Shloka 2

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

Devanagari script

यो बीजभूतः पुरुषाख्य विष्णुः स एवाभूद्वासुदेवो महात्मा / सृष्टिं कर्तुं पुरुषाख्यस्य वायोर्मायाख्यायां मूलरूपो यथाऽस

Transliteration

yo bījabhūtaḥ puruṣākhya viṣṇuḥ sa evābhūdvāsudevo mahātmā / sṛṣṭiṃ kartuṃ puruṣākhyasya vāyormāyākhyāyāṃ mūlarūpo yathā'sa

Translation

Ce Viṣṇu nommé Puruṣa —cause-semence de l’univers— devint le magnanime Vāsudeva. Afin de faire naître la création, Il demeura en sa forme primordiale au sein de la puissance appelée Māyā, avec le principe cosmique nommé Vāyu.

Word by Word

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• बीजभूतः: seed-cause
• बीजभूतः: Vishesana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बीज + भूत (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः

• पुरुषाख्यः: named Puruṣa
• पुरुषाख्यः: Vishesana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुरुष + आख्य (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (named Puruṣa)

• विष्णुः: Viṣṇu
• विष्णुः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण

• अभूत्: became
• अभूत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (Aorist), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• वासुदेवः: Vāsudeva
• वासुदेवः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वासुदेव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• महात्मा: great-souled one
• महात्मा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महात् + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• सृष्टिम्: creation
• सृष्टिम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सृष्टि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• कर्तुम्: to do
• कर्तुम्: Prayojana (प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन् (infinitive), अव्ययवत्

• पुरुषाख्यस्य: of (the) Puruṣa-named (one)
• पुरुषाख्यस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष + आख्य (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-प्रातिपदिक (of the one named Puruṣa)

• वायोः: of Vāyu
• वायोः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• मायाख्यायाम्: in (that) called Māyā
• मायाख्यायाम्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माया + आख्या (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (माया-आख्या = named Māyā)

• मूलरूपः: in the original form
• मूलरूपः: Vishesana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मूल + रूप (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (मूलं रूपं यस्य/मूलरूपः)

• यथा: as
• यथा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमान/प्रकारवाचक (as/just as)

• आसीत्: was
• आसीत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (narrating to Garuda/Vinata-putra in the Garuda Purana dialogue frame)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Emanational theology: the seed-Puruṣa Viṣṇu becomes Vāsudeva; creation proceeds through Māyā with the cosmic principle Vāyu.

Vedantic Theme: Īśvara with Māyā (śakti) as the condition for manifestation; tattva-level explanation of sṛṣṭi without diminishing the Lord’s supremacy.

Application: Hold a two-level view: the world as real in experience yet dependent on the Lord’s power (Māyā); cultivate humility and non-attachment by seeing phenomena as contingent manifestations.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: fourfold emanation (caturvyūha) discussions where present; Garuda Purana: sṛṣṭi-tattva enumerations (mahat/ahaṅkāra etc.)

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Purusha
• Vasudeva
• Vayu
• Maya

FAQs

What is the importance of Viṣṇu being called the “seed-cause” (bījabhūta) in the Garuda Purana?

It states that the ultimate source of creation is Viṣṇu himself—creation arises from him as the primal cause, not from an independent or separate principle.

How does this verse explain the beginning of creation through Māyā and Vāyu?

It presents creation as emerging when the Supreme (Vāsudeva/Puruṣa) abides in a primordial state associated with Māyā (creative power/veiling potency) and Vāyu (cosmic vital movement), through which manifestation becomes possible.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

It encourages seeing the world as dependent on a single divine source and treating life with humility and dharmic responsibility, recognizing that power, motion, and appearances operate through Māyā under the Supreme.