Shloka 13

वैष्णवीमायावितानम्, उग्रसेनाभिषेकः, सुधर्मासभा, सांदीपनिगमनम्, पाञ्चजन्य-प्राप्तिः, गुरुदक्षिणा

Devanagari script

इत्य् उक्त्वा सो ऽस्मरद् वायुम् आजगाम च तत्क्षणात् उवाच चैनं भगवान् केशवः कार्यमानुषः

Transliteration

ity uktvā so 'smarad vāyum ājagāma ca tatkṣaṇāt uvāca cainaṃ bhagavān keśavaḥ kāryamānuṣaḥ

Translation

So sprach er und gedachte Vāyu; im selben Augenblick erschien Vāyu. Da redete Bhagavān Keśava, der um des göttlichen Werkes willen Menschengestalt angenommen hatte, zu ihm.

Word by Word

इतिthus

उक्त्वाhaving said

सःhe

अस्मरत्remembered, called to mind

वायुम्Vayu (Wind-god)

आजगामcame

चand

तत्क्षणात्immediately, at that moment

उवाचsaid

चand

एनम्to him

भगवान्the Blessed Lord

केशवःKeshava (Krishna)

कार्यमानुषःassuming human role for a task

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: He directs cosmic administrators (like Vāyu) while appearing human, to secure dharma through divine governance in the world.

Leela: Loka-rakshana

Dharma Restored: Proper alignment of divine and human realms in service of righteous rule.

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Bhagavān’s ‘human’ play conceals direct mastery over cosmic forces, revealing that the Supreme remains the inner controller even in worldly scenes.

Vedantic Theme: Brahman

Application: See the sacred within ordinary life-events; cultivate remembrance that the divine can reorder circumstances instantly when aligned with dharma.

Vishishtadvaita: Simultaneous nara-līlā (human-mode) and īśvaratva (lordship) exemplifies the Vishishtadvaita harmony of transcendence and immanence.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Krishna

Antaryamin: Yes

Characters & Entities

Vayu

Vishnu (Keshava)

FAQs

What is the significance of Vāyu arriving instantly in the Vishnu Purana?

It signals divine sovereignty and cosmic responsiveness—Vāyu, a fundamental force of the universe, appears immediately when invoked, showing how higher order operates without delay in sacred history.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the Lord acting as a human (kārya-mānuṣaḥ)?

Parāśara frames it as purposeful embodiment: the Lord adopts a human mode of action to accomplish a specific divine task while retaining supreme status as Bhagavān.

What is the theological importance of calling Keśava ‘Bhagavān’ here?

It asserts Vishnu/Keśava as the Supreme Lord who directs even deities like Vāyu—supporting a theistic reading where the transcendent Supreme governs the cosmos and intervenes compassionately in worldly events.