Shloka 23

Viṣṇu as Seed-Cause: Pañcarātra Emanations, Tattva-Unfolding, and the Avatāra Chronology

Devanagari script

ततो हरी रघुवंशेवतीर्णः कौसल्यायां राघवः सूर्यवंशे / समुद्रादोर्विग्रहं कर्तुमीशो हं तुं भूम्यां रावणादींश्च वीन्द्र

Transliteration

tato harī raghuvaṃśevatīrṇaḥ kausalyāyāṃ rāghavaḥ sūryavaṃśe / samudrādorvigrahaṃ kartumīśo haṃ tuṃ bhūmyāṃ rāvaṇādīṃśca vīndra

Translation

Dann stieg Hari in das Geschlecht der Raghu herab als Rāghava, geboren von Kausalyā in der Sonnendynastie. O König, der Herr, der über den Ozean hinweg Krieg zu führen vermag, kam herab, um Rāvaṇa und die anderen auf Erden zu erschlagen.

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय, temporal adverb

• harī: Hari
• harī: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hari (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; वैदिक/छान्दस रूप (hariḥ अर्थे)

• raghu-vaṃśe: in the Raghu dynasty
• raghu-vaṃśe: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: raghu (प्रातिपदिक) + vaṃśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: रघोः वंशः; पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• avatīrṇaḥ: descended/incarnated
• avatīrṇaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ava-√tṝ (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; अवतारार्थे

• kausalyāyām: in Kausalyā
• kausalyāyām: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kausalyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• rāghavaḥ: Rāghava (Rama)
• rāghavaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāghava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• sūrya-vaṃśe: in the Solar dynasty
• sūrya-vaṃśe: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sūrya (प्रातिपदिक) + vaṃśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: सूर्यस्य वंशः; पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• samudrāt: from the ocean
• samudrāt: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: samudra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन

• urvī-graham: the taking/holding of the earth (land-reclamation)
• urvī-graham: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: urvī (प्रातिपदिक) + graha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष: उर्व्याः ग्रहः/ग्रहणम्; पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; पाठदोष-संभवः: 'orvigrahaṃ' इति लिखितम्

• kartum: to do/make
• kartum: Prayojana (प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (Infinitive)

• īśaḥ: the Lord
• īśaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: īśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• hantum: to slay
• hantum: Prayojana (प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: han (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (Infinitive)

• bhūmyām: on the earth
• bhūmyām: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhūmi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• rāvaṇa-ādīn: Rāvaṇa and others
• rāvaṇa-ādīn: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāvaṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष: रावणः आदिः येषाम्; पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय

• vīndra: O best of heroes
• vīndra: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vīra + indra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सम्बोधन, एकवचन

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (narration within the Garuda Purana’s account of divine incarnations)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The Lord incarnates to protect the world by confronting adharma directly; righteous kingship includes courage, restraint, and fidelity to duty.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma as expression of Īśvara’s will in history; avatāra as upholding ṛta through exemplary conduct (maryādā).

Application: Face injustice with disciplined courage; keep commitments; lead with integrity even under pressure.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: vira

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Geographic Context

Type: city and island-kingdom

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: avatar enumerations and praise of Hari as protector

Characters & Entities

• Hari (Vishnu)
• Rāma (Rāghava)
• Kausalyā
• Raghu dynasty
• Sūryavaṁśa (Solar dynasty)
• Rāvaṇa
• Samudra (ocean)

FAQs

What is the importance of Lord Rama’s incarnation in the Garuda Purana?

This verse presents Rama as Hari’s deliberate descent to restore dharma, specifically to defeat Ravana and allied forces, showing avatara as a corrective intervention in cosmic order.

How does this verse explain the purpose of divine incarnations?

It frames incarnation as purposeful: the Lord takes birth in a righteous lineage (Raghu/Suryavamsha) and accomplishes a defined task—here, crossing the ocean for war and destroying Ravana—highlighting dharma-protection through concrete action.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Treat dharma as actionable: confront wrongdoing with disciplined effort, uphold integrity in family and society, and choose righteous means even when the task feels “ocean-like” in difficulty.