Shloka 14

Vīrya, Māyā/Prakṛti, Śrī’s Inseparability, Paramāṇu, and Hari’s Infinitude

Devanagari script

भिन्नं तदाहुः प्राकृतमेव चाहुः स्वनाभिपद्मादिकवच्च बोध्यम् / नैतावता ज्ञानरूपस्य विष्णोर्न वीर्यहानिरिति चिन्तनीयम्

Transliteration

bhinnaṃ tadāhuḥ prākṛtameva cāhuḥ svanābhipadmādikavacca bodhyam / naitāvatā jñānarūpasya viṣṇorna vīryahāniriti cintanīyam

Translation

On dit que cela est distinct, et l’on dit aussi que c’est un produit de la Prakṛti ; il faut le comprendre comme le lotus et autres choses surgissant du propre nombril du Seigneur. Pourtant, pour cela seul, qu’on ne pense pas qu’il y ait diminution de la puissance de Viṣṇu, dont la nature même est pure conscience, pure connaissance.

Word by Word

• bhinnaṃ: distinct
• bhinnaṃ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi-bhinna (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; bhid धातु + क्त)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular; predicate adjective

• tat: that (potency)
• tat: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd), Singular; object of āhuḥ (understood)

• āhuḥ: they say
• āhuḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ah (धाातु)
• Form: Perfect/लिट्, 3rd person, Plural, Parasmaipada

• prākṛtam: material, of prakṛti
• prākṛtam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prākṛta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular; predicate adjective

• eva: indeed
• eva: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; emphasis particle

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; conjunction

• āhuḥ: they say
• āhuḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ah (धाातु)
• Form: Perfect/लिट्, 3rd person, Plural, Parasmaipada

• sva-nābhi-padma-ādikavat: like (the lotus etc.) from his navel
• sva-nābhi-padma-ādikavat: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक) + nābhi (प्रातिपदिक) + padma (प्रातिपदिक) + ādika (प्रातिपदिक) + vat (तद्धित)
• Form: Adverbial comparison marker; compound used with -vat (वत्) meaning 'like ...'; 'like (the creation) beginning with the lotus from (his) navel'

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; conjunction

• bodhyam: to be understood
• bodhyam: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: budh (धाातु) + ya (यत्/णीय) → bodhya (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Gerundive/णीयत् (भाव्य/कर्तव्य), Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular; 'to be understood'

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; negation particle (निषेध)

• etāvatā: by this (fact)
• etāvatā: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etāvat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (or Masculine usage), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular; 'by this much/thereby'

• jñāna-rūpasya: of (Vishnu) whose form is knowledge
• jñāna-rūpasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jñāna (प्रातिपदिक) + rūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter (here genitive of viṣṇoḥ implied), Genitive (6th), Singular; 'of the one whose form is knowledge' (as qualifier)

• viṣṇoḥ: of Viṣṇu
• viṣṇoḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (6th), Singular

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; negation

• vīrya-hāniḥ: loss of potency
• vīrya-hāniḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vīrya (प्रातिपदिक) + hāni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative (1st), Singular

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; quotative particle (इति)

• cintanīyam: should be considered
• cintanīyam: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: cint (धाातु) + anīya (अनीयर्) → cintanīya (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Gerundive/अनीयर् (भाव्य), Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular; impersonal predicate 'it should be thought/considered'

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (teaching Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Creation may be spoken of as distinct/prakṛti-born, yet this does not lessen Viṣṇu’s jñāna-svarūpa or vīrya (śakti).

Vedantic Theme: Śakti-śaktimat abheda; apparent bheda in upādhi does not negate the Lord’s nirguṇa-cit supremacy (bhedābheda framing).

Application: Hold doctrinal distinctions without attributing limitation to the Divine; contemplate the world as dependent manifestation while maintaining īśvara-sarvaśaktimatva.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Geographic Context

Type: cosmic body-symbol (nābhi-padma)

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 3.3.15 (sarvatrāvasthāna as īśvaratva); Garuda Purana 3.3.16 (twofold forms; abheda contemplation)

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Prakriti
• Nabhi (navel)
• Padma (lotus)

FAQs

What is the importance of calling something 'prākṛta' (of Prakṛti) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse clarifies that certain manifested forms or effects may be described as prākṛta (materially constituted), yet they can still arise from Viṣṇu without compromising His transcendence as pure consciousness.

How does this verse explain the relationship between Vishnu and creation?

It uses the analogy of the lotus arising from Viṣṇu’s navel to show that manifested phenomena can be distinct and appear material, while Viṣṇu remains undiminished in potency and essentially jñāna-svarūpa (consciousness).

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Distinguish between the changing material world and the unchanging conscious principle; avoid judging the Divine by material categories, and cultivate reflection (vicāra) that preserves faith without denying philosophical nuance.