Shloka 19

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

Devanagari script

मुखं बाहू प्रबाहू च मनः सर्वेन्द्रियाणि च रक्षत्व् अव्याहतैश्वर्यस् तव नारायणो ऽव्ययः

Transliteration

mukhaṃ bāhū prabāhū ca manaḥ sarvendriyāṇi ca rakṣatv avyāhataiśvaryas tava nārāyaṇo 'vyayaḥ

Translation

May Nārāyaṇa—imperishable, whose sovereignty is never obstructed—protect your face, your arms and forearms, your mind, and all your senses.

Word by Word

• मुखम्: face, mouth
• मुखम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case), एकवचन

• बाहू: (two) arms
• बाहू: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case), द्विवचन

• प्रबाहू: forearms/extended arms
• प्रबाहू: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रबाहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case), द्विवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• मनः: mind
• मनः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case), एकवचन

• सर्वेन्द्रियाणि: all the senses
• सर्वेन्द्रियाणि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + इन्द्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case), बहुवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (सर्वाणि इन्द्रियाणि)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• रक्षतु: may (he) protect
• रक्षतु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: रक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (imperative/benedictive sense), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• अव्याहतैश्वर्यः: whose sovereignty is unobstructed
• अव्याहतैश्वर्यः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अव्याहत + ऐश्वर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (अव्याहतम् ऐश्वर्यम् यस्य सः)

• तव: of you/your
• तव: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th case/genitive), एकवचन

• नारायणः: Nārāyaṇa
• नारायणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

• अव्ययः: imperishable
• अव्ययः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अव्यय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (in instructional narration to Maitreya; a protective invocation addressed to the devotee/listener)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Kṛṣṇa’s early protection in Vraja and the rites/prayers performed for His safety.

Teaching: Devotional

Quality: protective, mantra-like

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: He descends as Kṛṣṇa to protect devotees and destroy demonic forces that threaten dharma, while revealing His supreme lordship through intimate līlā.

Leela: Loka-rakshana

Dharma Restored: Personal and communal protection (rakṣā) through remembrance of Nārāyaṇa as sovereign refuge.

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Remembering and invoking the imperishable Nārāyaṇa as unfailing protector sanctifies the body-mind-senses and dispels fear.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Use a daily rakṣā-prārthanā (protective prayer) before travel, sleep, or sādhana, consciously offering senses and mind to Hari.

Vishishtadvaita: The Lord’s aiśvarya actively safeguards the devotee’s embodied faculties, showing intimate immanence without diminishing transcendence.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Narayana

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Characters & Entities

• Narayana

FAQs

What is the significance of unobstructed sovereignty (avyāhata-aiśvarya) in the Vishnu Purana?

It asserts Vishnu/Nārāyaṇa as the supreme ruler whose power is never impeded by time, karma, or cosmic cycles—grounding protection and order in an absolute, unchallenged divinity.

How does Sage Parāśara explain protection of the mind and senses in this context?

By framing Nārāyaṇa as the direct guardian of the devotee’s faculties—face, limbs, mind, and indriyas—Parāśara links spiritual safety and self-mastery to continual reliance on the Supreme.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu here?

Vishnu is presented as Nārāyaṇa, the imperishable Supreme Reality whose limitless lordship can actively preserve the devotee’s inner and outer instruments—supporting a personal, protective Supreme consistent with later Vishishtadvaita and Dvaita readings.