Shloka 24

प्रलय-त्रिविध-विभागः एवं प्राकृतप्रलय-वर्णनम्

Devanagari script

ततः कालाग्निरुद्रो ऽसौ भूत्वा सर्वहरो हरिः शेषाहिश्वाससंभूतः पातालानि दहत्य् अधः

Transliteration

tataḥ kālāgnirudro 'sau bhūtvā sarvaharo hariḥ śeṣāhiśvāsasaṃbhūtaḥ pātālāni dahaty adhaḥ

Translation

Then Hari Himself becomes Kālāgnirudra—the all-consuming power of Time—manifest as the universal taker-away; born from the breath of Śeṣa, He burns the Pātālas from beneath.

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रमसूचक (then)

• कालाग्निरुद्रः: Rudra as the time-fire
• कालाग्निरुद्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल-अग्नि-रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः—कर्मधारयः (कालाग्निरिव रुद्रः / कालाग्निरुद्रः = Rudra as the fire of time); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन

• असौ: that one, he
• असौ: Karta (Apposition/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन

• भूत्वा: having become
• भूत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); अव्ययभावः (having become)

• सर्वहरः: all-destroying, taking away everything
• सर्वहरः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व-हर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः—तत्पुरुषः (सर्वं हरति इति); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन

• हरिः: Hari (Vishnu)
• हरिः: Karta (Apposition/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन

• शेषाहिश्वाससंभूतः: arisen from the breath of the serpent Śeṣa
• शेषाहिश्वाससंभूतः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शेष-अहि-श्वास-सम्भूत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; सम्√भू (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: समासः—तत्पुरुषः (शेषाहेः श्वासः; तस्मात् सम्भूतः = arisen from the breath of Śeṣa-serpent); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन

• पातालानि: the netherworlds
• पातालानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाताल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• दहति: burns
• दहति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दह् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• अधः: below
• अधः: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अधः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; स्थानवाचक (below)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Identity of the consuming fire and its divine source during pralaya

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: revealing

Cosmological Context

Cosmic Hierarchy: Lokas

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Hari Himself becomes Kālāgnirudra—the time-fire that takes all away—and, arising from Śeṣa’s breath, burns the nether regions from below.

Vedantic Theme: Brahman

Application: Reflect on Time (kāla) as a divine function; let this inspire urgency in sādhana and steadiness in adversity.

Vishishtadvaita: The verse identifies the destructive agency (kālāgni-rudra) with Hari, supporting Vishishtadvaita’s view that all powers—including Rudra-functions—are modes of the one Supreme.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Hari

Jagat Karana: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu (Hari)
• Rudra (Kālāgnirudra)
• Shesha (Ananta)
• Patala (nether regions)

FAQs

What is the significance of Kālāgnirudra in the Vishnu Purana?

Kālāgnirudra represents the eschatological “Fire of Time” that consumes the worlds during Pralaya, expressing the inevitable withdrawal of manifested cosmos back into its source under divine sovereignty.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the role of Śeṣa in dissolution?

Parāśara describes the destructive fire as arising from the breath of Śeṣa, showing that even the mechanisms of dissolution operate within the cosmic order upheld by Vishnu and His cosmic supports.

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

The verse identifies Hari as the ultimate agent who can assume the Rudra-function to dissolve creation, underscoring Vishnu’s supremacy as the controller of both emanation and reabsorption of the universe.