Shloka 19

पौण्ड्रक-वधः, कृत्या-प्रशमनम्, वाराणसी-दाहः

Devanagari script

युयुधे च बलेनास्य हस्त्यश्वबलिना द्विज निस्त्रिंशर्ष्टिगदाशूलशक्तिकार्मुकशालिना

Transliteration

yuyudhe ca balenāsya hastyaśvabalinā dvija nistriṃśarṣṭigadāśūlaśaktikārmukaśālinā

Translation

And, O twice-born one, he fought with his force—an army strong with elephants and horses—bristling with swords, spears, maces, tridents, lances, and bows.

Word by Word

• yuyudhe: fought
• yuyudhe: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: yudh (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद: 'fought'

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (conjunction): and

• balena: with the army/force
• balena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; instrumental: 'with the force/army'

• asya: of him
• asya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; genitive: 'of him' (i.e., Pauṇḍraka)

• hasti-aśva-balinā: mighty with elephants and horses
• hasti-aśva-balinā: Karana (Instrument qualifier/करण-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: hasti (प्रातिपदिक) + aśva (प्रातिपदिक) + balin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; द्वन्द्व (hasti+aśva) + बहुव्रीहि/तत्पुरुष sense: 'हस्त्यश्वैः बलवान्' = strong with elephants and horses; qualifies 'balena'

• dvija: O twice-born
• dvija: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; address to a Brahmin/narratee

• nistriṃśa-ṛṣṭi-gadā-śūla-śakti-kārmuka-śālinā: equipped with swords, spears, mace, trident, javelins, and bows
• nistriṃśa-ṛṣṭi-gadā-śūla-śakti-kārmuka-śālinā: Karana (Instrument qualifier/करण-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nistriṃśa (प्रातिपदिक) + ṛṣṭi (प्रातिपदिक) + gadā (प्रातिपदिक) + śūla (प्रातिपदिक) + śakti (प्रातिपदिक) + kārmuka (प्रातिपदिक) + śālin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; बहुपद-द्वन्द्व (weapons list) + शालिन्: 'निस्त्रिंश-ऋष्टि-गदा-शूल-शक्ति-कार्मुकैः शालिन्' = furnished with swords, spears, mace, trident, javelin, and bow; instrumental qualifier of 'balena'

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating) to Maitreya

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Teaching: Historical

Quality: authoritative

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: To defeat the hostile forces arrayed against Him and protect the righteous by demonstrating invincible divine valor.

Leela: Yuddha

Dharma Restored: Protection of social order from violent adharma and arrogant kings

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: When adharma arms itself, righteous power may be required; violence is portrayed as subordinate to the restoration of order under the Lord’s protection.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Stand firmly against injustice with disciplined means and right intention, avoiding ego and cruelty.

Vishishtadvaita: Dharma is safeguarded by the personal Lord acting within history; divine governance is immanent in worldly events, not separate from them.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Krishna

Characters & Entities

• Parāśara
• Maitreya
• Elephant corps (hastibala)
• Cavalry (aśvabala)

FAQs

What is the significance of battle descriptions in Ansha 4 of the Vishnu Purana?

They illustrate rājadharma and the workings of sovereignty within the dynastic histories, showing how kings uphold or contest order through disciplined forces and arms.

How does Sage Parāśara present the scale of royal power in this verse?

By emphasizing combined arms—elephants and horses—and an arsenal of weapons, Parāśara conveys an organized, kingly force rather than a private duel.

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

Even in martial, historical narration, the Purana frames worldly kingship as part of a larger cosmic order ultimately grounded in Vishnu’s supreme governance of time, fate, and dharma.