Shloka 58

अर्जुनस्य अन्त्येष्टि, द्वारकाप्लावनम्, कलिप्रवेशः, कालोपदेशः

Devanagari script

यच् चात्थ कृष्णमाहात्म्यं तत् तथैव धनंजय भारावतारकार्यार्थम् अवतीर्णः स मेदिनीम्

Transliteration

yac cāttha kṛṣṇamāhātmyaṃ tat tathaiva dhanaṃjaya bhārāvatārakāryārtham avatīrṇaḥ sa medinīm

Translation

Whatever you have spoken of the greatness of Krishna is indeed so, O Dhanañjaya. To accomplish the work of lightening the Earth’s burden, He descended upon this world.

Word by Word

• यत्: that which
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-सर्वनाम (relative)

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

• अत्थ: you said/spoke
• अत्थ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्थ्/अह् (धातु) (ब्रू-अर्थे; वैदिक/पुराण-प्रयोग)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; 'त्वम्' (you) understood

• कृष्णमाहात्म्यम्: the greatness of Krishna
• कृष्णमाहात्म्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण + माहात्म्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (कृष्णस्य माहात्म्यम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तद्-सम्बन्ध (correlative)

• तथा: thus
• तथा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकार-बोधक-अव्यय (adverb: thus)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/अवधारण-अव्यय (particle of emphasis)

• धनंजय: O Dhanañjaya (Arjuna)
• धनंजय: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनंजय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• भारावतारकार्यार्थम्: for the purpose of the task of relieving the burden (of earth)
• भारावतारकार्यार्थम्: Hetu/Purpose (Prayojana/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भार + अवतार + कार्य + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुपद-तत्पुरुष-समास (भारस्य अवतारः—तस्य कार्यम्—तस्य अर्थः); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अवतीर्णः: descended, incarnated
• अवतीर्णः: Kriya-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicative/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अव + तॄ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगे (as predicate of 'sa')

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मेदिनीम्: the earth
• मेदिनीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मेदिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: He descended to lighten the Earth’s burden by removing oppressive forces and re-establishing dharmic rule.

Leela: Loka-rakshana

Dharma Restored: Restoration of righteous kingship and balance on Earth

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Krishna’s avatāra is purposeful—undertaken for loka-saṅgraha, relieving the Earth’s burden and restoring dharma.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Strengthen trust that divine action works through history; align one’s duties with dharma and protection of the vulnerable.

Vishishtadvaita: The transcendent Lord truly enters history without losing supremacy, acting for the world’s welfare while remaining its inner ground.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Krishna

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Vyuha Form: Vasudeva

Lakshmi Presence: Sri

Jagat Karana: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Krishna
• Arjuna (Dhanañjaya)
• Bhūmi/Medinī (Earth)

FAQs

What is the significance of Krishna’s descent in this verse of the Vishnu Purana?

It states that Krishna descends with a definite cosmic purpose: to accomplish the work of relieving the Earth’s burden, i.e., restoring order by removing oppressive forces.

How does Sage Parāśara frame the idea of avatāra-kārya (the purpose of incarnation)?

Parāśara presents the avatāra as intentional and task-oriented—God’s descent is not ordinary birth, but a sovereign act undertaken to fulfill a world-restoring mission.

What is the theological importance of Vishnu/Krishna here?

Krishna is affirmed as divinely authoritative: His ‘Mahātmya’ is true because He acts as the Supreme Lord who intervenes to uphold dharma and protect the cosmic balance.