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Shloka 5

Lakṣmī’s Emergence, Dhanvantari, and the Advent of Mohinī-mūrti

ऐरावणादयस्त्वष्टौ दिग् गजा अभवंस्तत: । अभ्रमुप्रभृतयोऽष्टौ च करिण्यस्त्वभवन्नृप ॥ ५ ॥

airāvaṇādayas tv aṣṭau dig-gajā abhavaṁs tataḥ abhramu-prabhṛtayo ’ṣṭau ca kariṇyas tv abhavan nṛpa

Thereafter, O King, eight mighty elephants of the directions were born, led by Airāvaṇa, able to move to any quarter. Eight she-elephants, led by Abhramu, also appeared.

airāvaṇa-ādayaḥAirāvaṇa and others
airāvaṇa-ādayaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootairāvaṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
Formतत्पुरुष-समास (Tatpuruṣa: ‘Airāvaṇa and others’), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nom/1st), बहुवचन
tuindeed/and
tu:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Roottu (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय, adversative/emphatic particle (तु)
aṣṭaueight
aṣṭau:
Visheshana (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootaṣṭan (प्रातिपदिक)
Formसंख्यावाचक विशेषण (numeral adjective), प्रथमा (Nom/1st), बहुवचन; agrees with implied ‘gajāḥ’
dik-gajāḥelephants of the directions
dik-gajāḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootdik (प्रातिपदिक) + gaja (प्रातिपदिक)
Formतत्पुरुष-समास (Tatpuruṣa: ‘direction-elephants’), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन
abhavanwere/appeared
abhavan:
Kriya (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√bhū (धातु)
Formलङ्-लकार (Imperfect/past), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural), परस्मैपद
tataḥthen
tataḥ:
Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
TypeIndeclinable
Roottatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
Formअव्यय, temporal adverb
abhramu-prabhṛtayaḥAbhramu and others
abhramu-prabhṛtayaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootabhramu (प्रातिपदिक) + prabhṛti (प्रातिपदिक)
Formतत्पुरुष-समास (Tatpuruṣa: ‘Abhramu and the rest’), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन
aṣṭaueight
aṣṭau:
Visheshana (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootaṣṭan (प्रातिपदिक)
Formसंख्यावाचक विशेषण, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; agrees with ‘kariṇyaḥ’ (fem. plural by sense)
caand
ca:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootca (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय, conjunction (समुच्चयबोधक)
kariṇyaḥfemale elephants
kariṇyaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootkariṇī (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा (Nom/1st), बहुवचन
tuindeed/and
tu:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Roottu (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय, particle (तु)
abhavanwere/appeared
abhavan:
Kriya (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√bhū (धातु)
Formलङ्-लकार, प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद
nṛpaO king
nṛpa:
Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
TypeNoun
Rootnṛpa (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

The names of the eight elephants were Airāvaṇa, Puṇḍarīka, Vāmana, Kumuda, Añjana, Puṣpadanta, Sārvabhauma and Supratīka.

A
Airāvaṇa
A
Abhramu
P
Parīkṣit Mahārāja

FAQs

Diggajas are the eight great elephants associated with the eight directions, appearing here during the events of Samudra Manthana, headed by Airāvaṇa.

He is narrating the sequence of wondrous manifestations that arose from the Milk Ocean during the churning, showing how cosmic order and divine arrangements emerged step by step.

Even amid struggle and upheaval (like the churning), order and auspicious outcomes can manifest in due course—encouraging patience, steadiness, and faith in divine arrangement.