Shloka 50

सूर्यरथ-कालचक्र-आयनविभागः, संध्योपासनम्, देवयान-पितृयानम्, विष्णुपद-गङ्गावतरणम्

Devanagari script

प्रजापतिकृतः शापस् तेषां मैत्रेय रक्षसाम् अक्षयत्वं शरीराणां मरणं च दिने दिने

Transliteration

prajāpatikṛtaḥ śāpas teṣāṃ maitreya rakṣasām akṣayatvaṃ śarīrāṇāṃ maraṇaṃ ca dine dine

Translation

ହେ ମୈତ୍ରେୟ, ପ୍ରଜାପତି ସେହି ରାକ୍ଷସମାନଙ୍କୁ ଏହି ଶାପ ଦେଲେ: ତାଙ୍କ ଶରୀର କ୍ଷୟ ହେବ ନାହିଁ, ତଥାପି ସେମାନେ ପ୍ରତିଦିନ ମୃତ୍ୟୁ ପାଇବେ।

Word by Word

• प्रजापतिकृतः: made by Prajāpati
• प्रजापतिकृतः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रजापति (प्रातिपदिक) + कृत (कृ धातु + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; ‘प्रजापतिना कृतः’ इति तृतीया-तत्पुरुषः; (शापः) इति विशेषणम्; Nominative singular

• शापः: a curse
• शापः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; Nominative singular

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन; Genitive plural

• मैत्रेय: O Maitreya
• मैत्रेय: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मैत्रेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; Vocative singular

• रक्षसाम्: of the demons
• रक्षसाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रक्षस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (रक्षस्), षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन; Genitive plural

• अक्षयत्वम्: imperishability
• अक्षयत्वम्: Karta (Predicate-noun/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अ (उपसर्ग/नञ्) + क्षय (प्रातिपदिक) + त्व (प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; भाववाचक ‘त्व’ प्रत्यय; Nominative singular

• शरीराणाम्: of (their) bodies
• शरीराणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन; Genitive plural

• मरणम्: death
• मरणम्: Karta (Predicate-noun/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; Nominative singular

• च: and
• च: Avyaya (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• दिने: on a day
• दिने: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; (पुनरुक्त-सप्तमी)

• दिने: day by day
• दिने: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; पुनरुक्तिः ‘दिने दिने’ = प्रतिदिनम्

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (addressing Maitreya)

Characters & Entities

• Prajāpati
• Maitreya
• Rākṣasas

FAQs

What is the significance of Prajāpati’s curse in the Vishnu Purana?

It illustrates that cosmic governance operates through moral causality: even extraordinary beings (like Rākṣasas) remain bound to ordained consequences, where a seeming boon (non-decaying bodies) is paired with relentless mortality.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the paradox of imperishable bodies and daily death?

By framing it as a precise, divinely sanctioned limitation: the physical form may not deteriorate, yet the condition of death still repeatedly asserts itself, showing that higher law overrides mere bodily resilience.

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

Though not named in this verse, the episode reflects Vishnu Purana’s core view that the universe is upheld by a supreme regulating order—ultimately grounded in Vishnu’s sovereignty—where all beings remain subject to cosmic law.