Shloka 41

पौण्ड्रक-वधः, कृत्या-प्रशमनम्, वाराणसी-दाहः

Devanagari script

शस्त्रास्त्रमोक्षचतुरं दग्ध्वा तद् बलम् ओजसा कृत्यागर्भाम् अशेषां तां तदा वाराणसीं पुरीम्

Transliteration

śastrāstramokṣacaturaṃ dagdhvā tad balam ojasā kṛtyāgarbhām aśeṣāṃ tāṃ tadā vārāṇasīṃ purīm

Translation

Then, by the sheer force of his own spiritual energy, he burned up that power—so deft in the discharge of weapons and missiles—and at that very time reduced the entire city of Vārāṇasī, filled with kṛtyā, to ashes.

Word by Word

• शस्त्र-अस्त्र-मोक्ष-चतुरम्: skilled in releasing weapons and missiles
• शस्त्र-अस्त्र-मोक्ष-चतुरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक) + अस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक) + मोक्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + चतुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः = ‘शस्त्रास्त्रयोः मोक्षे चतुरम्’ (skilled in discharging weapons)

• दग्ध्वा: having burnt
• दग्ध्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दह् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund) = having burnt

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम; ‘that’ (referring to previously mentioned)

• बलम्: army, force
• बलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• ओजसा: by power, with might
• ओजसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ओजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन = instrumental singular

• कृत्या-गर्भाम्: containing a kṛtyā (sorcerous entity)
• कृत्या-गर्भाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत्या (प्रातिपदिक) + गर्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः = ‘यस्यां कृत्या गर्भे (अन्तः) अस्ति’ → ‘containing a kṛtyā (sorcery/fiend)’

• अशेषाम्: entire, all
• अशेषाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘entire, without remainder’

• ताम्: that (city)
• ताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adhikarana (Temporal/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक) = temporal adverb

• वाराणसीम्: Vārāṇasī
• वाराणसीम्: Karma (Apposition to object/कर्म-विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाराणसी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; नगरनाम

• पुरीम्: city
• पुरीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Teaching: Historical

Quality: revealing

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: Kṛṣṇa’s Sudarśana annihilates weapon-skilled forces and the kṛtyā-based sorcery sustaining them, restoring dharma by removing occult adharma.

Leela: Yuddha

Dharma Restored: Protection of the righteous order against black-magic (abhicāra) and militarized aggression

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Tejas aligned with Bhagavān overrules both martial skill and occult manufacture (kṛtyā), which are ultimately self-consuming when opposed to dharma.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Avoid ‘ends-justify-means’ spirituality; reject harmful occultism and cultivate purity of intention and conduct.

Vishishtadvaita: Divine śakti (tejas) operates within the world as Bhagavān’s moral governance, subduing tamasic forces without compromising sovereignty.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Krishna

Characters & Entities

• Parāśara
• Maitreya
• Vārāṇasī (Kāśī)
• kṛtyā (sorcery/black rite)

FAQs

What is the significance of kṛtyā in the Vishnu Purana?

In this verse, kṛtyā signifies a destructive, ritually-generated force pervading the city; its presence marks adharma and explains why the city is portrayed as wholly fit for fiery destruction.

How does Sage Parāśara frame power beyond weapons (śastra and astra) here?

Parāśara contrasts technical mastery in releasing weapons with a higher potency—ojas/tejas—by which the opponent’s power is incinerated, implying spiritual force can override martial skill.

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

Even when Vishnu is not named in the line, the Purāṇic worldview assumes dharma is upheld under Vishnu’s supreme sovereignty; destructive outcomes follow when forces like kṛtyā oppose cosmic order.