Shloka 13

Sṛṣṭi–Pratisṛṣṭi: Viṣṇu as Kāla and the Ninefold Creation Schema

Devanagari script

दंष्टूयोद्धरति ज्ञात्वा वारहीमास्थितस्तनूम् / देवादिसर्गान्वक्ष्ये ऽहं संक्षेपाच्छृणु शङ्कर !

Transliteration

daṃṣṭūyoddharati jñātvā vārahīmāsthitastanūm / devādisargānvakṣye 'haṃ saṃkṣepācchṛṇu śaṅkara !

Translation

Da ich weiß, dass der Herr, indem Er den Leib der Varāhī (der Eber-Inkarnation) annahm, die Erde mit Seinem Hauer emporhob, werde ich nun—kurz—die Schöpfung schildern, die mit den Devas beginnt. Höre, o Śaṅkara!

Word by Word

• दंष्ट्रया: with (his) tusk
• दंष्ट्रया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दंष्ट्रा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण/3rd case), एकवचन; करण-सम्बन्ध (instrumental)

• उद्धरति: lifts up, raises
• उद्धरति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद्-√हृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ज्ञात्वा: having known
• ज्ञात्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• वारहीम्: the Boar (form)
• वारहीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाराही (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म/2nd case), एकवचन

• आस्थितः: having assumed, having taken (up)
• आस्थितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-√स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोग (used predicatively)

• तनूम्: body, form
• तनूम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तनू (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म/2nd case), एकवचन

• देव-आदि-सर्गान्: the creations beginning with the gods
• देव-आदि-सर्गान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक) + सर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म/2nd case), बहुवचन; षष्ठी/तत्पुरुष-समास (देवाः आदयः येषां ते)

• वक्ष्ये: I shall describe
• वक्ष्ये: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (भविष्यत्), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• संक्षेपात्: briefly, in summary
• संक्षेपात्: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संक्षेप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (अपादान/5th case), एकवचन; हेतौ/प्रकारे (in brief, by way of summary)

• शृणु: hear, listen
• शृणु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• शङ्कर: O Śaṅkara
• शङ्कर: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शङ्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (vocative), एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator addressing Śaṅkara (Shiva) (speaker not explicitly identified in this single verse)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Creation is to be understood in an ordered account beginning with the devas, grounded in the Lord’s avatara power.

Vedantic Theme: Ishvara as nimitta (efficient) cause guiding manifestation; cosmology as a means to right understanding (samyag-jñāna) and reverence.

Application: Contemplate avatara-lila (Varaha) before studying cosmology; approach teachings with shraddha and focused listening (śravaṇa).

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: cosmic-ocean/primordial waters

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana (Purvakhanda) cosmogony sequence continuing in 1.4.14–17; Garuda Purana themes of Vishnu as world-sustainer across Purvakhanda narratives

Characters & Entities

• Varāha/Varāhī
• Devas
• Śaṅkara (Shiva)

FAQs

What is the importance of the Varāha (Varāhī) reference in this Garuda Purana verse?

It signals the cosmic restoration motif—Lord’s boar-incarnation lifting the earth—used here as the narrative pivot before summarizing the creation beginning with the Devas.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

This specific verse does not address the soul’s post-death journey; it introduces a cosmological section, moving from the Varāha episode toward a concise account of divine creation.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

It encourages śravaṇa (attentive listening) to sacred teachings and remembrance of divine protection/restoration as a foundation for dharmic living.