Shloka 26

पौण्ड्रक-वधः, कृत्या-प्रशमनम्, वाराणसी-दाहः

Devanagari script

ततः शार्ङ्गधनुर्मुक्तैश् छित्त्वा तस्य शरैः शिरः काशिपुर्यां स चिक्षेप कुर्वंल् लोकस्य विस्मयम्

Transliteration

tataḥ śārṅgadhanurmuktaiś chittvā tasya śaraiḥ śiraḥ kāśipuryāṃ sa cikṣepa kurvaṃl lokasya vismayam

Translation

Then, with arrows loosed from Śārṅga—the Lord’s celestial bow—he severed the foe’s head and cast it into the city of Kāśī, astonishing the whole world.

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Adhikarana (Temporal/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) — thereafter

• śārṅgadhanus: with the Śārṅga bow
• śārṅgadhanus: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śārṅga-dhanus (प्रातिपदिक; शार्ङ्ग + धनुस्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन (समासाङ्ग-आधार); 'शार्ङ्गधनुः' = Śārṅga bow

• muktaiḥ: released, shot
• muktaiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mukta (प्रातिपदिक; मुच्-धातु से क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; विशेषण — 'released/shot' (agreeing with śaraiḥ understood)

• chittvā: having cut off
• chittvā: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: chid (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्यय (absolutive/ल्यप्), अव्यय; 'having cut off'

• tasya: of him
• tasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• śaraiḥ: with arrows
• śaraiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• śiraḥ: head
• śiraḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiras (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• kāśipuryām: in the city of Kāśī
• kāśipuryām: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāśī-purī (प्रातिपदिक; काशी + पुरी)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• cikṣepa: threw, cast
• cikṣepa: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṣip (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• kurvan: making, causing
• kurvan: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: शतृ (present active participle/शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'कुर्वन्' = doing/making

• lokasya: of the people/world
• lokasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: loka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• vismayam: astonishment
• vismayam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vismaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: Kṛṣṇa destroys the hostile king to safeguard dharma and demonstrate the futility of opposing the true Lord.

Leela: Yuddha

Dharma Restored: Righteous kingship and the inviolability of the Lord’s authority (aiśvarya)

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Vasudeva

Vyuha Form: Vasudeva

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Śārṅga (Vishnu’s bow)
• Kāśī (Kāśipuri)

FAQs

What is the significance of Śārṅga (Vishnu’s bow) in the Vishnu Purana?

Śārṅga signifies Vishnu’s sovereign power to restore dharma; the verse uses the bow-and-arrow imagery to depict decisive, world-ordering divine action.

How does Sage Parāśara explain divine intervention in royal-history episodes?

Parāśara narrates extraordinary acts within lineage histories to show that kingship and cosmic order ultimately depend on Vishnu’s higher sovereignty, not merely human prowess.

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

Vishnu is portrayed as the Supreme Reality whose will manifests as protection and governance of the world—his act inspires awe because it reveals transcendent authority operating within history.