms the Lord’s accessible, gracious form while remaining the supreme reality.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Hari

Bhakti Type: Dasya

Vyuha Form: Vasudeva

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Sharnga Bow
• Kaumodaki (Mace)
• Panchajanya (Conch)

FAQs

What is the significance of Vishnu’s four weapons in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse treats the chakra, conch, mace, and Śārṅga bow as sacred identifiers of Vishnu’s supreme authority—signs that He preserves dharma, dispels disorder, and safeguards the cosmos.

How does Sage Parāśara explain Vishnu’s role through devotional hymns like this?

In Parāśara’s teaching to Maitreya, such salutations function as theological shorthand: Vishnu is not merely a deity among others, but the sustaining Lord whose attributes express governance of creation and moral order.

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

Vishnu is praised as the personal Supreme Reality—His emblems symbolize omnipotent protection and righteous sovereignty, aligning with core Vaishnava philosophy emphasized throughout the Purana.