Vishnu Purana — Amsha 5 - Krishna Avatara, Shloka 2

अक्रूरस्य गोकुलगमनम्—दर्शन-लालसा, अंशावतार-बोधः, विष्णु-स्तुतिः

Devanagari script

चिन्तयाम् आस चाक्रूरो नास्ति धन्यतरो मया यो ऽहम् अंशावतीर्णस्य मुखं द्रक्ष्यामि चक्रिणः

Transliteration

cintayām āsa cākrūro nāsti dhanyataro mayā yo 'ham aṃśāvatīrṇasya mukhaṃ drakṣyāmi cakriṇaḥ

Translation

Akrūra songea : «Nul n’est plus fortuné que moi, car je verrai le visage du Seigneur porteur du disque, descendu en ce monde comme manifestation partielle de Sa divinité».

Word by Word

• चिन्तयाम्: (he) thought / reflected
• चिन्तयाम्: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चिन्तय् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect) परिप्रयोगे/परस्मैपद-रूपम्; प्रथमपुरुष-एकवचनार्थे ‘चिन्तयाम्’ (I thought) — ‘आस’ सह परिप्रयोगः (periphrastic perfect)

• आस: was (auxiliary in periphrastic perfect)
• आस: Kriya (Auxiliary/सहायक-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद; सहायक-क्रिया (auxiliary)

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

• अक्रूरः: Akrura
• अक्रूरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अक्रूर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• अस्ति: is
• अस्ति: Kriya (Copula/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• धन्यतरः: more fortunate
• धन्यतरः: Karta-predicative (Predicate adjective/विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धन्यतर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तर्तीय-तुलनात्मक (comparative)

• मया: than me / by me
• मया: Upamana/Comparison term (उपमान/तुलना)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/सर्वनाम, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन; तुलना-प्रयोगे (than me)

• यः: who
• यः: Sambandha (Relative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक (relative pronoun)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अंशावतीर्णस्य: of (him) who has descended as a portion (incarnation)
• अंशावतीर्णस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अंश-अवतीर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th case), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier) चक्रिणः

• मुखम्: face
• मुखम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• द्रक्ष्यामि: I shall see
• द्रक्ष्यामि: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• चक्रिणः: of the discus-bearer (Vishnu/Krishna)
• चक्रिणः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चक्रिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (Sage Parāśara) describing Akrūra’s inner thoughts to Maitreya

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: To manifest as the Lord’s aṃśa-avatāra and enact līlā that protects devotees and removes adharma centered in Kaṃsa’s regime.

Leela: Moksha-dana

Dharma Restored: Assurance of divine accessibility (darśana) and the safeguarding of devotees

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Darśana of the Lord, even in His aṃśa-avatāra, is the highest fortune and the culmination of human aspiration.

Vedantic Theme: Moksha

Application: Cultivate daily remembrance and seek satsanga/temple darśana with the attitude that divine encounter is grace, not entitlement.

Vishishtadvaita: The transcendent Lord freely becomes accessible through avatāra without losing divinity, enabling personal relationship (bhakti) as a means to liberation.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Hari

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Characters & Entities

• Akrura
• Vishnu
• Krishna
• Chakrin (Discus-bearer)

FAQs

What is the significance of Akrura calling himself the most fortunate in the Vishnu Purana?

Because his “fortune” is defined as direct darśana—beholding the Lord’s face—presenting bhakti and divine encounter as the highest blessing.

How does Sage Parashara explain the concept of aṃśāvatāra here?

Through the narration of Akrura’s thought: the Lord who is ultimately the Chakrin (Vishnu) is present on earth as an “aṃśa” manifestation, emphasizing transcendence alongside immanence.

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

Even when approached as Krishna in the narrative, He is identified by the Vishnu-mark (the discus), underscoring Vishnu’s supreme sovereignty and the avatara as a revelation of the Highest Reality.