Shloka 6

Devanagari script

किं न दृष्टो ऽमरपतिर् मया संयुगम् एत्य सः पृष्ठेनैव वहन् बाणान् अपागच्छन् न वक्षसा

Transliteration

kiṃ na dṛṣṭo 'marapatir mayā saṃyugam etya saḥ pṛṣṭhenaiva vahan bāṇān apāgacchan na vakṣasā

Translation

Why did I not behold the Lord of the immortals when he came onto the battlefield? He withdrew bearing the arrows upon his back—retreating not with his chest facing me, but turned away.

Word by Word

• किम्: why? / what?
• किम्: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक सर्वनाम (interrogative pronoun)

• न: not
• न: Nishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negative particle)

• दृष्टः: seen
• दृष्टः: Karma-bhuta (Predicate participle/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + त (क्त, क्तप्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• अमरपतिः: lord of the immortals (Indra)
• अमरपतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमर (प्रातिपदिक) + पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (अमराणां पतिः); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; त्रितीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• संयुगम्: battle
• संयुगम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संयुग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• एत्य: having come
• एत्य: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial to main action/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: इ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund) ‘एत्य’ = ‘आगत्य’; अव्ययभाव

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• पृष्ठेन: with (his) back
• पृष्ठेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• एव: indeed / only
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• वहन्: carrying
• वहन्: Karta (Agent participle/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वह् (धातु) + शतृ (प्रत्यय)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (present active participle); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• बाणान्: arrows
• बाणान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• अपागच्छन्: going away / retreating
• अपागच्छन्: Karta (Agent participle/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अप + आ + गम् (धातु) + शतृ (प्रत्यय)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Nishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negative particle)

• वक्षसा: with (his) chest/front
• वक्षसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वक्षस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

Speaker

A warrior-king/hero within the royal narrative (reported by Sage Parāśara to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Krishna’s royal conflicts and the pride of opposing kings

Teaching: Historical

Quality: authoritative

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: Krishna orchestrates the humbling of arrogant rulers and re-establishes dharma by subduing adharma-aligned powers through strategic conflict.

Leela: Yuddha

Dharma Restored: Kshatriya order aligned to dharma; curbing hubris and violence that oppress the world

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Krishna

Characters & Entities

• Indra (Amarapati)

FAQs

What is the significance of Indra (Amarapati) being mentioned in this Vishnu Purana verse?

It signals celestial involvement in human conflicts and frames royal history within a cosmic hierarchy where even the gods participate in maintaining order.

How does Sage Parāśara explain valor and honor in dynastic narratives?

Through brief, vivid battle lines like this, he presents kshatriya ideals—courage, facing the enemy, and the shame implied by turning away—within the broader moral flow of lineage history.

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

Even when Vishnu is not named in the verse, the Purana’s dynastic history is ultimately situated under Vishnu’s supreme governance, where gods like Indra act within the higher sovereignty of the Preserver.