Shloka 44

अर्जुनस्य अन्त्येष्टि, द्वारकाप्लावनम्, कलिप्रवेशः, कालोपदेशः

Devanagari script

इतरेणेव महता स्मितपूर्वाभिभाषिणा हीना वयं मुने तेन जातास् तृणमया इव

Transliteration

itareṇeva mahatā smitapūrvābhibhāṣiṇā hīnā vayaṃ mune tena jātās tṛṇamayā iva

Translation

Hỡi bậc hiền triết, thiếu vắng vị cao quý ấy—người thường mỉm cười hiền hòa rồi mới cất lời với chúng ta—chúng ta như thể làm bằng cỏ rác, nhẹ bẫng và chẳng đáng kể.

Word by Word

इतरेणby another (one)

इवas if/like

महताby a great (one)

स्मित-पूर्व-अभिभाषिणाby one who speaks after smiling

हीनाःdeprived, bereft

वयम्we

मुनेO sage

तेनby him/therefore

जाताःhave become

तृण-मयाःmade of grass, grass-like

इवlike

Speaker

Unspecified in the provided extract (a lament voiced within the dynastic/court narrative, addressed to a sage: “mune”).

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: The existential lightness and insignificance felt by the Pāṇḍavas after losing Kṛṣṇa’s companionship.

Teaching: Devotional

Quality: compassionate

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Without the Lord’s gracious presence, worldly greatness becomes insubstantial; true weight comes from relationship to Bhagavān.

Vedantic Theme: Moksha

Application: Build inner ‘substance’ through steady devotion and remembrance rather than social validation.

Vishishtadvaita: Sambandha (relation) to the Lord is the ground of dignity and power; separation (viraha) reveals the jīva’s essential dependence.

Vaishnava Theology

Bhakti Type: Sakhya

FAQs

What is the significance of being described as 'like grass' in this verse of the Vishnu Purana?

It conveys utter insignificance and vulnerability—without the noble person’s regard and protection, the speakers feel easily trampled and disregarded, as grass is.

How does the Vishnu Purana portray ideal conduct through the phrase 'smile-first speech' (smita-pūrva-abhibhāṣaṇa)?

It presents gentleness and dignified address as marks of nobility; the remembered leader’s courteous speech becomes a moral contrast to the present condition of neglect.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this dynastic context even when not named in the verse?

In Ansha 4, kingship and protection are implicitly measured against dharma sustained by Vishnu’s cosmic sovereignty; the pain of losing a righteous protector echoes the Purana’s broader view that order depends on divinely aligned rule.