Shloka 15

An Exposition of the Distinctions of Creation, Inert Matter, and the Lord

Devanagari script

गुणवैषम्यशब्दार्थं मम ब्रूहि महाप्रभो / श्रीकृष्ण उवाच / गुणवैषम्यशब्दार्थज्ञापनाय खगेश्वर

Transliteration

guṇavaiṣamyaśabdārthaṃ mama brūhi mahāprabho / śrīkṛṣṇa uvāca / guṇavaiṣamyaśabdārthajñāpanāya khageśvara

Translation

«Ô grand Seigneur, dis-moi le sens du terme “guṇa-vaiṣamya”, l’inégalité des guṇa.» Śrī Kṛṣṇa dit : «Ô roi des oiseaux (Garuḍa), afin d’expliquer le sens de l’expression “guṇa-vaiṣamya” …»

Word by Word

• guṇa-vaiṣamya-śabda-artham: the meaning of the term ‘guṇa-vaiṣamya’
• guṇa-vaiṣamya-śabda-artham: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: guṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + vaiṣamya (प्रातिपदिक) + śabda (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः ‘meaning of the word (śabda) guṇa-vaiṣamya’

• mama: to me / of me
• mama: Sampradāna/Adhikārin (सम्प्रदान/अधिकारी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• brūhi: tell (you)
• brūhi: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: brū (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन

• mahā-prabho: O great lord
• mahā-prabho: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + prabhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः

• śrī-kṛṣṇaḥ: Śrī Kṛṣṇa
• śrī-kṛṣṇaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrī (प्रातिपदिक) + kṛṣṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; honorific karmadhāraya

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• guṇa-vaiṣamya-śabda-artha-jñāpanāya: for explaining the meaning of the term ‘guṇa-vaiṣamya’
• guṇa-vaiṣamya-śabda-artha-jñāpanāya: Prayojana (प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: guṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + vaiṣamya (प्रातिपदिक) + śabda (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक) + jñāpana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थे (for the purpose of making known)

• khaga-īśvara: O lord of birds (Garuḍa)
• khaga-īśvara: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: khaga (प्रातिपदिक) + īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः ‘lord of birds’

Speaker

Lord Krishna (as narrator/speaker addressing Garuda; Garuda asks, Krishna replies)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Request and promise of explanation: guṇa-vaiṣamya is a technical term requiring unpacking; knowledge proceeds via precise semantic clarification (śabda-artha).

Vedantic Theme: Importance of right understanding of terms (padārtha-jñāna) as groundwork for tattva-jñāna; Bhagavān as pramāṇa-guru.

Application: When studying śāstra, pause at key compounds and demand exact meaning; apply the same to self-inquiry by defining mental states in guṇa terms before acting.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 3.4.13 (guṇa-vaiṣamya named); Garuda Purana 3.4.14 (context of inquiry)

Characters & Entities

• Krishna
• Garuda (Khageshvara)

FAQs

What is the importance of ‘guna-vaishamya’ in the Garuda Purana?

This verse introduces a key doctrinal term—imbalance among sattva, rajas, and tamas—setting up an explanation of how inner qualities shape conduct and karmic outcomes.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

Indirectly: by asking for the meaning of guṇa-imbalance, it points to the Purāṇic view that the soul’s experiences and destinations are conditioned by the dominance and distortion of the guṇas expressed through actions.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Use the idea of guṇa-imbalance as self-audit: reduce tamasic and rajasic habits (harm, excess, agitation) and cultivate sattvic discipline (truthfulness, restraint, clarity) to improve ethical decisions.