Shloka 16

पौण्ड्रक-वधः, कृत्या-प्रशमनम्, वाराणसी-दाहः

Devanagari script

तं ददर्श हरिर् दूराद् उदारस्यन्दने स्थितम् चक्रहस्तं गदाखड्गबाहुं पाणिगताम्बुजम्

Transliteration

taṃ dadarśa harir dūrād udārasyandane sthitam cakrahastaṃ gadākhaḍgabāhuṃ pāṇigatāmbujam

Translation

From afar, Hari beheld him—poised upon a splendid chariot—bearing the discus in his hand, with mace and sword as his arms, and with the lotus held ready in his palm.

Word by Word

• tam: him
• tam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; pronoun referring to Pauṇḍraka

• dadarśa: saw
• dadarśa: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद: 'saw'

• hariḥ: Hari (Vishnu/Krishna)
• hariḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hari (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• dūrāt: from a distance
• dūrāt: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dūra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (or अव्ययीभाववत्), पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन; ablatival adverb: 'from afar'

• udāra-syandane: on a splendid chariot
• udāra-syandane: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: udāra (प्रातिपदिक) + syandana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; कर्मधारय: 'उदारः स्यन्दनः' = splendid chariot; locative: 'on/in'

• sthitam: standing
• sthitam: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sthā (धातु) → sthita (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; agrees with 'tam' (him) in sense: 'standing/placed'

• cakra-hastam: with a discus in hand
• cakra-hastam: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: cakra (प्रातिपदिक) + hasta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: 'चक्रं हस्ते यस्य' (instrument-in-hand sense) = having a discus in hand

• gadā-khaḍga-bāhum: with arms bearing mace and sword
• gadā-khaḍga-bāhum: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: gadā (प्रातिपदिक) + khaḍga (प्रातिपदिक) + bāhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समाहार/तत्पुरुष: 'गदा-खड्गौ बाह्वोः' = having arms (bearing) mace and sword

• pāṇi-gata-ambujam: with a lotus in his hand
• pāṇi-gata-ambujam: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pāṇi (प्रातिपदिक) + gata (कृदन्त) + ambuja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: 'पाणौ गतं अम्बुजम्' = lotus placed in (his) hand

Speaker

Sage Parashara (narrating to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Teaching: Historical

Quality: authoritative

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: To expose and defeat the counterfeit claimant by confronting him directly and reasserting the Lord’s unique sovereignty.

Leela: Yuddha

Dharma Restored: Protection of sacred symbols (cakra, gadā, padma) from profanation and of royal order from adharma

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: External insignia can be imitated, but true divinity is recognized by intrinsic majesty and rightful power, not costume.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Discern spiritual authenticity by character, humility, and truthfulness rather than appearances and claims.

Vishishtadvaita: Divine attributes are real and inseparable from the Lord’s person; they are not merely symbolic props transferable to another.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Hari

Characters & Entities

• Hari (Vishnu/Krishna)

FAQs

What is the significance of Vishnu’s weapons (chakra, gada, khadga) and lotus in the Vishnu Purana?

They signify dharma-protection and sovereign authority (weapons) together with auspiciousness and divine grace (lotus), presenting divinity as both protector and bestower.

How does Sage Parashara explain divine recognition and sovereignty in this scene?

By describing Hari’s distant sighting of the chariot-borne figure marked by sacred insignia, Parashara frames power as legitimate when it reflects divine attributes and dharmic purpose.

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

Hari is portrayed as the supreme, discerning presence: the one before whom martial power gains meaning, because true sovereignty is grounded in the divine order Vishnu upholds.