Shloka 4

पौण्ड्रक-वधः, कृत्या-प्रशमनम्, वाराणसी-दाहः

Devanagari script

पौण्ड्रको वासुदेवस् तु वासुदेवो ऽभवद् भुवि अवतीर्णस् त्वम् इत्य् उक्तो जनैर् अज्ञानमोहितैः

Transliteration

pauṇḍrako vāsudevas tu vāsudevo 'bhavad bhuvi avatīrṇas tvam ity ukto janair ajñānamohitaiḥ

Translation

But Pauṇḍraka, who bore the name “Vāsudeva,” came to be hailed on earth as though he were Vāsudeva Himself—people, deluded by ignorance, proclaiming of him: “You are the descended one, the avatāra!”

Word by Word

• पौण्ड्रकः: Pauṇḍraka
• पौण्ड्रकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पौण्ड्रक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• वासुदेवः: (as) Vāsudeva
• वासुदेवः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वासुदेव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; उपाधिरूपेण

• तु: but, however
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विरोध/विशेषार्थ

• वासुदेवः: Vāsudeva
• वासुदेवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वासुदेव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अभवत्: became, was
• अभवत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• भुवि: on earth
• भुवि: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• अवतीर्णः: descended, incarnated
• अवतीर्णः: Kriya (Predicative participle/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव + तॄ (धातु) + अवतीर्ण (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘त्वम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/इति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/वाक्यसमाप्तिसूचक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• उक्तः: was called, was said (to be)
• उक्तः: Kriya (Predicative participle/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु) + उक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि

• जनैः: by people
• जनैः: Karana (Agent in passive/कर्ता-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• अज्ञानमोहितैः: deluded by ignorance
• अज्ञानमोहितैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक) + मोहित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (अज्ञानेन मोहिताः) विशेषणम् (जनैः)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Beginning the account of Pauṇḍraka’s false avatāra-claim leading to Kṛṣṇa’s response.

Teaching: Historical

Quality: revealing

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: To expose and destroy false claimants to divinity who mislead people and undermine true devotion to Vāsudeva.

Leela: Loka-rakshana

Dharma Restored: True theological discernment: exclusive worship/refuge in the real Vāsudeva, not pretenders.

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Ignorance can mistake a mere name and external marks for true divinity; discernment is required to recognize the real Vāsudeva.

Vedantic Theme: Maya

Application: Practice viveka: evaluate teachers/claims by śāstra, character, and transformative truth rather than charisma, titles, or symbols.

Vishishtadvaita: The Lord is uniquely ‘Vāsudeva’ as the supreme, independent reality; all others are dependent selves and cannot become the Supreme by imitation.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Vasudeva

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Jagat Karana: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Pauṇḍraka
• Vāsudeva (Sri Krishna)

FAQs

What is the significance of Pauṇḍraka being called “Vāsudeva” in the Vishnu Purana?

It highlights how worldly fame and ignorance can lead people to misidentify a mere mortal as divine, contrasting the counterfeit with Krishna as the true Vāsudeva.

How does Sage Parāśara explain delusion (ajñāna-moha) in this context?

By stating that people, overwhelmed by ignorance, publicly declare an unworthy person to be an avatāra—showing how misperception arises when discernment of the Supreme is lost.

What is the theological importance of Vāsudeva (Krishna) here?

The verse reinforces that Vāsudeva is not a title earned by display or popularity; it belongs to the Supreme Lord whose descent is real, purposeful, and sovereign—unlike human pretension.