Shloka 26

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

Devanagari script

तद् एनं सुमहाभारम् अवतार्य क्षितेर् अहम् यास्याम्य् अमरलोकस्य पालनाय ब्रवीहि तान्

Transliteration

tad enaṃ sumahābhāram avatārya kṣiter aham yāsyāmy amaralokasya pālanāya bravīhi tān

Translation

Having caused this immense burden to be brought down from the Earth, I shall depart to safeguard the realm of the immortals. Go—tell them this.

Word by Word

• तत्: then, thereupon
• तत्: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (particle/अन्वादेशार्थ-निपात): ‘then/thereupon’ इत्यर्थे

• एनम्: him
• एनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; सर्वनाम-रूप

• सु-महा-भारम्: a very great burden
• सु-महा-भारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + महा (प्रातिपदिक) + भार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणपूर्वक-समास: ‘अतिमहान् भारः’

• अवतार्य: having brought down / removed
• अवतार्य: Kriya-viseshana (Absolutive modifying main verb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव-√तॄ (धातु) (क्त्वान्त/gerund)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund): ‘having caused to descend/removed’

• क्षितेः: from the earth
• क्षितेः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षिति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान) एकवचन; ‘from the earth’

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता) एकवचन

• यास्यामि: I shall go
• यास्यामि: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √या (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future/भविष्यत्), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• अमर-लोकस्य: of the world of the immortals (heaven)
• अमर-लोकस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमर (प्रातिपदिक) + लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध) एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘अमराणां लोकः’

• पालनाय: for protection
• पालनाय: Sampradana (Purpose/beneficiary/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पालन (प्रातिपदिक; √पाल् से भाव)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/सम्प्रदान) एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थे ‘for protection’

• ब्रवीहि: tell (them)
• ब्रवीहि: Kriya (Command/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative/आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• तान्: them
• तान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म) बहुवचन; सर्वनाम-रूप

Speaker

A divine agent/leader among the devas (contextually, Indra addressing a messenger or attendant in the devas’ deliberation)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Teaching: Historical

Quality: revealing

Cosmological Context

Manvantara: Vaivasvata

Cosmic Hierarchy: Lokas

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: He declares the completion of Earth’s burden-removal and announces his departure to protect the realm of the gods.

Leela: Loka-rakshana

Dharma Restored: Stability of cosmic governance across Bhūloka and Amaraloka

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The avatāra acts with deliberate purpose: when protection of worlds is accomplished in one sphere, the Lord directs further guardianship elsewhere, remaining master of all lokas.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Hold duties lightly yet firmly: complete one dharmic responsibility, then move to the next without attachment to station or acclaim.

Vishishtadvaita: The personal Lord (Vāsudeva) administers multiple realms, showing transcendence over worlds while engaging immanently in their protection.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Vasudeva

Characters & Entities

• Earth (Kṣiti/Pṛthivī)
• Amaraloka (realm of the devas)
• Devas (immortals)

FAQs

What is the significance of the ‘Earth’s burden (kṣitibhāra)’ theme in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse uses the kṣitibhāra motif to signal a turning point where cosmic imbalance is actively corrected, linking historical events to a dharma-restoring divine plan.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the unfolding of such cosmic interventions?

Within the Parāśara–Maitreya dialogue, events in dynastic history are presented as instruments of a larger providence—where the devas’ realm and the Earth are both protected through ordered, purposeful action.

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

Even when not named in the verse, the narrative logic of the Vishnu Purana frames such protection of worlds as ultimately grounded in Vishnu’s supreme sovereignty, through whom dharma is upheld across realms.