Shloka 20

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

Devanagari script

शार्ङ्गचक्रगदापाणेः शङ्खनादहताः क्षयम् गच्छन्तु प्रेतकूष्माण्डराक्षसा ये तवाहिताः

Transliteration

śārṅgacakragadāpāṇeḥ śaṅkhanādahatāḥ kṣayam gacchantu pretakūṣmāṇḍarākṣasā ye tavāhitāḥ

Translation

May all pretas, kūṣmāṇḍas, and rākṣasas hostile to you be burned by the conch-blast of Him whose hands bear Śārṅga, the discus, and the mace—and may they hasten to their final ruin.

Word by Word

• शार्ङ्गचक्रगदापाणेः: of him whose hand holds Śārṅga, discus, and mace
• शार्ङ्गचक्रगदापाणेः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शार्ङ्ग + चक्र + गदा + पाणि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th case/genitive), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (शार्ङ्गं च चक्रं च गदा च यस्य पाणौ)

• शङ्खनादहताः: struck down by the sound of the conch
• शङ्खनादहताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शङ्खनाद + हत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त), कर्मणि प्रयोग; तत्पुरुष (शङ्खनादेन हताः)

• क्षयम्: to destruction
• क्षयम्: Gati-Karma (Goal/Object of motion/गत्यर्थकर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case/accusative), एकवचन

• गच्छन्तु: let them go
• गच्छन्तु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (imperative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• प्रेतकूष्माण्डराक्षसाः: ghosts, kūṣmāṇḍas, and rākṣasas
• प्रेतकूष्माण्डराक्षसाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेत + कूष्माण्ड + राक्षस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन; द्वन्द्व-समास (प्रेताः कूष्माण्डाः राक्षसाश्च)

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन (सम्बन्ध-प्रत्यय/relative pronoun)

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

• आहिताः: set against, hostile
• आहिताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ + धा (धातु) → आहित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त), कर्मणि/निष्पन्नार्थ (placed/intent on)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating a protective Vaishnava invocation within the Krishna narrative) to Maitreya

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

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

Teaching: Devotional

Quality: apotropaic, forceful

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: Removal of bhūta-preta affliction and restoration of auspiciousness (svasti) around the Lord’s devotee.

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The Lord armed with śaṅkha-cakra-gadā is the supreme refuge whose very nāda (conch-blast) annihilates hostile, unseen forces.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Cultivate protective remembrance through nāma-japa and visualization of śaṅkha-cakra-gadā during fear, anxiety, or ‘negative influences’.

Vishishtadvaita: Divine weapons and sound (śaṅkha-nāda) function as real, grace-filled powers acting within the world for the devotee’s welfare.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Hari

Bhakti Type: Dasya

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu (as the armed Supreme Protector: Śārṅga, Cakra, Gadā, Śaṅkha)
• Pretas
• Kūṣmāṇḍas
• Rākṣasas

FAQs

What is the significance of the conch-blast (śaṅkhanāda) in the Vishnu Purana?

In this verse, the conch-blast is portrayed as Vishnu’s sovereign command that purifies and drives hostile forces to dissolution, expressing divine protection through sound as cosmic authority.

How does Sage Parāśara explain protection from malevolent beings in this context?

Parāśara frames protection as arising from remembrance and invocation of Vishnu’s armed form—whose very presence and attributes (conch, discus, mace, bow) negate inimical forces and restore order.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu here?

Vishnu is invoked not merely as a deity among others but as the Supreme Protector whose will ends harmful influences—reinforcing Vaishnava doctrine that refuge in Vishnu is the decisive safeguard.