Shloka 10

द्विविद-वधः, यज्ञ-विध्वंस-निवारणम्, बलदेव-पराक्रम-समाहारः

Devanagari script

तेन विप्रकृतं सर्वं जगद् एतद् दुरात्मना निःस्वाध्यायवषट्कारं मैत्रेयासीत् सुदुःखितम्

Transliteration

tena viprakṛtaṃ sarvaṃ jagad etad durātmanā niḥsvādhyāyavaṣaṭkāraṃ maitreyāsīt suduḥkhitam

Translation

By that wicked-souled one, this entire world was thrown into disorder—bereft of Vedic study and the sacred vaṣaṭ-utterances of rite; and Maitreya, seeing the collapse of dharma’s supports, became deeply distressed.

Word by Word

• तेन: by him / by that (one)
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/Agent-instrumental)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन — Pronoun; Instrumental, Singular

• विप्रकृतम्: was harmed / was wronged
• विप्रकृतम्: Karta (Predicate/State)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + प्र + कृ (धातु; करणे)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular; ‘wronged/afflicted’

• सर्वम्: all
• सर्वम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular; विशेषण (of जगत्)

• जगत्: world
• जगत्: Karma/Adhikarana (Entity affected)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — Demonstrative; Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular; विशेषण (of जगत्)

• दुरात्मना: by the wicked one
• दुरात्मना: Karana (Agent-instrumental)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुरात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Instrumental, Singular; ‘one of evil nature’

• निःस्वाध्यायवषट्कारम्: bereft of Vedic study and vaṣaṭ rites
• निःस्वाध्यायवषट्कारम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निः + स्वाध्याय + वषट्कार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular; विशेषण (of जगत्); ‘devoid of svādhyāya and vaṣaṭ-calls’

• मैत्रेय: O Maitreya
• मैत्रेय: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मैत्रेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा, एकवचन — Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• आसीत्: was
• आसीत्: Kriya (Copula)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु; भुवि)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (अनद्यतन-भूत), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन — Imperfect, 3rd person, Singular

• सुदुःखितम्: very sorrowful
• सुदुःखितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + दुःखित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular; विशेषण (of जगत्)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: When svādhyāya and yajña (marked by vaṣaṭ) are abandoned due to adharmic influence, the world-order is shaken and the wise are afflicted.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Protect daily study, disciplined worship, and ethical public life; resist normalizing irreverence toward learning and sacred duty.

Vishishtadvaita: Dharma is sustained under the Lord’s sovereignty, and its disruption is a real (not illusory) harm to the Lord’s ordered universe (jagat) which depends on his governance.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Characters & Entities

• Maitreya
• Vedic svādhyāya
• Vaṣaṭkāra (Vedic ritual utterance)
• Dharma (implied)
• Adharma (implied)

FAQs

What is the significance of svādhyāya and vaṣaṭkāra in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse treats svādhyāya (Vedic study) and vaṣaṭkāra (the sacrificial utterance) as pillars of dharma; their disappearance signals a world-order slipping into adharma.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the collapse of social-religious order here?

Parāśara frames the disruption as caused by an evil agent whose influence makes the world ‘viprakṛta’—inverted from its proper Vedic rhythm of learning and sacrifice.

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

By highlighting the breakdown of dharma’s instruments, the narrative implicitly points to Vishnu as the supreme preserver whose governance restores order when Vedic practice and righteousness decline.