Shloka 19

Devanagari script

प्राकृतो वैकृतश्चापि (९) कौमारो नवमः स्मृतः / स्थावरान्ताः सुराद्यास्तु प्रजा रुद्र ! चतुर्विधाः

Transliteration

prākṛto vaikṛtaścāpi (9) kaumāro navamaḥ smṛtaḥ / sthāvarāntāḥ surādyāstu prajā rudra ! caturvidhāḥ

Translation

The “Prākṛta” and the “Vaikṛta” creations are also spoken of; and the “Kaumāra” is remembered as the ninth. O Rudra, beings—from the immobile (plants and the like) up to the gods—are of four kinds.

Word by Word

• prākṛtaḥ: primary; natural
• prākṛtaḥ: Samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prākṛta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• vaikṛtaḥ: secondary; modified
• vaikṛtaḥ: Samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vaikṛta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction: and)

• api: also
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपि-निपात (particle: also/even)

• kaumāraḥ: kaumāra (of Kumāra); youthful
• kaumāraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kaumāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• navamaḥ: ninth
• navamaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: navama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्रमवाचक-विशेषण

• smṛtaḥ: is said; is remembered
• smṛtaḥ: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: smṛ (धातु) + ta (कृत्)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘is said/remembered’

• sthāvara-antāḥ: ending with immobile beings
• sthāvara-antāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sthāvara (प्रातिपदिक) + anta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-प्रायः तत्पुरुषः ‘स्थावरः अन्तः यस्य/येषाम्’ (ending with immovables)

• sura-ādyāḥ: beginning with gods
• sura-ādyāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sura (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः ‘सुराः आदयः येषाम्’ (beginning with gods)

• tu: but; indeed
• tu: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle)

• prajāḥ: creatures; progeny
• prajāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prajā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• rudra: O Rudra
• rudra: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rudra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• catur-vidhāḥ: fourfold
• catur-vidhāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: catur (संख्या) + vidha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः ‘चत्वारः विधाः’ (of four kinds)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (narrating cosmological classification within the Garuda Purana dialogue)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Kaumāra as a distinct sarga; fourfold categorization of beings spanning immobile life to gods.

Vedantic Theme: Hierarchy within prakṛti’s manifestations; the Self remains one while names/forms diversify (nāma-rūpa).

Application: Practice non-anthropocentric humility: recognize continuity of life-forms; cultivate sattvic respect (ahiṃsā-mindedness) grounded in seeing shared participation in creation.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.4.18 (sarga taxonomy); Garuda Purana 1.4.20 (fourfold order: devas/asuras/pitṛs/humans)

Characters & Entities

• Rudra
• Devas (Suras)
• Sthavara (immobile beings)
• Kumāras (implied by Kaumāra)

FAQs

What is the importance of prākṛta and vaikṛta creation in the Garuda Purana?

This verse highlights two broad modes of manifestation—primary (natural) and modified (secondary)—and places the Kaumāra creation among the enumerated creations, showing an ordered cosmology behind living diversity.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

Indirectly, it frames the soul’s embodied journey within a structured universe of four categories of beings—from immobile life to divine beings—indicating that embodiment can vary widely according to cosmic order (and, by implication, karmic conditions discussed elsewhere in the text).

Practical application of this wisdom today?

It encourages a dharmic outlook of respect toward all forms of life—seeing them as part of an ordered creation—supporting ethical conduct (ahiṃsā, compassion) and humility in spiritual practice.