Shloka 7

अर्जुनस्य अन्त्येष्टि, द्वारकाप्लावनम्, कलिप्रवेशः, कालोपदेशः

Devanagari script

सभा सुधर्मा कृष्णेन मर्त्यलोके समुज्झिते स्वर्गं जगाम मैत्रेय पारिजातश् च पादपः

Transliteration

sabhā sudharmā kṛṣṇena martyaloke samujjhite svargaṃ jagāma maitreya pārijātaś ca pādapaḥ

Translation

O Maitreya, when Śrī Kṛṣṇa withdrew His presence from the mortal world, the celestial hall Sudharmā returned to heaven—and with it the pārijāta tree as well.

Word by Word

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

• सुधर्मा: Sudharmā (name of the hall)
• सुधर्मा: Apposition (विशेष्य-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुधर्मा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सभाया नाम

• कृष्णेन: by Kṛṣṇa
• कृष्णेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• मर्त्यलोके: in the mortal world
• मर्त्यलोके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्त्य-लोक (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-सम्भाव्य; सामान्यतः ‘मर्त्यानां लोकः’, पुल्लिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• समुज्झिते: having been abandoned/left behind
• समुज्झिते: Locative absolute (सप्तमी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-उद्-हā/झा? (धातु) → समुज्झित (कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘(मर्त्यलोके) समुज्झिते’ = ‘when it had been abandoned’

• स्वर्गम्: to heaven
• स्वर्गम्: Gati/Karma (Goal as object/गति-कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• जगाम: went
• जगाम: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• मैत्रेय: O Maitreya
• मैत्रेय: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मैत्रेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• पारिजातः: the Pārijāta tree
• पारिजातः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पारिजात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• पादपः: tree
• पादपः: Apposition (विशेष्य-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पादप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; पारिजातस्य विशेषण/पर्याय

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Teaching: Historical

Quality: authoritative

Cosmological Context

Manvantara: Vaivasvata

Cosmic Hierarchy: Lokas

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: Kṛṣṇa descended to relieve the earth of oppressive forces and to reveal bhakti through His manifest līlā, then withdrew His divine accompaniments back to their celestial abodes.

Leela: Loka-rakshana

Dharma Restored: Re-centering devotion and righteous order; withdrawal marks closure of avatāra-līlā

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Divine manifestations and their attendant celestial objects appear in the world for līlā and then revert to their proper loka when the avatāra withdraws.

Vedantic Theme: Maya

Application: Treat sacred experiences and prosperity as entrusted, not possessed; practice non-clinging while maintaining devotion.

Vishishtadvaita: Bhagavān freely manifests with real, purposeful accompaniments in the world—immanence without loss of transcendence.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Hari

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Characters & Entities

• Krishna
• Maitreya
• Sudharmā sabhā
• Pārijāta tree
• Svarga (Heaven)

FAQs

What is the significance of Sudharmā sabhā in the Vishnu Purana?

Sudharmā is a celestial hall; this verse marks that it remained on Earth only while Krishna’s līlā endured, and returned to heaven once His earthly presence ended.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the return of celestial objects after Krishna’s departure?

He presents it as a restoration of cosmic placement: divine, heaven-born treasures (like Sudharmā and the pārijāta) accompany the Lord’s manifestation and then withdraw to Svarga when that manifestation concludes.

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

Krishna’s departure functions as a cosmic turning point: the world is shown as dependent on the Lord’s sovereign presence, and even heavenly splendors follow His will and timing.