Shloka 1

गर्भ-व्यवस्था, देवकी-गर्भ-स्तुति (गर्भस्तुतिः), जगदन्तर्गत-हरि-प्रतिपादनम्

Devanagari script

यथोक्तं सा जगद्धात्री देवदेवेन वै तदा षड्गर्भगर्भविन्यासं चक्रे चान्यस्य कर्षणम्

Transliteration

yathoktaṃ sā jagaddhātrī devadevena vai tadā ṣaḍgarbhagarbhavinyāsaṃ cakre cānyasya karṣaṇam

Translation

Just as the God of gods had spoken, then indeed she—the World-Mother—set in order the implantation of six embryos, and also brought about the drawing away of another (embryo) elsewhere.

Word by Word

• यथा-उक्तम्: as instructed
• यथा-उक्तम्: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय) + उक्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमास; अव्ययवत्; अर्थः—‘as said’

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• जगत्-धात्री: the sustainer of the world
• जगत्-धात्री: Karta (Subject apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक) + धात्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (जगतः धात्री = ‘supporter/bearer of the world’)

• देव-देवेन: by the god of gods
• देव-देवेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (देवानां देवः)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphasis/assurance)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adhikarana (Temporal/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• षट्-गर्भ-गर्भ-विन्यासम्: the arrangement of the six embryos
• षट्-गर्भ-गर्भ-विन्यासम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षट् (संख्या) + गर्भ (प्रातिपदिक) + गर्भ (प्रातिपदिक) + विन्यास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (षड्गर्भाणां गर्भविन्यासः = ‘arrangement/placement of the six embryos’)

• चक्रे: she did/made
• चक्रे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/परिपूर्णभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• अन्यस्य: of another (one)
• अन्यस्य: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• कर्षणम्: the transfer/drawing (out)
• कर्षणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: To orchestrate the Lord’s advent by safeguarding the divine embryos and ensuring the descent that will relieve the burden of the worlds.

Leela: Loka-rakshana

Dharma Restored: Protection of dharma through preserving the divine birth-plan and enabling the avatāra’s mission

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The ‘World-Mother’ executes the Devadeva’s directive, showing śakti as the Lord’s obedient, purposeful power coordinating embodied events for cosmic good.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: See life-events as capable of being aligned to dharma through surrender and disciplined action—cooperate with what is wholesome rather than resisting out of fear.

Vishishtadvaita: Śakti is inseparable from the Lord yet functionally distinct in operation, supporting qualified non-duality: one sovereign will expressed through real powers and persons.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Vasudeva

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Yogamaya (Jagaddhātrī)
• Devaki
• Balarama (as the transferred embryo)
• The six embryos (Ṣaḍgarbha)

FAQs

What is the significance of the “six embryos” (ṣaḍgarbha) in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse signals the divine arrangement surrounding Devakī’s pregnancies—six embryos are placed in sequence, forming the narrative basis for Kamsa’s fear and the unfolding of Krishna’s protected descent.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the embryo “drawing away” (karṣaṇam)?

Parāśara frames it as an act carried out by the World-Mother (Yogamāyā) in obedience to the God of gods—an intentional transfer/removal that preserves the divine plan leading into Krishna’s incarnation cycle.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this context?

Vishnu is presented as the supreme sovereign whose intent governs events even at the level of birth and embodiment; Yogamāyā functions as the executing power that aligns worldly history with the Lord’s salvific purpose.