Shloka 3

पौण्ड्रक-वधः, कृत्या-प्रशमनम्, वाराणसी-दाहः

Devanagari script

गदतो मम विप्रर्षे श्रूयताम् इदम् आदरात् नरावतारे कृष्णेन दग्धा वाराणसी यथा

Transliteration

gadato mama viprarṣe śrūyatām idam ādarāt narāvatāre kṛṣṇena dagdhā vārāṇasī yathā

Translation

O best of Brahmin sages, listen with reverent attention as I speak—how, when the Supreme Lord appeared in human form, Kṛṣṇa burned Vārāṇasī (Kāśī).

Word by Word

• गदतः: of me speaking
• गदतः: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गद् (धातु) + गदत् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; ‘मम’ इत्यस्य विशेषणवत् (मे गदतः)

• मम: of me, my
• मम: Shashthi-sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• विप्रर्षे: O brahmin sage
• विप्रर्षे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्रर्षि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• श्रूयताम्: let it be heard
• श्रूयताम्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), कर्मणि प्रयोग (Passive), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• आदरात्: out of respect
• आदरात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (Ablative/अपादान), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे

• नरावतारे: in the human incarnation
• नरावतारे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर + अवतार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative/अधिकरण), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (नरस्य अवतारः)

• कृष्णेन: by Kṛṣṇa
• कृष्णेन: Kartr-karana (Agent in passive/कर्ता-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental/करण), एकवचन

• दग्धा: burnt
• दग्धा: Kriya (Predicative participle/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दह् (धातु) + दग्ध (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘वाराणसी’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• वाराणसी: Vārāṇasī
• वाराणसी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाराणसी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• यथा: as, just as
• यथा: Upamana (Comparison marker/उपमान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमानवाचक-अव्यय (comparative particle)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating) to Maitreya

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Narration of Kṛṣṇa’s further deeds, specifically the burning of Vārāṇasī.

Teaching: Historical

Quality: authoritative

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: To punish adharma and false claimants to divinity by destroying their strongholds, thereby protecting true devotion and righteous order.

Leela: Yuddha

Dharma Restored: Suppression of impious kings and restoration of proper reverence to the true Bhagavān.

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Even sacred places are not shields for adharma; the Lord’s justice operates to protect dharma and true devotion.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Do not rely on external religiosity or holy associations while acting unrighteously; align conduct with dharma and humility.

Vishishtadvaita: Bhagavān’s governance includes moral order: His līlā in the world is purposeful protection of dharma, not mere mythic spectacle.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Krishna

Bhakti Type: Dasya

Characters & Entities

• Parāśara
• Maitreya
• Krishna
• Vārāṇasī (Kāśī)

FAQs

What is the significance of Vārāṇasī being burned in the Vishnu Purana?

In this verse it introduces a specific līlā where Krishna, as the Lord in human form, decisively intervenes—signaling divine sovereignty and the restoration of order through avatāra action.

How does Sage Parāśara frame this event for Maitreya?

Parāśara presents it as a respectful, carefully heard account (“ādarāt śrūyatām”), emphasizing that the episode is not mere history but a meaningful narration of the Lord’s purposeful deeds.

What is the theological importance of Krishna here?

Krishna is treated as the avatāra of the Supreme Vishnu: the transcendent Lord enters human context (narāvatāra) yet retains absolute power to uphold dharma and re-order the world.