Shloka 16
नरकासुरवधः, अदीतिकुण्डल-प्रत्यर्पणम्, तथा भारावतरण-लीला
प्राग्ज्योतिषपुरस्यासीत् समन्ताच् छतयोजनम् आचिता मौरवैः पाशैः क्षुरान्तैर् भूर् द्विजोत्तम
prāgjyotiṣapurasyāsīt samantāc chatayojanam ācitā mauravaiḥ pāśaiḥ kṣurāntair bhūr dvijottama
Ô meilleur des deux-fois-nés, la terre tout autour de la cité de Prāgjyotiṣa s’étendait sur cent yojanas en chaque direction; et elle était densément garnie de lacs Māurava—comme enserrée—aux pointes tranchantes comme des rasoirs, un piège terrible protégeant cette forteresse.
Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)
FAQs
Prāgjyotiṣa is portrayed as a formidable royal stronghold, emphasizing how oppressive power can be fortified by fearsome defenses—yet remains ultimately subject to the higher cosmic sovereignty upheld through Vishnu’s order.
He describes a vast surrounding region (a hundred yojanas) densely set with razor-ended nooses (pāśas), highlighting the city’s near-impenetrability within the narrative of kings and conflicts.
Even when Vishnu is not named in the verse, the Purana’s frame implies that all worldly fortresses and coercive power operate within—and are finally overcome by—the supreme governance of the Divine, with Vishnu as the ultimate ground of order.