Shloka 37

प्रह्लादचरितम् (हिरण्यकशिपोः स्वर्गापहरणं, प्रह्लादस्य विष्णुभक्तिः, उपदेशः)

Devanagari script

भो भोः सर्पाः दुराचारम् एनम् अत्यन्तदुर्मतिम् विषज्वालाविलैर् वक्त्रैः सद्यो नयत संक्षयम्

Transliteration

bho bhoḥ sarpāḥ durācāram enam atyantadurmatim viṣajvālāvilair vaktraiḥ sadyo nayata saṃkṣayam

Translation

Hé ! Hé, vous les serpents, cet homme a une conduite inique et un esprit totalement pervers. Avec vos gueules flamboyantes de venin, menez-le sur-le-champ à la destruction.

Word by Word

• भो: O!
• भो: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भो (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बोधन-निपात (vocative particle)

• भोः: O!
• भोः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भोः (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बोधन-निपात (vocative particle)

• सर्पाः: snakes
• सर्पाः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• दुराचारम्: evil-conducted, wicked
• दुराचारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुराचार (प्रातिपदिक) = दुर् + आचार
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying enam)

• एनम्: this one, him
• एनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2/द्वितीया), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अत्यन्त-दुर्मतिम्: utterly wicked-minded
• अत्यन्त-दुर्मतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अत्यन्त (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + दुर्मति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषण (very evil-minded)

• विष-ज्वाला-विलैः: with mouths having poison-flame hollows (i.e., blazing with venom)
• विष-ज्वाला-विलैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विष (प्रातिपदिक) + ज्वाला (प्रातिपदिक) + विल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3/तृतीया), बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying vaktraiḥ)

• वक्त्रैः: with mouths
• वक्त्रैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वक्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3/तृतीया), बहुवचन

• सद्यः: immediately
• सद्यः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सद्यः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (immediately)

• नयत: lead, take
• नयत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √नी (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• संक्षयम्: to destruction, annihilation
• संक्षयम्: Gati/Karma (Goal as object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संक्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2/द्वितीया), एकवचन; गत्यर्थ-लक्ष्य (to destruction)

Speaker

Narratorial voice within the Ansha 4 royal-episode context (as recounted by Sage Parāśara to Maitreya)

Characters & Entities

• Serpents (Nāgas)

FAQs

What is the significance of serpents (Nāgas) in this Vishnu Purana verse?

They function as agents of punitive justice—executing immediate destruction upon one described as deeply adharmic, reinforcing the Purāṇic theme that cosmic order enforces moral consequence.

How does Sage Parāśara explain moral consequence in such royal-episode narratives?

Through vivid commands and swift outcomes: the text frames adharma (wicked conduct and perverse intent) as inviting rapid retribution, illustrating that kingship and social life remain under dharma’s governance.

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

Even when Vishnu is not named in the verse, the scene reflects Vaishnava Purāṇic theology: the universe is upheld by a sovereign moral order ultimately grounded in Vishnu, with beings and forces acting as instruments of that order.