Shloka 13

Viṣṇu as Seed-Cause: Pañcarātra Emanations, Tattva-Unfolding, and the Avatāra Chronology

Devanagari script

स एव दतः समभूद्रमेशोनसूयायामत्रिरूपः परात्मा / आन्वीक्षिकिं नाम सुतर्कविद्यामलर्कनाम्ने प्रददात्तां महात्मा

Transliteration

sa eva dataḥ samabhūdrameśonasūyāyāmatrirūpaḥ parātmā / ānvīkṣikiṃ nāma sutarkavidyāmalarkanāmne pradadāttāṃ mahātmā

Translation

Ce même Seigneur—Maître de Rāma (Viṣṇu)—s’incarna en Datta, le Soi suprême, sous la forme d’Atri, né d’Anasūyā. Ce Mahātmā accorda à Alarka la discipline nommée Ānvīkṣikī, science de l’enquête juste et du raisonnement affiné.

Word by Word

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), emphatic particle (निपात)

• dataḥ: Datta (Dattātreya)
• dataḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: datta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √dā)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); past participle used as proper name/title

• samabhūt: became, manifested
• samabhūt: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-√bhū (धातु)
• Form: Luṅ (लुङ्, aorist), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• rameśaḥ: Lord of Ramā (Lakṣmī), Vishnu
• rameśaḥ: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्तृसमनाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ramā-īśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

• anasūyāyām: in Anasūyā
• anasūyāyām: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anasūyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Locative (सप्तमी/7), Singular (एकवचन)

• atri-rūpaḥ: having the form of Atri
• atri-rūpaḥ: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्तृसमनाधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: atri-rūpa (प्रातिपदिक); components: atri + rūpa
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

• parātmā: the Supreme Self
• parātmā: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्तृसमनाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: para-ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

• ānvīkṣikīm: Ānvīkṣikī (logic/inquiry)
• ānvīkṣikīm: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ānvīkṣikī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन)

• nāma: named, called
• nāma: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nāma (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), particle indicating name/appellation (नामार्थक निपात)

• sutarkavidyām: the science of good reasoning
• sutarkavidyām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: su-tarka-vidyā (प्रातिपदिक); components: su + tarka + vidyā
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन); apposition to ānvīkṣikīm

• alarkanāmne: to (one) named Alarka
• alarkanāmne: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: alarka-nāman (प्रातिपदिक); components: alarka + nāman
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Dative (चतुर्थी/4), Singular (एकवचन)

• pradadāt: gave, bestowed
• pradadāt: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√dā (धातु)
• Form: Luṅ (लुङ्, aorist), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• tām: that (teaching)
• tām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन)

• mahātmā: the great-souled one
• mahātmā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (teaching Garuda in the Garuda Purana dialogue frame)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Ānvīkṣikī—disciplined inquiry and sound reasoning (su-tarka) as a means to right understanding and removal of error.

Vedantic Theme: Pramāṇa-vicāra and viveka: reasoning as a support to śruti and direct insight; the Supreme as teacher within tradition.

Application: Practice careful questioning, define terms, avoid fallacies, and use reasoning to align belief with truth and ethical action.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: hermitage

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: recurring valuation of jñāna and guru-upadeśa as liberative supports (general thematic parallel)

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu (Rameśa)
• Dattātreya (Datta)
• Anasūyā
• Atri
• Alarka

FAQs

What is the importance of Ānvīkṣikī in the Garuda Purana?

This verse presents Ānvīkṣikī as a sacred, dharma-supporting discipline—“right inquiry” and sound reasoning—transmitted by a divine teacher (Datta) to guide correct understanding.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

Indirectly, it shows that liberation-oriented knowledge is preserved through authentic lineages: the Supreme Self teaches discernment (ānvīkṣikī), which helps the soul distinguish truth from error and orient life toward dharma and moksha.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Cultivate disciplined inquiry—study, reflect, and test beliefs with ethical reasoning—so that spiritual practice is informed, consistent, and aligned with dharma rather than superstition.