Shloka 31

Vamsha of Dhruva and Prithu; Daksha’s Progeny; Enumerations of Devas, Asuras, Nagas, and Birds

Devanagari script

आपस्य पुत्रो वेतुण्डिः (ण्डः) श्रमः श्रान्तो ध्वनिस्तथा / ध्रुवस्य पुत्रो भगवान्कालो लोकप्रकालनः

Transliteration

āpasya putro vetuṇḍiḥ (ṇḍaḥ) śramaḥ śrānto dhvanistathā / dhruvasya putro bhagavānkālo lokaprakālanaḥ

Translation

Āpa hatte einen Sohn namens Vetuṇḍi (auch als Veṭuṇḍa gelesen). Von ihm werden Śrama (Anstrengung), Śrānta (Erschöpfung) und Dhvani (Klang) genannt. Und Dhruvas Sohn ist der selige Herr Kāla (Zeit), der Lenker und Reifer der Welten.

Word by Word

• आपस्य: of Āpaḥ
• आपस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अप् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (अप्), षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; 'आपः' इत्यस्य सम्बन्धरूपम्

• पुत्रः: son
• पुत्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• वेतुण्डिः: Vetuṇḍi (name)
• वेतुण्डिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेतुण्डि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; पाठभेदः—वेतुण्डः

• श्रमः: Śrama (name; toil)
• श्रमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• श्रान्तः: wearied/tired (Śrānta)
• श्रान्तः: Predicate adjective (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √श्रम् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• ध्वनिः: Dhvani (sound; name)
• ध्वनिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्वनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (likewise)

• ध्रुवस्य: of Dhruva
• ध्रुवस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्रुव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• पुत्रः: son
• पुत्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• भगवान्: venerable/divine
• भगवान्: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying 'कालः')

• कालः: Kāla (Time)
• कालः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• लोकप्रकालनः: the regulator/governor of the worlds
• लोकप्रकालनः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-समनाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोकप्रकालन (प्रातिपदिक; लोक + प्रकालन)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (लोकस्य प्रकालनः = लोक-प्रकालनः)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Kāla governs maturation of karmic outcomes and the unfolding of worlds; embodied life includes śrama/śrānti and dhvani as experiential marks of saṃsāra.

Vedantic Theme: Kāla as īśvara-śakti operating within māyā; inevitability of change and fruition (pariṇāma) under time.

Application: Practice urgency-with-equanimity: act rightly without delay, recognizing time’s ripening; manage exertion and rest (śrama/śrānti) mindfully; attend to sound (dhvani) as a contemplative anchor (japa/śravaṇa).

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.6 (Vasu progeny and functional personifications; Kāla introduced as a cosmic regulator)

Characters & Entities

• Āpa
• Vetuṇḍi (Veṭuṇḍa)
• Dhruva
• Kāla (Time)

FAQs

What is the importance of Kāla (Time) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse presents Kāla as a divine cosmic principle who regulates and brings the worlds to fruition in their proper order—linking moral order and inevitable maturation of results over time.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

Indirectly, it grounds the afterlife teaching in a larger cosmic framework: the soul’s experiences and karmic outcomes unfold under Kāla, the universal regulator who ensures results manifest in due course.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Recognize that actions mature with time: practice steady dharma, patience, and disciplined effort (śrama), understanding that outcomes ripen under Kāla rather than instantly.