Shloka 12

Devanagari script

विश्वावसुर् भरद्वाजः पर्जन्यैरावतौ तथा विश्वाची सेनजिच् चापि कार्त्तिके चाधिकारिणः

Transliteration

viśvāvasur bharadvājaḥ parjanyairāvatau tathā viśvācī senajic cāpi kārttike cādhikāriṇaḥ

Translation

കാർത്തിക മാസത്തിൽ നിയമിത അധികാരികൾ ഇവരാണ്—വിശ്വാവസു, ഭരദ്വാജൻ; കൂടാതെ പർജന്യൻ, ഐരാവതൻ; പിന്നെ വിശ്വാചീയും സേനജിത്തും—ഓരോരുത്തരും വിധിപ്രകാരം അധികാരം വഹിക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

• विश्वावसुः: Viśvāvasu (name)
• विश्वावसुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्वावसु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (विश्वः+वसुः)

• भरद्वाजः: Bharadvāja (name)
• भरद्वाजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भरद्वाज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (भरत्/भरद्+वाज)

• पर्जन्यः: Parjanya (rain-god; name)
• पर्जन्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्जन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• ऐरावतः: Airāvata (name)
• ऐरावतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऐरावत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• तथा: likewise/and also
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकार/समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (indeclinable adverb: ‘likewise’)

• विश्वाची: Viśvācī (apsaras name)
• विश्वाची: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्वाची (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• सेनजित्: Senajit (name; ‘conqueror of armies’)
• सेनजित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सेनजित् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (सेनायाः जित्)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction/particle)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावन/समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (particle: ‘also/even’)

• कार्त्तिके: in Kārttika (month)
• कार्त्तिके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्त्तिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction/particle)

• अधिकारिणः: the presiding authorities/officials
• अधिकारिणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अधिकारिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (addressing Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Monthly (Kārttika) solar attendants and their ordained offices (adhikāra) in maintaining time.

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: authoritative

Cosmological Context

Cosmic Hierarchy: Lokas

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Cosmic time is upheld through specific delegated powers (adhikāriṇaḥ) functioning in harmony with the Sun’s course.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Observe sacred months (like Kārttika) with heightened discipline—dāna, vrata, japa—seeing them as openings in cosmic order.

Vishishtadvaita: The Lord’s sovereignty is mediated through real, distinct agents who remain dependent—supporting a qualified unity of ruler and ruled rather than identity.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Narayana

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Viśvāvasu
• Bharadvāja
• Parjanya
• Airāvata
• Viśvācī
• Senajit
• Kārttika

FAQs

What is the significance of listing Kārttika’s adhikārins in the Vishnu Purana?

It shows that time is not random: each month has designated celestial functionaries who uphold cosmic order, ultimately under Viṣṇu’s supreme governance.

How does Sage Parāśara explain cosmic administration in this section?

He presents a structured roster of beings—sage, deity, Gandharva, Apsaras, and others—assigned to specific temporal units, illustrating delegated authority within a single divine order.

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

Even when multiple deities are named, the Purāṇa frames them as offices within a unified cosmic system whose sustaining power and sovereignty rest with Viṣṇu as the Supreme Reality.