Shloka 51

स्वर्गगमनम्, अदितिस्तुतिः-मायातत्त्वम्, तथा पारिजात-प्रसङ्गे इन्द्रयुद्धम्

Devanagari script

ततः समस्तदेवानां सैन्यैः परिवृतो हरिम् प्रययौ पारिजातार्थम् इन्द्रो योधयितुं द्विज

Transliteration

tataḥ samastadevānāṃ sainyaiḥ parivṛto harim prayayau pārijātārtham indro yodhayituṃ dvija

Translation

Then Indra—surrounded by the armies of all the gods—marched forth against Hari, O brahmin, intent on waging war for the sake of the Pārijāta tree.

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha (Temporal/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb of sequence)

• समस्तदेवानाम्: of all the gods
• समस्तदेवानाम्: Sambandha (Possessor/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: samasta (प्रातिपदिक) + deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास ‘समस्ताः देवाः’; पुंलिङ्ग, बहुवचन, षष्ठी (Genitive)

• सैन्यैः: with armies
• सैन्यैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sainya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, बहुवचन, तृतीया (Instrumental)

• परिवृतः: surrounded
• परिवृतः: Karta (Predicate participle of Indra/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pari-vṛ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, एकवचन, प्रथमा (Nominative)

• हरिम्: Hari (Vishnu/Krishna)
• हरिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hari (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, एकवचन, द्वितीया (Accusative)

• प्रययौ: went forth, advanced
• प्रययौ: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-yā (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• पारिजातार्थम्: for the sake of the Pārijāta
• पारिजातार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pārijāta (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (purpose) ‘पारिजातस्य अर्थः’; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, एकवचन, द्वितीया (Accusative) अव्ययवत् प्रयोजनार्थे

• इन्द्रः: Indra
• इन्द्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: indra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, एकवचन, प्रथमा (Nominative)

• योधयितुम्: to fight (against) / to attack
• योधयितुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: yudh (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त infinitive; णिच् (causative) अर्थे ‘to make fight/attack’

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

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Teaching: Historical

Quality: authoritative

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: To subdue Indra and the deva-host when they oppose Him over the Pārijāta, revealing Hari as the supreme protector and rightful lord of celestial wealth.

Leela: Yuddha

Dharma Restored: Re-establishment of divine hierarchy: devas as servants of Hari, not rivals

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Power, even when divinely granted, becomes adharma when turned against the Supreme Lord and His devotee’s welfare.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Use authority in humility; resist ego-driven conflict when possessions or prestige are threatened.

Vishishtadvaita: Dependent lordship: Indra’s rulership is real yet contingent upon the Supreme, who remains the ultimate ruler (parama-īśvara).

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Hari

Bhakti Type: Dasya

Characters & Entities

• Indra
• Hari (Vishnu/Krishna)
• Devas (gods)
• Pārijāta (celestial tree)

FAQs

What is the significance of the pārijāta tree in the Vishnu Purana?

Here it functions as the immediate cause of conflict: Indra treats the celestial pārijāta as his possession, while the narrative uses it to reveal that even heaven’s treasures ultimately fall under Hari’s sovereignty.

How does Sage Parāśara frame Indra’s confrontation with Hari?

Parāśara presents it as a decisive, almost formal march to battle—Indra supported by all the devas—highlighting the contrast between collective celestial power and the singular supremacy of Hari.

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

The verse underscores Vaishnava doctrine that devas like Indra are powerful yet subordinate; when they oppose Hari, the story emphasizes Vishnu/Krishna as the ultimate Lord who governs cosmic order beyond heaven’s hierarchy.