Shloka 4

Devanagari script

गरुडं च ददर्शोच्चैर् अन्तर्धानगतं द्विज कृतच्छायं हरेर् मूर्ध्नि पक्षाभ्यां पक्षिपुंगवम्

Transliteration

garuḍaṃ ca dadarśoccair antardhānagataṃ dvija kṛtacchāyaṃ harer mūrdhni pakṣābhyāṃ pakṣipuṃgavam

Translation

And he beheld Garuḍa, O twice-born one—lofty, the foremost of birds—who had become invisible, yet with his two wings cast a sheltering shade upon Hari’s head.

Word by Word

• गरुडम्: Garuḍa
• गरुडम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गरुड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन

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

• ददर्श: saw
• ददर्श: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• उच्चैः: aloft / on high
• उच्चैः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उच्चैः (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण अव्यय (adverb)

• अन्तर्धानगतम्: gone into invisibility
• अन्तर्धानगतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्तर्धान-गत (प्रातिपदिक; अन्तर्धान + गत)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषण; सप्तमी/तत्पुरुषार्थः—‘अन्तर्धाने गतः’

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

• कृतच्छायम्: casting (his) shade
• कृतच्छायम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत-छाय (प्रातिपदिक; कृत + छाया)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषण; ‘छायां कृतवान्/कृतः’ (कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुषभाव)

• हरेः: of Hari (Vishnu)
• हरेः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• मूर्ध्नि: on (the) head
• मूर्ध्नि: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूर्धन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• पक्षाभ्याम्: with (his) two wings
• पक्षाभ्याम्: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), द्विवचन

• पक्षिपुंगवम्: the foremost of birds
• पक्षिपुंगवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पक्षि-पुंगव (प्रातिपदिक; पक्षि + पुंगव)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; ‘पक्षिणां पुंगवः’ (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Signs of Krishna’s divinity perceived by celestial beings (e.g., Garuḍa’s attendance).

Teaching: Devotional

Quality: authoritative

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: He remains approachable in Vraja while even Garuḍa serves him invisibly, signaling divine sovereignty beneath human play.

Leela: Loka-rakshana

Dharma Restored: Affirmation of Hari’s lordship and protective grace (śaraṇāgati-viṣaya).

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Divine protection operates even when unseen; the Lord is attended by cosmic servants though he appears simple.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Trust in unseen grace while practicing steady devotion without demanding signs.

Vishishtadvaita: The Supreme’s sovereignty includes personal attendants (śeṣa-śeṣi-bhāva), expressing relational theism central to Viśiṣṭādvaita.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Hari

Bhakti Type: Dasya

Characters & Entities

• Garuḍa
• Hari (Vishnu)

FAQs

What is the significance of Garuḍa casting shade over Hari in the Vishnu Purana?

It signals divine kingship and protection: Garuḍa, Vishnu’s vahana, acts as an extension of Hari’s sovereign power—sheltering and proclaiming His supremacy even when moving unseen.

How does Sage Parāśara explain concealment (antardhāna) in this narrative context?

Parāśara uses antardhāna as a narrative marker of divine mystery—beings may become invisible, yet their service and the presence of Hari remain evident through unmistakable signs.

What is the theological importance of Hari (Vishnu) in this verse?

Hari is portrayed as the central, supreme Lord around whom even the greatest celestial beings (like Garuḍa) revolve in devoted service, reinforcing Vishnu’s role as the sustaining reality behind cosmic order.