Shloka 45

अर्जुनस्य अन्त्येष्टि, द्वारकाप्लावनम्, कलिप्रवेशः, कालोपदेशः

Devanagari script

अस्त्राणां सायकानां च गाण्डीवस्य तथा मम सारता याभवन् मूर्ता स गतः पुरुषोत्तमः

Transliteration

astrāṇāṃ sāyakānāṃ ca gāṇḍīvasya tathā mama sāratā yābhavan mūrtā sa gataḥ puruṣottamaḥ

Translation

武器と矢の精髄そのものとして身を現し、ガーンディーヴァの生ける妙技となり、さらに我が内なる力ともなった至上の御方——そのプルショーत्तマは去ってしまわれた。

Word by Word

astrāṇāmof the weapons (missiles)

sāyakānāmof the arrows

caand

gāṇḍīvasyaof Gāṇḍīva (bow)

tathāand also

mamaof me, my

sāratāessence, excellence (true nature)

yāwhich

abhavatwas, became

mūrtāembodied, manifest

saḥhe

gataḥhas gone, departed

puruṣottamaḥthe Supreme Person

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya; the line reflects Arjuna’s lament as reported in the narrative)

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: To remove the earth’s burden by destroying adharma-aligned kings and to re-establish dharma through divine guidance.

Leela: Loka-rakshana

Dharma Restored: Kshatriya-dharma ordered under divine will; protection of cosmic and social order through righteous sovereignty

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The Lord is the inner potency behind all excellence—strength, skill, and mastery—and His withdrawal reveals the dependence of all power upon Him.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Attribute successes to the indwelling Lord rather than ego, cultivating humility and steady remembrance when capacities decline.

Vishishtadvaita: Affirms antaryāmin: individual prowess is a mode (prakāra) supported by the Supreme Person, not independent.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Antaryamin: Yes

Characters & Entities

Puruṣottama (Vishnu/Krishna)

Gāṇḍīva

Arjuna

FAQs

What is the significance of Puruṣottama ‘departing’ in the Vishnu Purana?

It signals the withdrawal of the Lord’s manifest support from worldly affairs—showing that all excellence and protection ultimately rest in Vishnu’s presence.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the loss of strength in this context?

Through the narrative of Arjuna’s realization: his mastery of weapons and even the power of Gāṇḍīva were effective because the Supreme Lord was the inner essence behind them.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu here?

The verse frames Vishnu/Krishna as the indwelling source of capability (sāratā) and sovereignty—supporting a Vaishnava view where all power is dependent on the Supreme Person.