Shloka 34

पौण्ड्रक-वधः, कृत्या-प्रशमनम्, वाराणसी-दाहः

Devanagari script

ताम् अवेक्ष्य जनस् त्रासविचलल्लोचनो मुने ययौ शरण्यं जगतां शरणं मधुसूदनम्

Transliteration

tām avekṣya janas trāsavicalallocano mune yayau śaraṇyaṃ jagatāṃ śaraṇaṃ madhusūdanam

Translation

O pantas, nang makita siya, ang mga tao—nanginginig ang mga mata sa takot—ay nagmadaling lumapit kay Madhusūdana, ang Kanlungan ng mga naghahanap ng kanlungan, ang Silungan ng mga daigdig.

Word by Word

• ताम्: her
• ताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अवेक्ष्य: having seen
• अवेक्ष्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अव+ईक्ष् (धातु) → अवेक्ष्य (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; पूर्वक्रिया

• जनः: the people
• जनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सामूहिकार्थे (people as a group)

• त्रासविचलल्लोचनः: whose eyes were trembling with fear
• त्रासविचलल्लोचनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रास+विचलत् (कृदन्त) + लोचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (त्रासेन विचलन्ति लोचनानि यस्य सः)

• मुने: O sage
• मुने: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• ययौ: went
• ययौ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect/परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• शरण्यम्: the refuge-giver
• शरण्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शरण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; ‘मधुसूदनम्’ इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्

• जगताम्: of the worlds
• जगताम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन

• शरणम्: refuge
• शरणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; ‘मधुसूदनम्’ इति विशेष्यस्य कर्म-सम्बन्धेन

• मधुसूदनम्: Madhusūdana (Viṣṇu/Kṛṣṇa)
• मधुसूदनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मधु+सूदन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मधोः सूदनः)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Teaching: Devotional

Quality: compassionate

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: Kṛṣṇa stands as the universal refuge to whom all beings flee when confronted by terror and disorder.

Leela: Moksha-dana

Dharma Restored: Reaffirmation of śaraṇāgati (taking refuge) as the saving principle under divine protection

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: In भय (terror), the sure refuge is Bhagavān alone—‘śaraṇyaṃ jagatāṃ śaraṇam’—the theology of surrender.

Vedantic Theme: Moksha

Application: Practice remembrance and surrender (śaraṇāgati) in crises: turn the mind to Nārāyaṇa/Kṛṣṇa, seek protection through prayer, ethical steadiness, and trust.

Vishishtadvaita: Śaraṇāgati to the personal Supreme (Madhusūdana) is efficacious because the Lord is both transcendent protector and intimately accessible refuge for embodied souls.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Hari

Bhakti Type: Dasya

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• People (jana)

FAQs

What is the significance of taking refuge (śaraṇāgati) in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse frames Vishnu (Madhusūdana) as the universal refuge—when fear arises, the natural and highest response is to seek the Lord as the protector of all worlds.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the Lord’s role as ‘jagatāṃ śaraṇam’?

By describing people instinctively rushing to Vishnu in crisis, Parāśara emphasizes that divine sovereignty is not abstract—Vishnu functions as the living shelter sustaining and rescuing the cosmos.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu here?

Vishnu is presented as the Supreme Reality who is personally accessible as ‘śaraṇyam’—the worthy refuge—supporting core Vaishnava thought that the ultimate ground of existence is also the compassionate protector.