Shloka 25

Kālin̄dī’s Austerity; True Tapas and Prāyaścitta; Kṛṣṇa’s Grace and Marriage

Devanagari script

यो देवानामाद्य अकार एव यतो ब्रह्माद्या नैव पूर्णाः समस्ताः / लक्ष्मीप्रसादाच्चिरपुण्येन जातो यथायोग्यं पूर्णगुणो विरिञ्चः

Transliteration

yo devānāmādya akāra eva yato brahmādyā naiva pūrṇāḥ samastāḥ / lakṣmīprasādāccirapuṇyena jāto yathāyogyaṃ pūrṇaguṇo viriñcaḥ

Translation

দেৱসকলৰ মাজত আদ্য ‘অকাৰ’ যিজন, যাৰ কাৰণে ব্ৰহ্মা আদি সকলোৱে সৰ্বতোভাবে পূৰ্ণ নহয়—লক্ষ্মীৰ প্ৰসাদে, দীঘলীয়া পুণ্যফলত, বিরিঞ্চ (ব্ৰহ্মা) জন্ম লৈ যথাযোগ্যভাৱে পূৰ্ণ গুণে বিভূষিত হ’ল।

Word by Word

• यः: who
• यः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; relative pronoun

• देवानाम्: of the gods
• देवानाम्: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन; Genitive plural

• आद्यः: the first/primeval
• आद्यः: कर्तृविशेषण (Predicate adjective/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आद्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; predicate with यः

• अकारः: the letter ‘a’ (akāra)
• अकारः: समानााधिकरण (Apposition/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; apposition to आद्यः

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: अवधारण (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphasis/only)

• यतः: because
• यतः: हेतु (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यतः (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतुवाचक-अव्यय (because)

• ब्रह्माद्याः: Brahmā and others
• ब्रह्माद्याः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्म + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (brahmā-ādi = Brahmā and others)

• न: not
• न: निषेध (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• एव: at all/indeed
• एव: अवधारण (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय

• पूर्णाः: complete
• पूर्णाः: कर्तृविशेषण (Predicate adjective/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; predicate of ब्रह्माद्याः

• समस्ताः: all/entire
• समस्ताः: कर्तृविशेषण (Adjectival modifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समस्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; qualifying ब्रह्माद्याः

• लक्ष्मीप्रसादात्: from/through Lakṣmī’s grace
• लक्ष्मीप्रसादात्: अपादान (Source/Cause/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लक्ष्मी + प्रसाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (lakṣmyāḥ prasādaḥ = grace of Lakṣmī)

• चिरपुण्येन: by long merit
• चिरपुण्येन: करण (Instrument/means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चिर + पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (cira-puṇya = long-standing merit)

• जातः: born/arisen
• जातः: कर्तृविशेषण (Predicate adjective/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जन् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle, क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; predicate

• यथायोग्यम्: as appropriate
• यथायोग्यम्: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा + योग्य (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययीभाव)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• पूर्णगुणः: endowed with complete qualities
• पूर्णगुणः: कर्तृविशेषण (Predicate adjective/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूर्ण + गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (pūrṇa-guṇa = having full qualities)

• विरिञ्चः: Viriñca (Brahmā)
• विरिञ्चः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विरिञ्च (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (narrating to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The Supreme is the primordial principle (here linked with akāra); even high deities are not absolutely complete. Brahmā’s qualified fullness arises through Lakṣmī’s grace and accumulated merit.

Vedantic Theme: Tārātamya (gradation among beings) and dependence of jīvas/devas on Īśvara; śabda-brahma symbolism (akāra) pointing to the Supreme ground.

Application: Hold reverence for devas while anchoring ultimate reliance in Hari; integrate mantra-awareness (primordial sound) with humility about created hierarchies.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: hierarchical comparisons among deities and emphasis on Viṣṇu’s supremacy (general thematic parallel)

Characters & Entities

• Lakshmi
• Brahma (Virincha)
• Devas
• Akara (Pranava-related syllable)

FAQs

What is the importance of ‘akāra’ in this Garuda Purana verse?

The verse presents ‘akāra’ as the primordial principle (seed sound/first letter) tied to the origin of the gods, indicating that divine manifestation proceeds from a foundational, supreme source.

How does this verse explain the hierarchy between Brahmā and the supreme source?

It states that even Brahmā and other deities are not absolutely complete on their own; Brahmā (Viriñca) arises through accumulated merit and by Lakṣmī’s grace, implying dependence on a higher reality.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Cultivate humility and devotion: spiritual excellence is portrayed as arising from grace (prasāda) and sustained merit (puṇya), encouraging consistent dharmic living and reverence for the divine source.