Shloka 47

Śakaṭa-bhañjana, Naming by Garga, Dāmodara and Yamala-arjuna, and the Move to Vṛndāvana

Devanagari script

पर्णशय्यासु संसुप्तौ क्वचिन् निद्रान्तरैषिणौ क्वचिद् गर्जति जीमूते हाहाकाररवादृतौ

Transliteration

parṇaśayyāsu saṃsuptau kvacin nidrāntaraiṣiṇau kvacid garjati jīmūte hāhākāraravādṛtau

Translation

They lay asleep upon beds of leaves; at times they would startle, seeking another snatch of sleep. At times the clouds thundered, and they were shaken awake by the clamour of cries—“hā hā!”—rising all around.

Word by Word

• पर्ण-शय्यासु: on beds of leaves
• पर्ण-शय्यासु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + शय्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (पर्णैः कृताः शय्याः) (fem. locative plural)

• संसुप्तौ: fast asleep
• संसुप्तौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + स्वप् (धातु) → संसुप्त (कृदन्त-भूतकृदन्त/क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle; 'having slept')

• क्वचित्: sometimes
• क्वचित्: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्वचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कदाचित् (indeclinable adverb)

• निद्रा-अन्तर-ऐषिणौ: seeking intervals of sleep
• निद्रा-अन्तर-ऐषिणौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निद्रा (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक) + एषिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (निद्रायाः अन्तरम्) + तत्पुरुषः (अन्तर-ऐषिन् = अन्तरं एषते/इच्छति) (masc. nominative dual)

• क्वचित्: sometimes
• क्वचित्: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्वचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कदाचित् (indeclinable adverb)

• गर्जति: roars
• गर्जति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गर्ज् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम् (3rd person singular, present)

• जीमूते: in the cloud
• जीमूते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जीमूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन (locative singular)

• हाहाकार-रव-आदृतौ: disturbed by the sound of cries
• हाहाकार-रव-आदृतौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हाहाकार (प्रातिपदिक) + रव (प्रातिपदिक) + आदृत (कृदन्त-क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (हाहाकारस्य रवः) + तत्पुरुषः (रव-आदृत = रवेन आदृत/आकृष्ट) (masc. nominative dual; 'startled/affected by the cry-sound')

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: Krishna descends to share humanlike intimacy with his companions, making divine accessibility tangible through simple forest life.

Leela: Bala

Dharma Restored: Sanctification of ordinary life—sleep, waking, and vulnerability—into a venue for bhakti and trust.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Krishna

Bhakti Type: Sakhya

FAQs

What is the significance of fear and sleeplessness in this Pralaya description in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse portrays the psychological collapse of ordinary security—rest becomes fractured and even nature’s sounds (thundering clouds) trigger panic—signaling the unraveling of worldly order as dissolution approaches.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the lived experience of Pralaya for beings?

Parāśara describes Pralaya not only as a cosmic event but as a human experience: poverty of shelter (leaf-beds), broken sleep, and communal wailing, emphasizing impermanence and the urgency of spiritual refuge.

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

Against the instability and terror of dissolution, Vishnu stands as the sovereign ground of reality—the stable refuge beyond changing cycles—toward whom detachment and devotion are implicitly directed.