Shloka 14

पौण्ड्रक-वधः, कृत्या-प्रशमनम्, वाराणसी-दाहः

Devanagari script

तस्यापि केशवोद्योगं श्रुत्वा काशिपतिस् तदा सर्वसैन्यपरीवारः पार्ष्णिग्राह उपाययौ

Transliteration

tasyāpi keśavodyogaṃ śrutvā kāśipatis tadā sarvasainyaparīvāraḥ pārṣṇigrāha upāyayau

Translation

When the lord of Kāśī heard of Keśava’s mobilization, he at once advanced, surrounded by all his forces, like a relentless pursuer closing upon another’s heels.

Word by Word

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th, Genitive) एकवचन

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक/अप्यर्थक अव्यय (also)

• केशवोद्योगम्: Keshava's preparation/effort
• केशवोद्योगम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केशव (प्रातिपदिक) + उद्योग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (केशवस्य उद्योगः)

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Sambandha (Prior action/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययभाव (gerund); (having heard)

• काशिपतिः: the lord of Kashi
• काशिपतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशि (प्रातिपदिक) + पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (काश्याः पतिः)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Sambandha (Temporal/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (then)

• सर्वसैन्यपरीवारः: accompanied by all the army
• सर्वसैन्यपरीवारः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + सैन्य (प्रातिपदिक) + परीवार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (सर्वस्य सैन्यस्य परीवारः यस्य)

• पार्ष्णिग्राहः: Pārṣṇigrāha (a proper name)
• पार्ष्णिग्राहः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्ष्णि (प्रातिपदिक) + ग्राह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (पार्ष्णेः ग्राहः/ग्रहणकर्ता)

• उपाययौ: came/approached
• उपाययौ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप + आ + या (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Teaching: Historical

Quality: authoritative

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: Kṛṣṇa’s mobilization provokes the opposing king of Kāśī to advance with full forces, setting the stage for dharma-defending confrontation.

Leela: Yuddha

Dharma Restored: Checking unrighteous aggression and reestablishing just boundaries of power

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Worldly power, when driven by hostility, becomes ‘pursuit’ (pārṣṇigrāha) that dharma must restrain through rightful force.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Use strength responsibly: oppose aggression without hatred, and recognize when escalation requires principled restraint and protection of innocents.

Vishishtadvaita: The Lord’s governance works through historical events—conflict itself becomes a field where divine justice protects the dependent (śeṣa) beings.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Krishna

Characters & Entities

• Keshava (Vishnu/Krishna epithet)
• Kāśīpati (King of Varanasi/Kashi)

FAQs

What is the significance of the Kāśīpati hearing of Keśava’s mobilization in the Vishnu Purana?

It shows how a major king responds immediately to Keśava’s initiative, emphasizing the political gravity of Keśava’s actions within the Purana’s dynastic history.

How does Sage Parāśara frame worldly power in this verse?

By depicting armies and kings as moving in reaction to Keśava’s ‘udyoga,’ Parāśara implies that temporal sovereignty operates under a higher divine sovereignty.

What is the theological importance of calling the leader “Keśava” here?

“Keśava” signals Vishnu’s supreme identity even within historical narrative, suggesting that behind human conflict stands the ordering power of the Supreme Reality.