Vishnu Purana 5.21.13 — Krishna Avatara, Amsha 5, Adhyaya 21, Shloka 13

वैष्णवीमायावितानम्, उग्रसेनाभिषेकः, सुधर्मासभा, सांदीपनिगमनम्, पाञ्चजन्य-प्राप्तिः, गुरुदक्षिणा

Devanagari script

इत्य् उक्त्वा सो ऽस्मरद् वायुम् आजगाम च तत्क्षणात् उवाच चैनं भगवान् केशवः कार्यमानुषः

Transliteration

ity uktvā so 'smarad vāyum ājagāma ca tatkṣaṇāt uvāca cainaṃ bhagavān keśavaḥ kāryamānuṣaḥ

Translation

ఇలా చెప్పి అతడు వాయువును స్మరించగా, క్షణమాత్రంలో వాయువు వచ్చెను. అప్పుడు దైవకార్యార్థం మానవరూపం ధరించిన భగవాన్ కేశవుడు అతనితో పలికెను।

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उक्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• उक्त्वा: having said
• उक्त्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय, अव्ययभाव/gerund)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अस्मरत्: remembered, called to mind
• अस्मरत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत/Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदम्

• वायुम्: Vayu (Wind-god)
• वायुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• आजगाम: came
• आजगाम: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदम्; उपसर्ग: आ-

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

• तत्क्षणात्: immediately, at that moment
• तत्क्षणात्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत् + क्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; पञ्चमी-एकवचन-रूपेण अव्ययवत् (adverbial ablative)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदम्

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

• एनम्: to him
• एनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• भगवान्: the Blessed Lord
• भगवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• केशवः: Keshava (Krishna)
• केशवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केशव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• कार्यमानुषः: assuming human role for a task
• कार्यमानुषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कार्य + मानुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (कार्ये मानुषः/कार्य-मानुषः = acting as a man for a purpose)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: He directs cosmic administrators (like Vāyu) while appearing human, to secure dharma through divine governance in the world.

Leela: Loka-rakshana

Dharma Restored: Proper alignment of divine and human realms in service of righteous rule.

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Bhagavān’s ‘human’ play conceals direct mastery over cosmic forces, revealing that the Supreme remains the inner controller even in worldly scenes.

Vedantic Theme: Brahman

Application: See the sacred within ordinary life-events; cultivate remembrance that the divine can reorder circumstances instantly when aligned with dharma.

Vishishtadvaita: Simultaneous nara-līlā (human-mode) and īśvaratva (lordship) exemplifies the Vishishtadvaita harmony of transcendence and immanence.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Krishna

Antaryamin: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Vayu
• Vishnu (Keshava)

FAQs

What is the significance of Vāyu arriving instantly in the Vishnu Purana?

It signals divine sovereignty and cosmic responsiveness—Vāyu, a fundamental force of the universe, appears immediately when invoked, showing how higher order operates without delay in sacred history.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the Lord acting as a human (kārya-mānuṣaḥ)?

Parāśara frames it as purposeful embodiment: the Lord adopts a human mode of action to accomplish a specific divine task while retaining supreme status as Bhagavān.

What is the theological importance of calling Keśava ‘Bhagavān’ here?

It asserts Vishnu/Keśava as the Supreme Lord who directs even deities like Vāyu—supporting a theistic reading where the transcendent Supreme governs the cosmos and intervenes compassionately in worldly events.