Shloka 39
Vamsha of Dhruva and Prithu; Daksha’s Progeny; Enumerations of Devas, Asuras, Nagas, and Birds
मृगव्याधश्च शर्वश्च कपाली च महामुने ! / एकादशैते कथिता रुद्रास्त्रिभुवनेश्वराः
mṛgavyādhaśca śarvaśca kapālī ca mahāmune ! / ekādaśaite kathitā rudrāstribhuvaneśvarāḥ
O great sage, Mṛgavyādha, Śarva, and Kapālī—these, together with the others, are declared to be the eleven Rudras, sovereign lords of the three worlds.
Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)
Concept: Cosmic governance is distributed through devatā principles (Rudras) who preside across the three worlds; enumeration conveys structural knowledge of the cosmos.
Vedantic Theme: Īśvara-śakti expressed as multiple functional powers; order (ṛta) articulated through devatā taxonomy.
Application: Study as a mnemonic map of cosmology; in ritual recitation, use the sense of tri-loka oversight to cultivate accountability and awe.
Primary Rasa: vira
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.6.37-38 (preceding Rudra names); Garuda Purana 1.6.40-41 (transition to Ādityas)
FAQs
This verse identifies specific names among the eleven Rudras, presenting them as cosmic rulers (lords of the three worlds), establishing their theological and cosmological status.
It does not directly describe the soul’s journey; rather, it situates divine hierarchies—like the Rudras—within the broader cosmology that underlies later teachings on dharma, sin, and post-death consequences.
Use it to deepen informed devotion and recitation: recognizing Rudra epithets (Śarva, Kapālī, etc.) clarifies meanings in prayers and supports disciplined, dharmic living grounded in scriptural cosmology.