Shloka 10

Devanagari script

तथापि खलु दुष्टानां तेषाम् अभ्यधिकं मया अपकाराय दैत्येन्द्रा यतनीयं दुरात्मनाम्

Transliteration

tathāpi khalu duṣṭānāṃ teṣām abhyadhikaṃ mayā apakārāya daityendrā yatanīyaṃ durātmanām

Translation

Even so, O lords of the Daityas, I must strive all the more to bring about the downfall of those wicked, ill-intentioned beings—for their harm is the very work demanded by the preservation of order.

Word by Word

• तथापि: nevertheless
• तथापि: Sambandha (Concessive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय) + अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययसमूह; विरोध/अनुवादार्थ (nevertheless)

• खलु: indeed
• खलु: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: खलु (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/स्मरणार्थक अव्यय (indeed)

• दुष्टानाम्: of the wicked
• दुष्टानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुष्ट (दुष् धातु + क्त)
• Form: विशेष्यरूपेण प्रयोगः; पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• अभ्यधिकम्: greater / excessive
• अभ्यधिकम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभ्यधिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; तुलनार्थक (superior/excessive)

• मया: by me
• मया: Kartr-karana (Agent in passive/कर्तृ-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• अपकाराय: for harm / to injure
• अपकाराय: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• दैत्येन्द्राः: O lords of the Daityas
• दैत्येन्द्राः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्य (प्रातिपदिक) + इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (दैत्यानाम् इन्द्राः); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; सम्बोधनार्थे प्रयोगः (vocative-sense)

• यतनीयम्: must be striven for / should be undertaken
• यतनीयम्: Vidhi (Obligation predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यत् (धातु) + अनीयर् (प्रत्यय)
• Form: अनीयर्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive/obligatory); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• दुरात्मनाम्: of the evil-souled
• दुरात्मनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुरात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (दुरः आत्मा यस्य); पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

Speaker

Likely a Deva authority figure addressing the Daitya leaders within Parāśara’s narration to Maitreya (exact speaker not specified in the provided excerpt).

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Why the righteous must sometimes intensify effort against entrenched wickedness

Teaching: Ethical

Quality: compassionate

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: Krishna undertakes the necessary destruction of wicked forces so that the world’s dharmic balance and safety are preserved.

Leela: Loka-rakshana

Dharma Restored: Protection of the world through the removal of persistent adharma

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: When adharma becomes entrenched, intensified righteous effort—even punitive action—can be required to preserve order and protect beings.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Confront harmful behavior firmly and proportionately; align action with protection of the vulnerable rather than personal anger.

Vishishtadvaita: The Lord’s protection of the world includes disciplined ‘nigraha’ (restraint/punishment) of the wicked for the welfare of all souls who are modes of His body.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Characters & Entities

• Daityas
• Devas (implied)
• Dharma (implied cosmic order)

FAQs

What is the significance of opposing the wicked in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse frames the restraint of the wicked (duṣṭa/durātman) as necessary effort for preserving dharma and the stability of the world-order.

How does the Vishnu Purana treat the Deva–Daitya conflict philosophically?

It is not merely rivalry; it functions as a narrative expression of cosmic governance where adharma must be checked so that universal order can endure.

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

Even when not named directly, the Purāṇic worldview assumes Vishnu as the supreme sustaining power (the preserver) under whose sovereignty forces of adharma are ultimately restrained.