Shloka 33

अर्जुनस्य अन्त्येष्टि, द्वारकाप्लावनम्, कलिप्रवेशः, कालोपदेशः

Devanagari script

ममार्जुनत्वं भीमस्य भीमत्वं तत् कृतं ध्रुवम् विना तेन यद् आभीरैर् जितो ऽहं कथम् अन्यथा

Transliteration

mamārjunatvaṃ bhīmasya bhīmatvaṃ tat kṛtaṃ dhruvam vinā tena yad ābhīrair jito 'haṃ katham anyathā

Translation

Surely it was he who made me possess the prowess of Arjuna, and who made Bhīma truly Bhīma. For without him, how could I have been defeated by the Ābhīras—how could it have been otherwise?

Word by Word

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, एकवचन (genitive singular)

• अर्जुनत्वम्: Arjuna-ness; being Arjuna
• अर्जुनत्वम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्जुनत्व (प्रातिपदिक; अर्जुन + त्व)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter nom/acc sg)

• भीमस्य: of Bhima
• भीमस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन (genitive singular)

• भीमत्वम्: Bhima-ness; being Bhima
• भीमत्वम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीमत्व (प्रातिपदिक; भीम + त्व)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter nom/acc sg)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karta/Apposition (कर्ता/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter nom/acc sg)

• कृतम्: made; effected
• कृतम्: Kriya-bhava/Predicate (क्रियाभाव/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √कृ (धातु) + कृत (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि (past passive participle)

• ध्रुवम्: certain; surely
• ध्रुवम्: Visheshana/Avadharana (विशेषण/अवधारण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ध्रुव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण/क्रियाविशेषणवत् (neuter nom/acc sg; ‘certainly’)

• विना: without
• विना: Nishedha-sambandha (वियोग/अभाव)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विना (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपपद-निपात (preposition) ‘without’

• तेन: by him/with him
• तेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन (instrumental singular)

• यत्: since; that
• यत्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय-प्रयोग; सम्बन्धबोधक (relative particle: since/that)

• आभीरैः: by the Abhiras (cowherds)
• आभीरैः: Kartr-karana (कर्ता/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आभीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन (instrumental plural)

• जितः: defeated
• जितः: Kriya-bhava/Predicate (क्रियाभाव/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √जि (धातु) + जित (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि (past passive participle; masc nom sg)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा, एकवचन (nominative singular)

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Prashna (प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नार्थक क्रियाविशेषण (interrogative adverb)

• अन्यथा: otherwise
• अन्यथा: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: otherwise)

Speaker

A king/warrior figure within the genealogical narrative (recounted by Sage Parāśara to Maitreya)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Kṛṣṇa is the true source of the heroes’ heroism; without him even great warriors can fall to ordinary foes.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Offer abilities to the Lord as service; avoid pride in competence and treat success as entrusted stewardship.

Vishishtadvaita: Affirms the jīva’s derivative power (paratantratā) and Bhagavān as the enabling inner ruler of capacities, consistent with śeṣa-śeṣi relation.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Krishna

Bhakti Type: Dasya

Characters & Entities

• Arjuna
• Bhima
• Abhiras

FAQs

What is the significance of defeat by the Ābhīras in the Vishnu Purana?

It functions as a narrative marker of reversed fortune: even a powerful ruler can be overcome when higher support (daiva) is absent, reinforcing sovereignty as contingent rather than absolute.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the relationship between human prowess and higher order in such passages?

Through genealogical episodes, Parāśara shows that fame, strength, and victory operate under a larger moral-cosmic governance; qualities that seem personal are portrayed as enabled (or withdrawn) by forces beyond the individual.

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

Even when Vishnu is not named in the verse, the Purāṇic worldview presumes a supreme ordering reality: worldly power is subordinate to the sustaining and regulating principle associated with Vishnu’s sovereignty.