Shloka 2

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

Devanagari script

क्षितेश् च भारं भगवान् फाल्गुनेन समं विभुः अवतारयाम् आस हरिः समस्ताक्षौहिणीवधात्

Transliteration

kṣiteś ca bhāraṃ bhagavān phālgunena samaṃ vibhuḥ avatārayām āsa hariḥ samastākṣauhiṇīvadhāt

Translation

Hari—the Blessed Lord, the all-pervading Sovereign—together with Phālguna lightened the Earth’s burden by the destruction of the entire host of armies, the akṣauhiṇīs.

Word by Word

• क्षितेः: of the earth
• क्षितेः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षिति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

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

• भारम्: burden
• भारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• भगवान्: the Blessed Lord
• भगवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• फाल्गुनेन: with Phālguna (Arjuna)
• फाल्गुनेन: Sahakari/Instrument (करण/सहकारी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फाल्गुन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• समम्: together
• समम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), ‘समम्’ = ‘सह/समं’ (together/equally)

• विभुः: the all-powerful one
• विभुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• अवतारयाम्: (he) caused to descend / brought down
• अवतारयाम्: Kriya (Verbal action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव-तॄ (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; (periphrastic perfect used with ‘आस’)

• आस: was / did
• आस: Kriya (Auxiliary/सहायकक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; सहायकक्रिया (auxiliary with periphrastic perfect)

• हरिः: Hari (Vishnu)
• हरिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• समस्ताक्षौहिणीवधात्: from (as a result of) the slaughter of all the armies
• समस्ताक्षौहिणीवधात्: Apadana (Source/Cause/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समस्त + अक्षौहिणी + वध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (‘समस्तानाम् अक्षौहिणीनां वधः’ = slaughter of all armies)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Teaching: Historical

Quality: authoritative

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: Kṛṣṇa descends to relieve Bhū-devī’s burden by orchestrating the destruction of the amassed kṣatriya armies through the Bhārata war.

Leela: Loka-rakshana

Dharma Restored: Restoration of kṣatriya-dharma and balance of earthly order by removing oppressive rulers

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The Lord intervenes in history to re-establish dharma when the earth is oppressed by collective adharma.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Treat power and success as accountable to dharma, and support just order over factional gain.

Vishishtadvaita: Hari acts as sovereign ruler of the world while remaining the transcendent Lord who purposively guides events.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Hari

Lakshmi Presence: Bhumi

Characters & Entities

• Hari (Vishnu/Krishna)
• Phālguna (Arjuna)
• Earth (Bhūmi/Kṣiti)
• Akṣauhiṇīs (armies)

FAQs

What is the significance of relieving the Earth's burden in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse frames the Kurukṣetra destruction of vast armies as a divinely guided rebalancing—Hari removes the oppressive weight of adharma from the Earth, restoring cosmic order.

How does Sage Parāśara explain divine action through a human hero like Phālguna?

Parāśara presents Hari as the all-pervading Lord (vibhu) who accomplishes his purpose in history together with Phālguna—divine sovereignty working through chosen human agency.

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

Hari is depicted as the Supreme governor of dharma: the war’s outcome is not merely political but a cosmic act of the avatāra, revealing Vishnu’s lordship over collective destiny.