Shloka 22

पौण्ड्रक-वधः, कृत्या-प्रशमनम्, वाराणसी-दाहः

Devanagari script

पौण्ड्रकोक्तं त्वया यत् तु दूतवक्त्रेण मां प्रति समुत्सृजेति चिह्नानि तत् ते संपादयाम्य् अहम्

Transliteration

pauṇḍrakoktaṃ tvayā yat tu dūtavaktreṇa māṃ prati samutsṛjeti cihnāni tat te saṃpādayāmy aham

Translation

As for what you conveyed to me through the mouth of Pauṇḍraka’s messenger—“Cast away those insignia!”—I shall indeed set those insignia in order for you, bringing them to their rightful end.

Word by Word

• पौण्ड्रकोक्तम्: what was said by Pauṇḍraka
• पौण्ड्रकोक्तम्: Karma (Object of saṃpādayāmi)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पौण्ड्रक + उक्त (कृदन्त; √वच् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमासः (पौण्ड्रकेन उक्तम् = said by Pauṇḍraka); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अत्र ‘यत्’ इत्यस्य विशेष्यत्वेन (as antecedent of yat)

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karana/Agent-in-passive (Instrumental agent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/स्त्री (सर्वनाम), तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• यत्: which/that
• यत्: Sambandha (Relative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अन्वयार्थक-निपात (particle: but/indeed)

• दूतवक्त्रेण: through the messenger’s mouth (message)
• दूतवक्त्रेण: Karana (Instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दूत + वक्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषसमासः (दूतस्य वक्त्रम् = the mouth/words of the messenger); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्रति: towards
• प्रति: Sampradana/Direction (towards)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रति (अव्यय)
• Form: उपसर्ग/अव्यय (preposition-like indeclinable)

• समुत्सृज: cast away/abandon
• समुत्सृज: Kriya (Quoted action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-उत्-√सृज् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; इति-उक्तौ (quoted command)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उक्त्यर्थक-निपात (quotative particle)

• चिह्नानि: insignia/marks
• चिह्नानि: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चिह्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (correlative to yat)

• ते: for you/to you
• ते: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• संपादयामि: I will accomplish/provide
• संपादयामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-√पद्/पादय् (धातु; causative of √पद्/√पद् ‘to obtain/arrive’)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; causative sense (to accomplish/bring about)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Sri Krishna (Vasudeva) addressing Pauṇḍraka’s messenger (as narrated by Sage Parāśara to Maitreya)

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: He descends to protect dharma by punishing the arrogant impostor and restoring the sanctity of the Lord’s divine insignia.

Leela: Yuddha

Dharma Restored: Protection of sacred symbols (cihna) and the truth of Bhagavān’s identity against blasphemous challenge

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Arrogant speech that denies the Lord’s supremacy rebounds upon the speaker; divine symbols are not negotiable tokens but expressions of cosmic order.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Practice humility in spiritual claims; do not demean sacred traditions or claim authority without inner transformation.

Vishishtadvaita: The Lord’s śakti and attributes are real and operative in the world; offense against them is offense against the living, personal Supreme.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Krishna

Characters & Entities

• Krishna
• Paundraka
• Messenger (Duta)

FAQs

What is the significance of divine insignia (cihna) in this Vishnu Purana episode?

They symbolize legitimate divine sovereignty; Pauṇḍraka’s demand that Krishna abandon them is a direct challenge to the rightful bearer of Vishnu’s marks.

How does the narrative frame Krishna’s response to Pauṇḍraka’s message?

Krishna answers through measured irony—promising to “accomplish” the request—implying that the false claimant will be corrected by the Supreme’s decisive action.

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

The verse portrays Krishna as the final authority whose symbols and identity cannot be usurped—affirming Vishnu’s supreme reality and the futility of counterfeit divinity.