Shloka 58

अर्जुनस्य अन्त्येष्टि, द्वारकाप्लावनम्, कलिप्रवेशः, कालोपदेशः

Devanagari script

यच् चात्थ कृष्णमाहात्म्यं तत् तथैव धनंजय भारावतारकार्यार्थम् अवतीर्णः स मेदिनीम्

Transliteration

yac cāttha kṛṣṇamāhātmyaṃ tat tathaiva dhanaṃjaya bhārāvatārakāryārtham avatīrṇaḥ sa medinīm

Translation

اے دھننجے! تم نے کرشن کی عظمت کے بارے میں جو کہا ہے وہ بالکل درست ہے۔ زمین کا بوجھ ہلکا کرنے کے مقصد کی تکمیل کے لیے وہی اس دنیا میں اوتار لے کر آئے۔

Word by Word

• यत्: that which
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-सर्वनाम (relative)

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

• अत्थ: you said/spoke
• अत्थ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्थ्/अह् (धातु) (ब्रू-अर्थे; वैदिक/पुराण-प्रयोग)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; 'त्वम्' (you) understood

• कृष्णमाहात्म्यम्: the greatness of Krishna
• कृष्णमाहात्म्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण + माहात्म्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (कृष्णस्य माहात्म्यम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तद्-सम्बन्ध (correlative)

• तथा: thus
• तथा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकार-बोधक-अव्यय (adverb: thus)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/अवधारण-अव्यय (particle of emphasis)

• धनंजय: O Dhanañjaya (Arjuna)
• धनंजय: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनंजय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• भारावतारकार्यार्थम्: for the purpose of the task of relieving the burden (of earth)
• भारावतारकार्यार्थम्: Hetu/Purpose (Prayojana/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भार + अवतार + कार्य + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुपद-तत्पुरुष-समास (भारस्य अवतारः—तस्य कार्यम्—तस्य अर्थः); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अवतीर्णः: descended, incarnated
• अवतीर्णः: Kriya-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicative/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अव + तॄ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगे (as predicate of 'sa')

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

• मेदिनीम्: the earth
• मेदिनीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मेदिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: He descended to lighten the Earth’s burden by removing oppressive forces and re-establishing dharmic rule.

Leela: Loka-rakshana

Dharma Restored: Restoration of righteous kingship and balance on Earth

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Krishna’s avatāra is purposeful—undertaken for loka-saṅgraha, relieving the Earth’s burden and restoring dharma.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Strengthen trust that divine action works through history; align one’s duties with dharma and protection of the vulnerable.

Vishishtadvaita: The transcendent Lord truly enters history without losing supremacy, acting for the world’s welfare while remaining its inner ground.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Krishna

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Vyuha Form: Vasudeva

Lakshmi Presence: Sri

Jagat Karana: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Krishna
• Arjuna (Dhanañjaya)
• Bhūmi/Medinī (Earth)

FAQs

What is the significance of Krishna’s descent in this verse of the Vishnu Purana?

It states that Krishna descends with a definite cosmic purpose: to accomplish the work of relieving the Earth’s burden, i.e., restoring order by removing oppressive forces.

How does Sage Parāśara frame the idea of avatāra-kārya (the purpose of incarnation)?

Parāśara presents the avatāra as intentional and task-oriented—God’s descent is not ordinary birth, but a sovereign act undertaken to fulfill a world-restoring mission.

What is the theological importance of Vishnu/Krishna here?

Krishna is affirmed as divinely authoritative: His ‘Mahātmya’ is true because He acts as the Supreme Lord who intervenes to uphold dharma and protect the cosmic balance.