Shloka 32

Manvantara Catalog: Fourteen Manus, Their Sons, Saptarishis, Indras, Deva-Hosts, and the 18 Vidyās

Devanagari script

तेजस्वी नाम वै शक्रो हिरण्याक्षो रिपुः स्मृतः / हतो वराहरूपेण हरिण्याख्यो ऽथ विष्णुना

Transliteration

tejasvī nāma vai śakro hiraṇyākṣo ripuḥ smṛtaḥ / hato varāharūpeṇa hariṇyākhyo 'tha viṣṇunā

Translation

Indra (Śakra) war wahrlich unter dem Namen Tejasvī bekannt; und der Feind Hiraṇyākṣa wird so erinnert. Jener — Hariṇyākṣa — wurde darauf von Viṣṇu in der Gestalt des heiligen Ebers Varāha erschlagen.

Word by Word

• tejasvī: Tejasvī (a name)
• tejasvī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tejasvin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• nāma: by name
• nāma: Sambandha/Name-marker (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nāman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; नाम-शब्दः (quotative/‘by name’)

• vai: indeed
• vai: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/emphasis)

• śakraḥ: Śakra (Indra)
• śakraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śakra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• hiraṇyākṣaḥ: Hiraṇyākṣa
• hiraṇyākṣaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hiraṇya + akṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (hiraṇyasya akṣaḥ)

• ripuḥ: enemy
• ripuḥ: Predicate nominative (विशेष्य/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ripu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• smṛtaḥ: is remembered/called
• smṛtaḥ: Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: smṛ (धातु) + ta (कृत्)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त/PPP); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे ‘is called/considered’

• hataḥ: was slain
• hataḥ: Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: han (धातु) + ta (कृत्)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त/PPP); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• varāha-rūpeṇa: in the form of a boar
• varāha-rūpeṇa: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: varāha + rūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (varāhasya rūpam)

• hariṇyākhyaḥ: Hariṇyākhya (named Hariṇī)
• hariṇyākhyaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hariṇī + ākhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (‘hariṇī’-नामकः/‘hariṇī’-called)

• atha: then
• atha: Discourse connector (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/समुच्चय (then/and)

• viṣṇunā: by Viṣṇu
• viṣṇunā: Kartr̥ (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in discourse to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The Lord assumes an avatāra to protect the world and destroy adharma; remembrance of avatāra-deeds strengthens devotion.

Vedantic Theme: Īśvara as the sovereign protector (rakṣaka) who intervenes through māyā-śakti without being bound by it.

Application: Contemplate Varāha’s protection in संकट (crisis); recite/remember Viṣṇu’s avatāra-kathā to cultivate fearlessness and steadiness in dharma.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: vira

Secondary Rasa: raudra

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana (Purvakhanda) avatara-kathana sections; lists of Manus/Indras in adjacent adhyayas

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Varaha
• Shakra (Indra)
• Hiranyaksha
• Hariṇyākṣa

FAQs

What is the importance of the Varāha avatāra in the Garuda Purāṇa?

This verse recalls Viṣṇu’s Varāha form as the divine intervention that destroys Hiraṇyākṣa, reinforcing the Purāṇic theme that avatāras restore dharma when hostile forces threaten cosmic order.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

It does not directly describe the soul’s post-death journey; instead, it situates the teaching within Purāṇic history—showing that divine justice and protection operate in the cosmos, which underlies later teachings on karma, merit, and consequences.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Use it as a reminder to align with dharma: oppose harmful actions, cultivate courage and integrity, and trust that sustained righteousness is ultimately supported by a higher moral order.