Shloka 38

बाणयुद्धम्, हरिहरसंवादः, ज्वरप्रकरणम्, अनिरुद्धमोचनम्

Bāṇa’s War, the Jvara Episode, Hari–Hara Dialogue, and Aniruddha’s Release

Devanagari script

क्रमेण तत् तु बाहूनां बाणस्याच्युतचोदितम् छेदं चक्रे ऽसुरापास्तशस्त्रौघक्षपणादृतम्

Transliteration

krameṇa tat tu bāhūnāṃ bāṇasyācyutacoditam chedaṃ cakre 'surāpāstaśastraughakṣapaṇādṛtam

Translation

Then, urged on by Acyuta, the discus began cutting down Bāṇa’s arms in measured succession, to neutralize the torrent of weapons hurled by that asura.

Word by Word

• krameṇa: gradually, in order
• krameṇa: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: krama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणार्थे = ‘in sequence/gradually’

• tat: that
• tat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (referring to the cutting)

• tu: but, indeed
• tu: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/particle) = ‘but/indeed’

• bāhūnām: of the arms
• bāhūnām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bāhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन

• bāṇasya: of Bāṇa
• bāṇasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• acyuta-coditam: impelled by Acyuta
• acyuta-coditam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: acyuta (प्रातिपदिक) + codita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √cud/चुद्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्यय (past passive participle) codita = ‘impelled’; तत्पुरुषः = अच्युतेन चोदितम् (impelled by Acyuta)

• chedam: cutting, severing
• chedam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: cheda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• cakre: did, made
• cakre: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद-रूपम्; √कृ = did/made

• asura-apāsta-śastra-ogha-kṣapaṇa-ādṛtam: undertaken to destroy the mass of weapons cast by the asuras
• asura-apāsta-śastra-ogha-kṣapaṇa-ādṛtam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: asura (प्रातिपदिक) + apāsta (कृदन्त; √as/अस् with apa-; ‘thrown away/removed’) + śastra (प्रातिपदिक) + ogha (प्रातिपदिक) + kṣapaṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + ādṛta (कृदन्त; √dṛ/दृ with ā-; ‘undertaken/resolved’)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (विशेषणसमास): असुरैः अपास्तः शस्त्रौघः यस्य (or ‘asura-apāsta-śastraugha’) तस्य क्षपणम् (destruction) आदृतम् = undertaken for destroying the mass of weapons cast by the asuras; ādṛta = क्त (PPP)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: Krishna ensures protection of the world by methodically disabling Bāṇa’s capacity for violence, cutting his arms to stop the asura’s weapon-torrent.

Leela: Yuddha

Dharma Restored: Cessation of adharma-driven aggression; restoration of safety for dharmic beings

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Righteous force is proportionate and purposive—aimed at stopping harm (kṣapaṇa of weapon-torrent) rather than indulging in cruelty.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: In conflict, prioritize harm-reduction and measured responses; act to remove the capacity for wrongdoing while keeping restraint.

Vishishtadvaita: Divine governance combines compassion and justice: the Lord restrains destructive agency while sustaining the cosmic order for all dependent beings.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Hari

Characters & Entities

• Acyuta (Vishnu/Krishna)
• Bāṇa
• Asuras

FAQs

What is the significance of Acyuta’s command in this verse of the Vishnu Purana?

It portrays Vishnu (Acyuta) as the ultimate sovereign whose will directs events, even the tactical progression of battle, ensuring dharma prevails.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the defeat of asuric force in this context?

By showing that the asura’s power manifests as an overwhelming ‘flood of weapons,’ which is systematically neutralized through divinely guided action.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu here?

Vishnu is presented as the unfailing Supreme Reality (Acyuta) whose guidance converts conflict into an ordered restoration of cosmic balance.