Shloka 52
स्वधर्माणः सुतपसो हरितो होहितास्तथा / सुरारयो गणाश्चैते प्रत्येकं दशको गणः
svadharmāṇaḥ sutapaso harito hohitāstathā / surārayo gaṇāścaite pratyekaṃ daśako gaṇaḥ
The groups called Svadharmāṇa, Sutapas, Harita, and Rohita, as well as the Surāraya—each of these is a gaṇa, a troop of ten members.
Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)
Concept: Svadharma and tapas are not merely individual virtues but can define collective identities and functions (gaṇas).
Vedantic Theme: Loka-saṅgraha (maintenance of cosmic order) through role-aligned conduct; harmony of parts within a larger ṛta-like system.
Application: Align personal duties (svadharma) with consistent discipline; participate in communities that reinforce virtue through shared practice.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Related Themes: Garuda Purana manvantara/cosmology lists where gaṇas are grouped by tens
FAQs
This verse preserves a structured classification of named celestial groups (gaṇas), indicating their fixed organization—each counted as a unit of ten—within the Purāṇic cosmological order.
Indirectly: by mapping the organized hierarchy of cosmic beings, it frames the Garuda Purana’s broader teaching that the universe—including post-death realms and their administrators—operates by defined categories and order.
It encourages disciplined, orderly living (dharma and niyama): the text presents even divine realms as structured, reinforcing the value of clarity, duty, and right conduct in one’s own life.