Shloka 1

अर्जुनस्य अन्त्येष्टि, द्वारकाप्लावनम्, कलिप्रवेशः, कालोपदेशः

Devanagari script

अर्जुनो ऽपि तदान्विष्य कृष्णरामकलेवरे संस्कारं लम्भयाम् आस तथान्येषाम् अनुक्रमात्

Transliteration

arjuno 'pi tadānviṣya kṛṣṇarāmakalevare saṃskāraṃ lambhayām āsa tathānyeṣām anukramāt

Translation

Then Arjuna too went in search and duly arranged the final rites for the bodies of Śrī Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma; thereafter, in proper order, he performed the rites for the others as well.

Word by Word

• अर्जुनः: Arjuna
• अर्जुनः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्जुन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), समुच्चय/अपि-अर्थे (also/even)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• अन्विष्य: having searched for
• अन्विष्य: Kriya (क्रिया/पूर्वकर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनु-√इष् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having sought/after searching)

• कृष्णरामकलेवरे: in the bodies of Krishna and Rama
• कृष्णरामकलेवरे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + राम (प्रातिपदिक) + कलेवर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), द्विवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (कृष्णस्य च रामस्य च कलेवरे = in the bodies of Krishna and Rama)

• संस्कारम्: funeral rite/last rites
• संस्कारम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संस्कार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• लम्भयाम्: caused to be performed/arranged
• लम्भयाम्: Kriya (क्रिया/Main verb component)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √लभ् (धातु)
• Form: णिच्-प्रयोजक (causative), विधिलिङ्/आशीर्लिङ्-रूप (optative/jussive sense), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; (he caused to be obtained/arranged)

• आस: did/was (auxiliary)
• आस: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; सहायक-क्रिया (periphrastic perfect with लम्भयाम्)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (manner adverb: thus/likewise)

• अन्येषाम्: of the others
• अन्येषाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• अनुक्रमात्: in due order/one after another
• अनुक्रमात्: Hetu (हेतु/Cause-Manner)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनुक्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; हेतौ/क्रमेण (in due order/according to sequence)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: After the Lord’s manifest departure, the dharmic closure of the līlā is maintained through proper saṃskāras performed by his devotee.

Leela: Loka-rakshana

Dharma Restored: Upholding dharma through prescribed funeral rites and orderly transition after the avatāra’s withdrawal.

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Even amidst divine departure and grief, dharma is preserved by performing the appropriate saṃskāras in proper order.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: In times of loss, anchor oneself in duty, ritual propriety, and remembrance rather than disorder or despair.

Vishishtadvaita: Devotional service (kainkarya) continues even when the Lord is no longer visibly present; the devotee acts as instrument of the Lord’s will.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Krishna

Bhakti Type: Dasya

Characters & Entities

• Arjuna
• Krishna
• Balarama (Rama)

FAQs

What is the significance of performing saṃskāra (last rites) in this Vishnu Purana verse?

It highlights dharma and social-cosmic order: even after world-shaping events, proper rites are performed to uphold sacred duty and restore stability.

How does Sage Parāśara frame Arjuna’s role in the aftermath of Krishna’s departure?

Parāśara presents Arjuna as the responsible agent who searches, confirms what has occurred, and then ensures the prescribed rites are completed in due sequence.

What is the theological importance of Krishna being referred to with a “body” (kalevara) here?

The verse implies the avatāra’s embodied form is part of līlā; Vishnu’s supreme nature transcends the body, while dharma is maintained within the world through ritual propriety.