Shloka 17

यादवक्षयः, बलराम-निर्याणम्, कृष्णस्य उपसंहारः (प्रभासे विनाशः)

Devanagari script

भारावतारणार्थाय वर्षाणाम् अधिकं शतम् भगवान् अवतीर्णो ऽत्र त्रिदशैः संप्रसादितः

Transliteration

bhārāvatāraṇārthāya varṣāṇām adhikaṃ śatam bhagavān avatīrṇo 'tra tridaśaiḥ saṃprasāditaḥ

Translation

To relieve the Earth of her crushing burden, after more than a hundred years the Blessed Lord descended here, earnestly propitiated and petitioned by the gods.

Word by Word

• भार-अवतारण-अर्थाय: for the purpose of removing the burden
• भार-अवतारण-अर्थाय: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भार (प्रातिपदिक) + अवतारण (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (सम्प्रदान), एकवचन — Neuter, Dative, Singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (‘for the purpose of unloading the burden’)

• वर्षाणाम्: of years
• वर्षाणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन — Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• अधिकम्: more than
• अधिकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अधिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular; संख्याविशेषण-सम्बन्ध (qualifying ‘śatam’)

• शतम्: a hundred
• शतम्: Karman/Pramana (Measure/प्रमाण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular

• भगवान्: the Blessed Lord
• भगवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अवतीर्णः: descended
• अवतीर्णः: Karta-anvaya (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अव-√तॄ (धातु; ‘अवतरणे’ to descend)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Past participle, Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• त्रिदशैः: by the gods
• त्रिदशैः: Karana (Agent-instrument in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रिदश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन — Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• संप्रसादितः: propitiated, pleased
• संप्रसादितः: Karta-anvaya (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-प्र-√सद् (धातु; ‘प्रसादने’ to please) + णिच् (causative)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि-भाव (passive sense) — ‘having been propitiated/pleased’

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: Bhagavān descends to lighten Bhū-devī’s burden by removing oppressive forces and restoring dharmic balance.

Leela: Loka-rakshana

Dharma Restored: Restoration of righteous kingship and the earth’s capacity to sustain beings without tyranny.

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Avatāra is Bhagavān’s compassionate intervention in history to re-balance the world when dharma is overburdened by adharma.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Read social and personal ‘burden’ as a call to dharmic action supported by reliance on Bhagavān’s governance.

Vishishtadvaita: The Lord freely enters the world without losing transcendence, acting for the good of his real, dependent creation.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Lakshmi Presence: Bhumi

Jagat Karana: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Devas (Tridasha)
• Bhumi/Prithvi (Earth, implied)

FAQs

What is the significance of bhārāvatāraṇa (removing the Earth’s burden) in the Vishnu Purana?

It frames Vishnu’s avatāra as a cosmic act of governance—restoring balance when adharma and oppressive power overload the Earth.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the reason for Vishnu’s descent here?

Parāśara presents the descent as prompted by the gods’ supplication and aimed at re-ordering the world by lifting the Earth’s burden.

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

Vishnu is shown as the supreme sovereign who, though transcendent, willingly enters history through avatāra to protect dharma and stabilize the cosmos.