Shloka 59

अर्जुनस्य अन्त्येष्टि, द्वारकाप्लावनम्, कलिप्रवेशः, कालोपदेशः

Devanagari script

भाराक्रान्ता धरा याता देवानां समितिं पुरा तदर्थम् अवतीर्णो ऽसौ कालरूपी जनार्दनः

Transliteration

bhārākrāntā dharā yātā devānāṃ samitiṃ purā tadartham avatīrṇo 'sau kālarūpī janārdanaḥ

Translation

Long ago, when the Earth, crushed beneath her burden, went to the assembly of the gods, for that very purpose Janārdana descended—the Lord who assumes the form of Time itself.

Word by Word

• भाराक्रान्ता: oppressed by the burden
• भाराक्रान्ता: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भार + आक्रान्त (प्रातिपदिक); आक्रान्त = आ + क्रम् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (भारेण आक्रान्ता); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (of 'dharā')

• धरा: the earth
• धरा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धरा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• याता: went/approached
• याता: Kriya-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicative/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: या (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेष-भाव (predicate with implied 'abhavat/gatā')

• देवानाम्: of the gods
• देवानाम्: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन

• समितिम्: assembly, council
• समितिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समिति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: formerly)

• तदर्थम्: for that purpose
• तदर्थम्: Hetu/Purpose (Prayojana/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (तस्य अर्थम् = for that purpose); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अवतीर्णः: descended
• अवतीर्णः: Kriya-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicative/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अव + तॄ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• असौ: that (one), he
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; निर्देश-सर्वनाम (demonstrative)

• कालरूपी: having the form of Time
• कालरूपी: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काल + रूपिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (कालरूपः यस्य/कालरूपः इव); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (of 'janārdanaḥ/asau')

• जनार्दनः: Janārdana (Vishnu)
• जनार्दनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जनार्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Cosmological Context

Creation Stage: Manvantara

Manvantara: Vaivasvata

Cosmic Hierarchy: Lokas

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: He descended as Janārdana, assuming the form of Time, to remove the Earth’s oppressive burden and restore cosmic-social order.

Leela: Loka-rakshana

Dharma Restored: Re-establishment of dharma through rightful governance and the checking of tyrannical power

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The Lord’s avatāra-work operates through Kāla—divine time—by which He rectifies the world when dharma is crushed.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: When faced with systemic injustice, act dharmically with patience and courage, trusting that time and divine order support restoration.

Vishishtadvaita: Identifying Janārdana with Kāla integrates transcendence and immanence: time is not blind fate but a personal divine modality.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Hari

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Lakshmi Presence: Bhumi

Jagat Karana: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Dharā (Earth)
• Devas (gods)
• Janārdana (Vishnu)
• Kāla (Time)

FAQs

What is the significance of the Earth going to the assembly of the gods in the Vishnu Purana?

It signals a cosmic crisis: when adharma becomes unbearably heavy, Dhara appeals to the devas, triggering divine intervention to re-balance the world.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the Lord’s descent here?

Parāśara frames the avatāra as purposive—undertaken specifically to remove the Earth’s burden—showing incarnation as a deliberate act of cosmic governance.

What is the theological importance of calling Vishnu “kālarūpī” (having the form of Time)?

It presents Vishnu as the Supreme Reality who governs change itself—Time becomes His mode of action for dissolving oppressive power and restoring dharma.