Shloka 70

अर्जुनस्य अन्त्येष्टि, द्वारकाप्लावनम्, कलिप्रवेशः, कालोपदेशः

Devanagari script

गृहीता दस्युभिर् यच् च भवता शोचिताः स्त्रियः तद् अप्य् अहं यथावृत्तं कथयामि तवार्जुन

Transliteration

gṛhītā dasyubhir yac ca bhavatā śocitāḥ striyaḥ tad apy ahaṃ yathāvṛttaṃ kathayāmi tavārjuna

Translation

ದಸ್ಯುಗಳು ಹಿಡಿದುಕೊಂಡು ಹೋದ, ನೀನು ಶೋಕಿಸಿದ ಆ ಸ್ತ್ರೀಯರ ವಿಷಯವನ್ನೂ, ಓ ಅರ್ಜುನ, ನಡೆದದ್ದನ್ನು ನಡೆದಂತೆ ಯಥಾವೃತ್ತವಾಗಿ ನಾನು ನಿನಗೆ ಹೇಳುವೆನು।

Word by Word

• गृहीताः: were seized
• गृहीताः: Predicate participle (विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु) → गृहीत (कृदन्त; क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि/भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — ‘(women) seized’

• दस्युभिः: by bandits
• दस्युभिः: Karana (Agent in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दस्यु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन — ‘by bandits’

• यत्: which
• यत्: Relative connector (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन — ‘which/that’ (relative)

• च: and
• च: Connector (Samuccaya/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय — समुच्चय ‘and’

• भवता: by you
• भवता: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन — ‘by you (honorific)’

• शोचिताः: were mourned
• शोचिताः: Predicate participle (विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शुच् (धातु) → शोचित (कृदन्त; क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि/भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — ‘(women) lamented for/mourned’

• स्त्रियः: women
• स्त्रियः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन — ‘women’

• तद्: that
• तद्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन — ‘that’

• अपि: also
• अपि: Emphasis/Addition (Nipāta/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय — अप्यर्थ/समुच्चय ‘also, even’

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन — ‘I’

• यथावृत्तम्: as it happened
• यथावृत्तम्: Adverbial (Kriyāviśeṣaṇa/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय) + वृत्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; वृत् धातु, क्त)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव — ‘according to what happened/as it occurred’

• कथयामि: I will tell
• कथयामि: Kriyā (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथय् (धातु; णिजन्त from कथ्)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन — ‘I tell/narrate’

• तव: to you
• तव: Sampradana (Recipient, genitive usage/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन — ‘to you/for you; of you’

• अर्जुन: O Arjuna
• अर्जुन: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्जुन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन — ‘O Arjuna’

Speaker

Narrator (within the Purāṇic frame: Sage Parāśara relating the history to Maitreya; within the embedded story: a narrator addressing Arjuna)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: The exact account of the abduction of women by bandits and Arjuna’s grief

Teaching: Historical

Quality: compassionate

Characters & Entities

• Arjuna
• Dasyu (bandits)
• Women (striyaḥ)

FAQs

What is the significance of the abducted women episode in the Vishnu Purana?

It highlights how social disorder (banditry and abduction) becomes a test of kṣatriya duty, and sets up a factual narration of events to clarify responsibility and dharma.

How does the Vishnu Purana present its history—through direct narration or layered dialogue?

This verse signals layered storytelling: the Purāṇa is framed as Parāśara teaching Maitreya, while specific episodes may include embedded speakers addressing figures like Arjuna.

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

Even in a seemingly secular episode, the Purāṇa’s worldview treats righteous order as sustained under Vishnu’s sovereignty, with dharma functioning as the instrument of cosmic stability.