Shloka 8

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

Devanagari script

तेन विक्षोभितश् चाब्धिर् उद्वेलो द्विज जायते प्लावयंस् तीरजान् ग्रामान् पुरादीन् अतिवेगवान्

Transliteration

tena vikṣobhitaś cābdhir udvelo dvija jāyate plāvayaṃs tīrajān grāmān purādīn ativegavān

Translation

Stirred by that force, O twice-born one, the ocean rose in a wild surge; swift beyond measure, it flooded the shorelands, drowning the coastal villages and even inundating towns and cities.

Word by Word

• तेन: by him/thereby
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Instrumental singular)

• विक्षोभितः: agitated
• विक्षोभितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + क्षोभित (कृदन्त, √क्षुभ् + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; उपसर्ग ‘वि’

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

• अब्दिः: the ocean
• अब्दिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अब्दि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उद्वेलः: overflowing
• उद्वेलः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उद् + वेल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण — ‘उद्वेल’ (overflowing)

• द्विज: O twice-born (brahmin)
• द्विज: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन/प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; संबोधनार्थ प्रयोग (vocative-like address)

• जायते: becomes/arises
• जायते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु √जन्)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• प्लावयन्: flooding
• प्लावयन्: Karta (Agent-participle/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्लावय् (धातु √प्लु/प्लावय्, णिच् causative)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमान कृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘while flooding’

• तीरजान्: shore-dwelling
• तीरजान्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तीरज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण — ‘तीरे जाताः’ (born/located on the shore)

• ग्रामान्: villages
• ग्रामान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• पुर-आदीन्: cities and the like
• पुर-आदीन्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुर (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘पुराणि आदीनि’ = ‘cities etc.’

• अतिवेगवान्: very swift/impetuous
• अतिवेगवान्: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अति (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + वेगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय: ‘अतिशयेन वेगवान्’

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (addressing Maitreya)

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Krishna

Characters & Entities

• Parāśara
• Maitreya
• Ocean (Abdhi)

FAQs

What is the significance of the ocean’s overflowing in the Vishnu Purana?

It illustrates how the world’s geography and stability can be shaken by powerful causes, showing nature’s force within a larger cosmic order rather than as random chaos.

How does Sage Parāśara explain catastrophic flooding in this context?

Parāśara narrates it as an oceanic agitation that breaches its limits and inundates human settlements, fitting the Purāṇic style of describing the world’s structure and its periodic disturbances.

The theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this context?

Even when Vishnu is not named in the verse, the Vishnu Purana frames such vast natural forces as operating under the Supreme Reality’s overarching governance of the cosmos.