Shloka 11
Nāgendra–Brāhmaṇa Saṃvāda: Praśna-vidhi and Dharmic Approach on the Gomatī Riverbank
किमर्थ तत् समभवत् तन्ममाचक्ष्व सत्तम । जनमेजय बोले--सत्पुरुषोंमें श्रेष्ठ मुने! ब्रह्माजीने भगवान्के जिस हयग्रीवावतारका दर्शन किया था, उसका प्रादुर्भाव किसलिये हुआ था? यह मुझे बताइये ।। वैशग्पायन उवाच यत् किंचिदिह लोके वै देहसत्त्वं विशाम्पते
Janamejaya uvāca—satpuruṣoṁ me śreṣṭha mune! brahmaṇā bhagavataḥ yaḥ hayagrīvāvatāraḥ dṛṣṭaḥ, tasya prādurbhāvaḥ kimartham abhavat? tan mama ācakṣva. Vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca—yat kiñcid iha loke vai deha-sattvaṃ viśāṃpate…
Janamejaya asks the sage: “O best among the virtuous, tell me—why did that manifestation occur, the Hayagrīva incarnation of the Lord which Brahmā beheld?” Vaiśaṃpāyana begins his reply, turning to a universal principle about embodied beings in the world, setting the ethical frame that divine descents arise to address disorder and restore right order.
वैशग्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames a dharmic inquiry: divine manifestations (avatāras) are not arbitrary but purposeful, arising in response to conditions in the world of embodied beings, typically to restore order, protect dharma, and guide beings toward right conduct.
King Janamejaya asks Vaiśaṃpāyana to explain why the Lord manifested as Hayagrīva, an incarnation witnessed by Brahmā. Vaiśaṃpāyana begins his answer by introducing a general statement about embodied life in the world, preparing to connect the avatāra’s appearance to a broader cosmic and ethical context.