Shloka 8

Śiva’s Narasiṃha-Stotra and the Pacification of the Mātṛgaṇas

Devanagari script

नीलोत्पलदलश्यामं रत्ननूपुरभूषितम् / तेजसाक्रान्तसकलब्रह्माण्डोदरमण्डपम्

Transliteration

nīlotpaladalaśyāmaṃ ratnanūpurabhūṣitam / tejasākrāntasakalabrahmāṇḍodaramaṇḍapam

Translation

Dark as the petal of a blue lotus and adorned with jeweled anklets, by His own radiance He pervaded the entire inner pavilion of the Brahmāṇḍa—the cosmic egg of the universe.

Word by Word

• नीलोत्पलदलश्यामम्: dark like the petal of a blue lotus
• नीलोत्पलदलश्यामम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नील + उत्पल + दल + श्याम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (नीलोत्पलस्य दलवत् श्यामः)

• रत्ननूपुरभूषितम्: adorned with jeweled anklets
• रत्ननूपुरभूषितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रत्न + नूपुर + भूषित (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP, भूष् + क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (रत्न-नूपुरैः भूषितम्)

• तेजसा: by radiance/energy
• तेजसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तेजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• आक्रान्तसकलब्रह्माण्डोदरमण्डपम्: whose belly-cavity (as a pavilion) encompasses the entire universe by its radiance
• आक्रान्तसकलब्रह्माण्डोदरमण्डपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ + क्रम् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त) + सकल + ब्रह्माण्ड + उदर + मण्डप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP, आक्रम् + क्त) ‘आक्रान्त’; पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (तेजसा आक्रान्तं सकलं ब्रह्माण्डस्य उदर-मण्डपं यस्य)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (narrating to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The Lord’s radiance pervades and contains the cosmos; the universe is within the divine, not outside it.

Vedantic Theme: Viśvarūpa/antarvyāpti (inner pervasion); Brahman as the substratum in which the cosmos appears.

Application: Meditate on pervasion: see the ‘inner pavilion’ of experience (mind/world) as suffused by awareness/divine presence.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: cosmic interior pavilion (metaphoric mandapa)

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: cosmological descriptions where the universe is contained within divine order (contextual)

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Brahmanda (cosmic egg)

FAQs

What is the importance of describing Vishnu’s form in the Garuda Purana?

This verse presents Vishnu’s tejas (divine radiance) as cosmic—His presence is not merely local but pervades the entire brahmanda, grounding the text’s teachings in devotion and metaphysical sovereignty.

How does this verse explain the relationship between God and the universe (brahmanda)?

By stating that His radiance pervades the ‘inner pavilion’ of the cosmic egg, the verse conveys that the universe exists within and is sustained by divine splendor, not independent of it.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Cultivate reverence and ethical restraint by remembering that actions occur within a divinely pervaded cosmos—supporting steady devotion, disciplined conduct, and mindful living.