Shloka 21
Manvantara Catalog: Fourteen Manus, Their Sons, Saptarishis, Indras, Deva-Hosts, and the 18 Vidyās
गणे चतुर्दश सुरा विभुरिद्रः प्रतापवान् / शान्तः शत्रुर्हतो दैत्यो हंसरूपेण विष्णुना
gaṇe caturdaśa surā vibhuridraḥ pratāpavān / śāntaḥ śatrurhato daityo haṃsarūpeṇa viṣṇunā
En aquella asamblea estaban las catorce clases de dioses, y también Indra, poderoso y resplandeciente. El adversario fue sometido: el daitya enemigo fue muerto por Viṣṇu en forma de Haṃsa (cisne).
Lord Vishnu (narrating to Garuda/Vinata-putra in the Garuda Purana dialogue frame)
Concept: Adharma culminates in downfall; divine order ensures the fruit of hostile action returns as destruction of the daitya.
Vedantic Theme: Ishvara as antaryāmin and dharma-samsthāpaka; forms (Haṃsa) are instruments of cosmic balance.
Application: Trust moral causality; choose dharma over aggression; invoke Vishnu in crisis to steady mind and action.
Primary Rasa: vira
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: celestial assembly hall
Related Themes: Garuda Purana avatara-form references (Haṃsa, other forms) in Purva-khanda narrative catalogues
FAQs
This verse highlights Viṣṇu’s adaptive divine intervention—assuming the Haṃsa form to subdue and destroy a Daitya—showing dharma is protected through appropriate means.
Indirectly: by emphasizing the victory of divine order over demonic forces, it frames the Purana’s broader teaching that cosmic law (dharma/ṛta) governs outcomes—an idea later applied to karma and post-death consequences.
Cultivate steadiness and ethical discipline: the verse reinforces that destructive tendencies (inner ‘daityas’) should be pacified and removed through dharmic conduct and devotion.