Shloka 70

Cosmic Appointments, Viṣṇu’s Vibhūtis, Fourfold Operation, and the Symbolism of Ornaments and Weapons

Devanagari script

पञ्चरूपा तु या माला वैजयन्ती गदाभृतः सा भूतहेतुसंघाता भूतमाला च वै द्विज

Transliteration

pañcarūpā tu yā mālā vaijayantī gadābhṛtaḥ sā bhūtahetusaṃghātā bhūtamālā ca vai dvija

Translation

O twice-born, the fivefold Vaijayantī garland worn by the wielder of the mace is the very aggregate of the causes of beings—indeed, a garland formed of the elements themselves.

Word by Word

• पञ्चरूपा: five-formed
• पञ्चरूपा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्च + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—पञ्च रूपाणि यस्याः सा (द्विगु-समासः, विशेषणम् ‘माला’)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात-अव्यय (particle; contrast/emphasis)

• या: which
• या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• माला: garland
• माला: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वैजयन्ती: Vaijayantī (garland)
• वैजयन्ती: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैजयन्ती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नाम (proper name of garland)

• गदाभृतः: of the mace-bearer
• गदाभृतः: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गदा + भृत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; समासः—गदां बिभर्ति इति (उपपद-तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारयप्राय); ‘गदाभृत्’ = mace-bearer (विष्णोः)

• सा: that
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; निर्देशक-सर्वनाम (demonstrative)

• भूतहेतुसंघाता: aggregate of the causes of beings
• भूतहेतुसंघाता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत + हेतु + संघात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—भूतानां हेतूनां संघातः इति (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष; बहुपद-समास)

• भूतमाला: garland of beings/elements
• भूतमाला: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत + माला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—भूतानां माला इति (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• द्विज: O twice-born (brahmin)
• द्विज: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Symbolism of the Vaijayantī garland as pañca-bhūta/causal aggregation in the Lord’s adornment

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: revealing

Cosmological Context

Creation Stage: Secondary

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The fivefold Vaijayantī garland signifies the compounded causes of beings—read as the pañca-bhūtas (and their causal nexus)—showing the cosmos as an ornament resting upon the Lord.

Vedantic Theme: Maya

Application: Reframe the material world as dependent and sacred: cultivate gratitude and non-possessiveness by seeing nature as Bhagavān’s ‘garland,’ not one’s property.

Vishishtadvaita: The universe is real yet dependent (śeṣa) and functions as a mode/adornment of the Lord, harmonizing immanence with divine transcendence.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Narayana

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Antaryamin: Yes

Jagat Karana: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Vaijayanti (garland)
• Gada (mace)
• Bhutas (elements/beings)
• Maitreya

FAQs

What is the significance of the Vaijayantī garland in the Vishnu Purana?

In this verse, the Vaijayantī is interpreted cosmologically: it signifies the fivefold structure behind manifested existence, described as a garland made of (or representing) the elemental causes of beings.

How does Sage Parāśara explain Vishnu’s ornaments and weapons?

Parāśara treats them not as mere decorations but as metaphysical symbols—each emblem embodies a principle of creation and governance; here the garland is the collected causes/elements from which beings arise.

The theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this context?

Vishnu is presented as the sovereign ground of reality: even his adornments encode the universe’s elemental order, implying that the cosmos rests in and is upheld by the Supreme.