Shloka 15

Vasudeva Meets Nanda; Pūtanā’s Fall; Viṣṇu-Rakṣā (Protective Hymn) in Gokula

Devanagari script

येन दंष्ट्राग्रविधृता धारयत्य् अवनी जगत् वराहरूपधृग् देवः स त्वां रक्षतु केशवः

Transliteration

yena daṃṣṭrāgravidhṛtā dhārayaty avanī jagat varāharūpadhṛg devaḥ sa tvāṃ rakṣatu keśavaḥ

Translation

May Keśava protect you—the divine Lord who assumed the Boar form and, with the tip of His tusk, lifted up the Earth and restored the order of the cosmos.

Word by Word

• येन: by whom
• येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: सर्वनाम, तृतीया (Instrumental/करण), एकवचन (singular)

• दंष्ट्रा-अग्र-विधृता: held on the tip of the tusk
• दंष्ट्रा-अग्र-विधृता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दंष्ट्रा (प्रातिपदिक) + अग्र (प्रातिपदिक) + विधृत (कृदन्त; वि+√धृ)
• Form: समासः (तत्पुरुष; दंष्ट्रायाः अग्रे विधृता), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन (singular)

• धारयति: holds, supports
• धारयति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: धृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular)

• अवनी: the earth
• अवनी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अवनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative/कर्ता), एकवचन (singular)

• जगत्: the world
• जगत्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन (singular)

• वराह-रूप-धृक्: bearing the form of a boar
• वराह-रूप-धृक्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वराह (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक) + धृक् (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; √धृ, धृक् = धारकः)
• Form: समासः (तत्पुरुष; वराहस्य रूपं धत्ते इति), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन (singular)

• देवः: the god
• देवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative/कर्ता), एकवचन (singular)

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

• त्वाम्: you
• त्वाम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: सर्वनाम, द्वितीया (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन (singular)

• रक्षतु: may (he) protect
• रक्षतु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: रक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative/आज्ञार्थ), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular)

• केशवः: Keshava (Vishnu)
• केशवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केशव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative/कर्ता), एकवचन (singular)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (in instruction to Maitreya; protective eulogy within the narration)

Avatara Context

Avatara: Varaha

Purpose: He descended as Varāha to lift the Earth from the depths and re-establish cosmic stability after its submergence.

Leela: Loka-rakshana (world-protection)

Dharma Restored: Restoration of the Earth’s place and the stability of the worlds (loka-dhāraṇa)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The Lord’s avatāra power is a protective refuge that restores order when the world is imperiled.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: In crisis, cultivate trust in divine guardianship and align action with dharma rather than panic.

Vishishtadvaita: The transcendent Lord enters the world-history as avatāra to uphold the cosmos, showing immanence without loss of supremacy.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Hari (name)

Bhakti Type: Dasya (servant)

Lakshmi Presence: Bhumi (earth)

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Varaha (Boar Avatar)
• Earth (Avani/Bhumi)

FAQs

What is the significance of the Varaha avatar in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse presents Varāha as the divine act of cosmic rescue: Viṣṇu lifts and stabilizes the Earth, symbolizing the restoration of universal order when it is threatened.

How does Sage Parashara explain divine protection in this context?

Protection is framed as remembrance of Viṣṇu’s avatāra-power: the same Lord who physically upholds the Earth is invoked to uphold the devotee, linking cosmic preservation to personal refuge.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu here?

Viṣṇu (Keśava) is depicted as the Supreme Sovereign who sustains the world itself; His avatāra is not merely mythic, but a revelation of His supreme, order-establishing reality.