Shloka 58
मायूरेण च रूपेण घातयिष्यति माधवः / चतुर्दशस्य भौत्यस्य शृणु पुत्रान्मनोर्मम
māyūreṇa ca rūpeṇa ghātayiṣyati mādhavaḥ / caturdaśasya bhautyasya śṛṇu putrānmanormama
Assuming the form of a peacock, Mādhava (Viṣṇu) will slay him. Now listen, my son, to the sons of Manu—beginning with the fourteenth, named Bhauti.
Primary narrator/speaker (contextual): likely Lord Vishnu instructing Garuda (Vinata-putra)
Concept: The Lord adapts form (rūpa) to protect dharma and remove obstacles; divine agency operates compassionately yet decisively.
Vedantic Theme: Īśvara’s līlā and avatāra principle: form is assumed without limiting the Absolute; protection of dharma as cosmic compassion.
Application: In devotion, trust divine protection; in action, use skillful means—appropriate form/strategy—to confront harm while upholding dharma.
Primary Rasa: vira
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Related Themes: Garuda Purana narratives of Viṣṇu’s interventions and manvantara lists
FAQs
It situates the teaching within Purāṇic cosmic chronology and lineages, linking dharma and world-ages to specific Manus and their descendants.
This particular verse is primarily genealogical and narrative (about forms and lineage), serving as contextual framing rather than directly describing preta-gati or Yama’s realm.
Use it as a reminder that Purāṇic teachings often combine ethics with cosmic history—study lineage sections to understand the broader dharmic framework behind ritual and conduct.