Shloka 18

पौण्ड्रक-वधः, कृत्या-प्रशमनम्, वाराणसी-दाहः

Devanagari script

किरीटकुण्डलधरं पीतवासःसमन्वितम् दृष्ट्वा तं भावगम्भीरं जहास गरुडध्वजः

Transliteration

kirīṭakuṇḍaladharaṃ pītavāsaḥsamanvitam dṛṣṭvā taṃ bhāvagambhīraṃ jahāsa garuḍadhvajaḥ

Translation

Beholding him—adorned with crown and earrings, arrayed in yellow raiment, and profound in His inward majesty—Garuḍadhvaja smiled.

Word by Word

• kirīṭa-kuṇḍala-dharam: wearing crown and earrings
• kirīṭa-kuṇḍala-dharam: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kirīṭa (प्रातिपदिक) + kuṇḍala (प्रातिपदिक) + dhara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; द्वन्द्व (itaretara) + तत्पुरुष sense: 'किरीटं च कुण्डले च धरति' = wearing crown and earrings

• pīta-vāsaḥ-samanvitam: clad in yellow garments
• pīta-vāsaḥ-samanvitam: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pīta (प्रातिपदिक) + vāsaḥ (प्रातिपदिक) + samanvita (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: 'पीतेन वाससा समन्वितः' = clad in yellow garments

• dṛṣṭvā: having seen
• dṛṣṭvā: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु) → dṛṣṭvā (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्यय (absolutive/gerund): 'having seen'

• tam: him
• tam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• bhāva-gambhīram: grave in expression
• bhāva-gambhīram: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhāva (प्रातिपदिक) + gambhīra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: 'भावेन गम्भीरः' = grave/solemn in demeanor

• jahāsa: laughed
• jahāsa: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: has (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद: 'laughed'

• garuḍa-dhvajaḥ: the one with Garuḍa as his banner
• garuḍa-dhvajaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: garuḍa (प्रातिपदिक) + dhvaja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि: 'गरुडः ध्वजः यस्य' = he whose banner is Garuḍa (Vishnu/Krishna)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Teaching: Devotional

Quality: compassionate

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: To calmly reveal the futility of the pretender’s display and proceed to protect dharma with effortless divine confidence.

Leela: Yuddha

Dharma Restored: Upholding true divinity and righteous kingship against hubris

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The Lord’s inner majesty (bhāva-gāmbhīrya) remains undisturbed by provocation; His smile signals effortless supremacy over ego.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Practice steadiness and humility: respond to provocation without losing inner composure, anchoring the mind in the Lord.

Vishishtadvaita: Bhagavān’s auspicious qualities (ananta-kalyāṇa-guṇas) are emotionally accessible—His smile is a real expression of divine personhood.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Hari

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Lakshmi Presence: Sri

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Garuḍa
• Krishna (as Garuḍadhvaja)

FAQs

What is the significance of the epithet “Garuḍadhvaja” in the Vishnu Purana?

“Garuḍadhvaja” identifies the Supreme Lord as the one whose standard bears Garuḍa, marking Him as Vishnu (and, in Krishna narratives, Krishna as Vishnu’s own Supreme form) and emphasizing His sovereignty and divine presence.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the Lord’s divinity through descriptive imagery here?

By highlighting the Lord’s regal ornaments and pītāmbara along with His “bhāva-gambhīra” (profound inner majesty), Parāśara conveys that divinity is recognized both in auspicious form and in the depth of transcendent being.

What is the theological importance of Vishnu/Krishna smiling in this context?

The smile signals effortless supremacy and compassionate assurance—an expression of the Lord’s mastery over events while remaining graciously accessible to devotees within the narrative world.