Vishnu Purana — Amsha 5 - Krishna Avatara, Shloka 63

स्वर्गगमनम्, अदितिस्तुतिः-मायातत्त्वम्, तथा पारिजात-प्रसङ्गे इन्द्रयुद्धम्

Devanagari script

ततः शरसहस्रेण देवेन्द्रमधुसूदनौ परस्परं ववर्षाते धाराभिर् इव तोयदौ

Transliteration

tataḥ śarasahasreṇa devendramadhusūdanau parasparaṃ vavarṣāte dhārābhir iva toyadau

Translation

ແລ້ວ ເທວິນທຣະ ແລະ ມະທຸສູດະນະ ກໍ່ພາກັນສາດລູກສອນນັບພັນໃສ່ກັນ—ດັ່ງເມກຝົນສອງກ້ອນທີ່ເທນ້ຳເປັນສາຍໆ।

Word by Word

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) — तस्मात्/ततः = ‘then, thereafter’

• शर-सहस्रेण: with a thousand arrows
• शर-सहस्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śara (प्रातिपदिक) + sahasra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन — करण (instrument)

• देवेन्द्र-मधुसूदनौ: Devendra and Madhusūdana
• देवेन्द्र-मधुसूदनौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devendra (प्रातिपदिक) + madhusūdana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), द्विवचन — समाहार-द्वन्द्व/इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (two persons)

• परस्परम्: at each other, mutually
• परस्परम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: paraspara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) — ‘mutually, at each other’

• ववर्षाते: they showered (arrows)
• ववर्षाते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vṛṣ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, द्विवचन, आत्मनेपद — ‘they rained/showered’

• धाराभिः: with streams
• धाराभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhārā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन — उपमान-प्रयोगे साधनभावः

• इव: like
• इव: Sambandha (Comparison/उपमा-संबन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (उपमा-निपात) — ‘like, as if’

• तोयदौ: two clouds
• तोयदौ: Upamana (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: toyadá (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), द्विवचन — ‘clouds’ (rain-givers)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: Kṛṣṇa confronts Indra’s assault to uphold his supremacy and protect his devotees’ dharma from misplaced divine pride.

Leela: Yuddha

Dharma Restored: Reassertion of Bhagavān’s sovereignty over the devas and protection of true worship (bhakti) against arrogance

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Krishna

Characters & Entities

• Indra (Devendra)
• Krishna (Madhusudana)

FAQs

What is the significance of the arrow-shower simile in the Vishnu Purana?

It intensifies the scene by comparing the combatants’ weapons to monsoon torrents, portraying the battle as a cosmic-scale event rather than a merely human contest.

How does Sage Parāśara frame the conflict between Devendra and Madhusūdana?

Parāśara narrates it as a reciprocal, evenly matched exchange in imagery, while the epithet “Madhusūdana” signals Krishna’s divine supremacy behind the unfolding līlā.

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

By naming Krishna as Madhusūdana, the verse anchors the action in Vaishnava theology: the Supreme Reality participates in the world’s order through embodied play, even when opposed by celestial powers like Indra.