Shloka 51

देवकी-विवाहः, आकाशवाणी, भूरभारावतरण-याचना, क्षीराब्धि-स्तुति, केशावतार-नियोजनम्

Devanagari script

नाकारणात् कारणाद् वा कारणाकारणान् न च शरीरग्रहणं व्यापिन् धर्मत्राणाय ते परम्

Transliteration

nākāraṇāt kāraṇād vā kāraṇākāraṇān na ca śarīragrahaṇaṃ vyāpin dharmatrāṇāya te param

Translation

اے ہمہ گیر پروردگار! آپ کا جسم اختیار کرنا نہ بے سبب ہے، نہ کسی سبب سے، نہ سبب و بے سببی کے امتزاج سے؛ یہ صرف دھرم کی حفاظت کے اعلیٰ مقصد کے لیے ہے۔

Word by Word

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• akāraṇāt: from non-cause / without cause
• akāraṇāt: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: akāraṇa (प्रातिपदिक: a- + kāraṇa)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन

• kāraṇāt: from a cause
• kāraṇāt: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (disjunctive particle)

• kāraṇa-akāraṇān: (as) causes and non-causes
• kāraṇa-akāraṇān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāraṇa + akāraṇa (प्रातिपदिक-द्वय)
• Form: द्वन्द्व-समास, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

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

• śarīra-grahaṇam: the taking of a body
• śarīra-grahaṇam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śarīra + grahaṇa (प्रातिपदिक-द्वय)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (śarīrasya grahaṇam), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• vyāpin: O all-pervading one
• vyāpin: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vyāpin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• dharma-trāṇāya: for the protection of dharma
• dharma-trāṇāya: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma + trāṇa (प्रातिपदिक-द्वय)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (dharmasya trāṇam), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन

• te: of you / your
• te: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• param: supreme / highest
• param: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (addressing Vishnu while explaining the doctrine to Maitreya)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Bhagavān’s embodiment is a free, compassionate act for dharma-rakṣaṇa, not a karma-driven necessity.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Contemplate divine grace as purposeful guidance and align personal choices with dharma rather than fatalism.

Vishishtadvaita: The Supreme is independent (svatantra) yet voluntarily engages the world for dharma—transcendent while actively governing creation.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Dharma

FAQs

What is the significance of Vishnu taking a body in this verse of the Vishnu Purana?

The verse states that Vishnu’s embodiment is not forced by causality or karma; it is a sovereign, purposeful descent undertaken to protect Dharma.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the cause of avatāra here?

Parāśara denies all ordinary causal explanations (cause, no-cause, or both) and frames avatāra as a supreme, deliberate act centered on dharma-trāṇa—preserving cosmic and moral order.

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

Vishnu is presented as the all-pervading Supreme Reality whose freedom and sovereignty allow Him to manifest for the world’s welfare, establishing Dharma as a central purpose of divine action.