Shloka 37

साम्ब-हरणम्, बलदेवस्य रोषः, हस्तिनापुर-आकर्षणम्

Devanagari script

अद्याप्य् आघूर्णिताकारं लक्ष्यते तत् पुरं द्विज एष प्रभावो रामस्य बलशौर्योपलक्षणः

Transliteration

adyāpy āghūrṇitākāraṃ lakṣyate tat puraṃ dvija eṣa prabhāvo rāmasya balaśauryopalakṣaṇaḥ

Translation

Even today, O twice-born one, that city is seen bearing the marks of having been shaken into disarray; such is Rāma’s manifest power, a visible sign of his strength and heroic prowess.

Word by Word

• अद्यापि: even today / still
• अद्यापि: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य (अव्यय) + अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverbial phrase: ‘even today/still’)

• आघूर्णित-आकारम्: with a distorted/whirled appearance
• आघूर्णित-आकारम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ + √घूर्ण् (धातु) ; आघूर्णित (कृदन्त, क्त) + आकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (having a whirled/distorted form)

• लक्ष्यते: is seen / is observed
• लक्ष्यते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √लक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), कर्मणि (passive), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम-विशेषण

• पुरम्: city
• पुरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• द्विज: O twice-born (brāhmaṇa)
• द्विज: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• एषः: this
• एषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• प्रभावः: power / effect
• प्रभावः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• रामस्य: of Rāma (Balarāma)
• रामस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• बल-शौर्य-उपलक्षणः: a mark/sign of (his) strength and valor
• बल-शौर्य-उपलक्षणः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बल (प्रातिपदिक) + शौर्य (प्रातिपदिक) + उपलक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; (बलशौर्ययोः उपलक्षणः)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Teaching: Historical

Quality: revealing

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Divine-heroic power leaves lasting worldly traces, yet its proper function is deterrence and protection, not destruction.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Cultivate strength (capacity, resources) paired with restraint—use power to prevent harm, not to indulge anger.

Vishishtadvaita: The extraordinary within the ordinary world signals a cosmos governed by the Lord and His śaktis—immanence expressed as historical ‘prabhāva’.

Dynasty & Genealogy

Vamsha: Chandra

Dharma Exemplar: Vīrya (heroic power) restrained by dharma

Key Kings: Rāma (Balarāma)

Characters & Entities

• Rama
• Dvija (brahmin listener)

FAQs

What is the significance of enduring physical marks (like a “shaken city”) in the Vishnu Purana?

They function as narrative “proofs” of dharmic sovereignty—visible reminders that righteous, divinely-aided power can reorder the world and leave lasting testimony.

How does Sage Parāśara explain royal power in this verse?

He frames it as prabhāva (manifest potency) that can be directly perceived—Rāma’s strength and valor are not abstract virtues but have tangible effects in the world.

What is the theological importance of this verse for Vaishnava thought?

By presenting Rāma’s prowess as extraordinary and world-altering, the text supports the idea that Vishnu’s supreme sovereignty is expressed through avatars and ideal kings who uphold cosmic order.