Shloka 5

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

Devanagari script

ततो विध्वंसयाम् आस यज्ञान् अज्ञानमोहितः बिभेद साधुमर्यादां क्षयं चक्रे च देहिनाम्

Transliteration

tato vidhvaṃsayām āsa yajñān ajñānamohitaḥ bibheda sādhumaryādāṃ kṣayaṃ cakre ca dehinām

Translation

Then, deluded by ignorance, he set about destroying the rites of yajña; he shattered the dharmic bounds upheld by the righteous and brought ruin upon embodied beings.

Word by Word

• ततः: thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) — ‘ततः’ = ‘तस्मात्/तदनन्तरम्’ (thereafter/from that)

• विध्वंसयाम्: caused to be destroyed
• विध्वंसयाम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विध्वंसय् (धातु √ध्वंस्, णिच् causative)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परिप्रास/परफ्रास्टिक परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative)

• आस: did/was (auxiliary)
• आस: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु √अस्)
• Form: लिट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; सहायकक्रिया (periphrastic perfect auxiliary)

• यज्ञान्: sacrifices
• यज्ञान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Accusative plural)

• अज्ञानमोहितः: deluded by ignorance
• अज्ञानमोहितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अज्ञान + मोहित (कृदन्त, √मुह् + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘अज्ञानेन मोहितः’ इति तृतीया-तत्पुरुष; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle)

• बिभेद: broke/violated
• बिभेद: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भिद् (धातु √भिद्)
• Form: लिट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (perfect)

• साधु-मर्यादाम्: the boundary/discipline of the righteous
• साधु-मर्यादाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साधु (प्रातिपदिक) + मर्यादा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘साधूनां मर्यादा’ इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष

• क्षयम्: destruction
• क्षयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• चक्रे: made/caused
• चक्रे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु √कृ)
• Form: लिट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद (perfect)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक-निपात) — conjunction

• देहिनाम्: of embodied beings
• देहिनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देहिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Genitive plural)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Ignorance (ajñāna) leads to the collapse of yajña and righteous boundaries, bringing suffering to embodied beings.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Guard one’s discernment and uphold constructive duties (dharma) rather than undermining shared moral and spiritual institutions.

Vishishtadvaita: Adharma is portrayed as a real disruption within the Lord-governed world-order that must be corrected for the welfare of jīvas.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Krishna

FAQs

What is the significance of yajña in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse treats yajña as a pillar of cosmic and social order; when sacrifices are destroyed under delusion, dharma-framed life collapses and suffering spreads among living beings.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the role of ignorance (ajñāna) in moral decline?

Parāśara links ajñāna directly to action: ignorance does not remain internal—it expresses itself by breaking sādhumaryādā (the norms of the righteous) and producing kṣaya (ruin) in the world.

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

By highlighting the destruction caused by adharma, the Purana implicitly frames Vishnu as the supreme sustainer of ṛta/dharma whose sovereignty restores order when ignorance-driven disruption overwhelms society.