Shloka 84

Devanagari script

ते तस्य फणनिःश्वासवह्निनापहतत्विषः निस्तेजसो ऽसुराः सर्वे बभूवुर् अमितद्युते

Transliteration

te tasya phaṇaniḥśvāsavahnināpahatatviṣaḥ nistejaso 'surāḥ sarve babhūvur amitadyute

Translation

ដោយត្រូវអគ្គីនៃដង្ហើមដែលចេញពីផ្នែកក្បាលពស់ (ផណ) វាយប្រហារ ឱ អ្នកមានពន្លឺអសীম អសុរទាំងអស់បានបាត់បង់សិរីរុងរឿង ហើយក្លាយជាអ្នកគ្មានតេជៈ។

Word by Word

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचन (Nominative plural)

• तस्य: of him/it (of Vāsuki)
• तस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्गे षष्ठी एकवचन (Genitive singular)

• फणनिःश्वासवह्निना: by the fire of (his) hood-breath
• फणनिःश्वासवह्निना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फण + निःश्वास + वह्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (फणस्य निःश्वासः; तस्य वह्निः ‘fire of the breath from the hoods’); पुल्लिङ्गे तृतीया एकवचन (Instrumental singular)

• अपहतत्विषः: whose radiance was destroyed
• अपहतत्विषः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अप-हन् (धातु) → अपहत (कृदन्त, क्त) + त्विष् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (अपहता त्विष् येषाम्); पुल्लिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचन (agreeing with असुराः)

• निस्तेजसः: devoid of splendor
• निस्तेजसः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निः + तेजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उपपद-तत्पुरुष (निःतेजस् ‘without brilliance’); पुल्लिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचन (agreeing with असुराः)

• असुराः: the asuras
• असुराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचन (Nominative plural)

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचन

• बभूवुः: became
• बभूवुः: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect); प्रथमपुरुष बहुवचन (3rd plural) परस्मैपद

• अमितद्युते: O one of immeasurable splendor
• अमितद्युते: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमित + द्युति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि (अमिता द्युतिः यस्य); पुल्लिङ्गे सम्बोधन एकवचन (Vocative singular)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Teaching: Historical

Quality: vivid

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Prideful power is fragile: a single turn in the cosmic process can strip the asuras of tejas and expose dependence on forces beyond control.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Practice humility and steadiness when circumstances reverse; do not equate temporary ‘splendor’ with true strength.

Vishishtadvaita: Tejas and capacity belong to the Lord’s ordered cosmos; individual power is contingent, reinforcing dependence on the supreme ruler.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Hari (name)

Characters & Entities

• Asuras
• Serpent (Nāga) with hoods (phaṇa)
• Maitreya (implied addressee)

FAQs

What is the significance of tejas (splendor) being destroyed in this Vishnu Purana verse?

Tejas symbolizes empowered potency and cosmic legitimacy; its removal marks the Asuras’ loss of effective agency when confronted by a higher, order-preserving power.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the turning point in the battle here?

He frames it as a decisive reversal: the Asuras are not merely wounded but spiritually and energetically “de-lustred,” indicating a collapse of their capacity to oppose the ordained order.

What is the theological importance of this scene for Vaishnava thought?

Even when a non-Vishnu agent is described (the hooded serpent’s fire), the episode reinforces the Purāṇic principle that dharma is upheld by superior, divinely-aligned power against adharmic forces.