Shloka 36

Manvantara Catalog: Fourteen Manus, Their Sons, Saptarishis, Indras, Deva-Hosts, and the 18 Vidyās

Devanagari script

तेषां गणस्तु देवाना मेकैको विंशकः स्मृतः / विरोचनसुतस्तेषां बलिरिन्द्रो भविष्यति

Transliteration

teṣāṃ gaṇastu devānā mekaiko viṃśakaḥ smṛtaḥ / virocanasutasteṣāṃ balirindro bhaviṣyati

Translation

Of those gods, each group is said to consist of twenty-one; and among them, Bali—the son of Virocana—will become Indra.

Word by Word

• teṣām: of them
• teṣām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• gaṇaḥ: group
• gaṇaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• tu: but/indeed
• tu: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (contrastive particle)

• devānām: of the gods
• devānām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• ekaḥ: one
• ekaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक/संख्या)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘gaṇaḥ’)

• ekaḥ: each (one by one)
• ekaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक/संख्या)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति (emphatic repetition)

• viṃśakaḥ: a score (twenty)
• viṃśakaḥ: Predicate nominative (समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṃśaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; संख्यावाचक-नाम (a set of twenty)

• smṛtaḥ: is said/considered
• smṛtaḥ: Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: smṛ (धातु) + ta (कृत्)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त/PPP); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘is considered’

• virocana-sutaḥ: son of Virocana
• virocana-sutaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: virocana + suta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (virocanasya sutaḥ)

• teṣām: of them
• teṣām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• baliḥ: Bali
• baliḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bali (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• indraḥ: Indra (king of gods)
• indraḥ: Predicate nominative (समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: indra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; उपपद-समानााधिकरण (as predicate title)

• bhaviṣyati: will be
• bhaviṣyati: Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Cosmic offices (like Indra) rotate according to merit and divine ordinance; even famed figures like Bali can attain rulership in future cycles.

Vedantic Theme: Karma-phala within saṃsāra’s cycles; īśvara-niyati governs distribution of power and status.

Application: Do not absolutize present hierarchies; cultivate merit (puṇya) and humility, recognizing roles change with time and karma.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana manvantara/Indra lists in the same adhyāya

Characters & Entities

• Devas
• Virocana
• Bali
• Indra

FAQs

What is the importance of Deva groupings in the Garuda Purana?

This verse presents a structured classification of the Devas into fixed groups, emphasizing cosmic order and the regulated succession of divine roles like Indra.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

It does not directly discuss the soul’s post-death journey; instead, it provides cosmological context—showing how the universe is governed through ordered divine hierarchies.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

It encourages respect for dharmic order and humility—positions of power are temporary offices within a larger cosmic system, not permanent personal possessions.