Shloka 18

Devanagari script

सुनिवातेषु देशेषु यथाजोषम् इहास्यताम् प्रविश्यतां न भेतव्यं गिरिपातस्य निर्भयैः

Transliteration

sunivāteṣu deśeṣu yathājoṣam ihāsyatām praviśyatāṃ na bhetavyaṃ giripātasya nirbhayaiḥ

Translation

കഠിന കാറ്റ് തട്ടാത്ത പ്രദേശത്ത് യഥോചിതമായി ഇവിടെ തന്നെ പാളയം സ്ഥാപിക്കട്ടെ. ഭയമില്ലാതെ അകത്ത് കടക്കാം; നിർഭയർക്കു മലഞ്ചരിവ് ഇടിഞ്ഞുവീഴുന്നതും ഭയമല്ല.

Word by Word

• सु-निवातेषु: in well-sheltered (windless)
• सु-निवातेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + निवात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (Locative/7th), बहुवचनम्; समासः—कर्मधारयः (सु + निवात)

• देशेषु: in places/regions
• देशेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (Locative/7th), बहुवचनम्

• यथा-जोṣम्: as you please; comfortably
• यथा-जोṣम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय) + जोषम् (अव्यय/नपुंसकलिङ्ग-रूपेण क्रियाविशेषणवत्)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समासः; क्रियाविशेषणम् (adverbial: 'as is pleasing/at ease')

• इह: here
• इह: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; देशवाचक-क्रियाविशेषणम् (adverb of place)

• आस्यताम्: sit (you all)
• आस्यताम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आस् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकारः (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुषः (2nd person), बहुवचनम्; आत्मनेपदम्; धातुः—आस् (उपवेशन/उपविश्-भावे ‘sit’)

• प्रविश्यताम्: enter (you all)
• प्रविश्यताम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + विश् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकारः (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्; आत्मनेपदम्; उपसर्गः—प्र

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्ययम् (negation particle)

• भेतव्यम्: it should be feared
• भेतव्यम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भी (धातु) + तव्यत् (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्ययान्तम् (तव्यत्), नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-एकवचनम्; भावे प्रयोगः—कर्तव्यता/आवश्यकता (‘to be feared’)

• गिरि-पातस्य: of a mountain-fall/rockfall
• गिरि-पातस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गिरि (प्रातिपदिक) + पात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (Genitive/6th), एकवचनम्; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (‘of mountain-fall’)

• निर्भयैः: by/with the fearless (ones)
• निर्भयैः: Kartri (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्भय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम् (to implied ‘you all’)

Speaker

Parāśara (narrating within the royal/dynastic episode; precise in-scene speaker not explicitly identifiable from the single verse alone)

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: Krishna protects the Vraja community from Indra’s destructive storm by providing refuge under Govardhana.

Leela: Loka-rakshana

Dharma Restored: Protection of the innocent and the proper orientation of worship away from arrogant celestial power toward the Supreme.

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Fear dissolves when one takes shelter of the Lord’s protection rather than external powers and hazards.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: In crisis, seek dharmic refuge and steady the mind by remembering divine protection instead of catastrophizing.

Vishishtadvaita: The Lord’s personal guardianship of devotees shows the Supreme’s accessibility and protective immanence within worldly life.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Krishna

Bhakti Type: Vatsalya

FAQs

What is the significance of fearlessness in this Vishnu Purana verse?

It presents courage as a dharmic virtue: when one chooses wisely (a safe, sheltered place) and acts with resolve, even great dangers like a rockslide are not met with panic.

How does Sage Parāśara frame practical conduct within the Purana’s teachings?

Alongside theology and cosmology, the Vishnu Purana teaches through lived situations—here, measured planning (camping in a sheltered place) paired with inner steadiness (nirbhayatā).

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

Even when Vishnu is not named, the Purana’s ethic assumes a cosmos upheld by divine order; dharmic fearlessness and right judgment are portrayed as aligning one’s conduct with that sustaining sovereignty.