Shloka 17

Gift of Sudarshana — The Gift of Sudarshana: Shiva’s Boon to Vishnu and the Sanctification of Virupaksha

Devanagari script

निःश्रीकास्तु त्रयो लोकाः कृतास्तेन दुरात्माना श्रीवत्सं वासुदेवस्य हर्तुमैच्छन्महाबलः

Transliteration

niḥśrīkāstu trayo lokāḥ kṛtāstena durātmānā śrīvatsaṃ vāsudevasya hartumaicchanmahābalaḥ

Translation

ആ ദുഷ്ടാത്മാവ് മൂന്നു ലോകങ്ങളെയും ശ്രീഹീനമാക്കി; ആ മഹാബലൻ വാസുദേവന്റെ ശ്രീവത്സ-ലാഞ്ഛനവും അപഹരിക്കുവാൻ ആഗ്രഹിച്ചു.

Speakers

• Continuation of the mother’s narration to her son

Primary Deities

• Vāsudeva (Viṣṇu)
• Śrī (Lakṣmī)

Key Themes

• Cosmic imbalance (loss of Śrī)
• Asura hubris
• Viṣṇu’s sovereignty signified by Śrīvatsa
• Auspicious marks and divine legitimacy

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

{ "primaryRasa": "raudra", "secondaryRasa": "bhayanaka", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

FAQs

What is the Śrīvatsa, and why is it significant that the Asura wants to take it?

Śrīvatsa is the auspicious emblem on Viṣṇu’s chest, closely associated with Śrī (Lakṣmī) and divine kingship. To ‘steal’ it is symbolic: the Asura attempts to appropriate not just wealth but the very sign of Viṣṇu’s supreme authority and auspicious legitimacy.

How can the ‘three worlds’ become ‘niḥśrī’ (without Śrī)?

The phrase indicates a cosmic condition where prosperity, auspiciousness, and rightful order are withdrawn or suppressed. In Purāṇic narrative logic, such a state typically precipitates divine intervention and the re-establishment of dharma.

Does this verse contain any geographic/tīrtha data?

No named rivers, lakes, forests, or tīrthas appear in these lines. The geography is implicit (the ‘three worlds’) rather than specific; the surrounding chapter likely anchors the resolution in a particular sacred site, but it is not present in the provided verses.