Shloka 6

Mahābhārata-saṅkṣepa and Avatāra-kāraṇa

Brahmā’s Synopsis of the Epic and the Logic of Divine Descents

Devanagari script

अन्यो विचित्रवीर्यो ऽभूत्काशीराजसुतापतिः / विचित्रवीर्ये स्वर्याते व्यासात्तत्क्षेत्रतो ऽभवत्

Transliteration

anyo vicitravīryo 'bhūtkāśīrājasutāpatiḥ / vicitravīrye svaryāte vyāsāttatkṣetrato 'bhavat

Translation

もう一人はヴィチトラヴィーリヤで、カーシー王の娘を妻とした。ヴィチトラヴィーリヤが天に帰した後、その「田（クシェートラ）」においてヴャーサによって子孫が生じた。

Word by Word

• अन्यः: the other (one)
• अन्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम-प्रयोग (pronominal)

• विचित्रवीर्यः: Vicitravīrya
• विचित्रवीर्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विचित्र + वीर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

• काशीराजसुतापतिः: husband of the daughter of the king of Kāśī
• काशीराजसुतापतिः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate noun)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशीराज + सुता + पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: काशीराजस्य सुतायाः पति:)

• विचित्रवीर्ये: when/with Vicitravīrya
• विचित्रवीर्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विचित्रवीर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• स्वर्याते: having gone to heaven (deceased)
• स्वर्याते: Adhikarana (Locative absolute-like qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वर्यात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying)

• व्यासात्: from Vyāsa / by Vyāsa
• व्यासात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, (समासपूर्वपद/विशेषणरूपेण)

• क्षेत्रतः: from the (that) field/womb
• क्षेत्रतः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverbial: from the field)

• अभवत्: came to be/was born
• अभवत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (Aorist), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (narrating to Garuda)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Kṣetra-kṣetrajña framing of progeny and the dharmic institution of niyoga to preserve lineage when a husband dies childless.

Vedantic Theme: Body/lineage as kṣetra (field) while agency and results are governed by dharma and karma; detachment from possessiveness over progeny.

Application: Recognize social duties may require difficult, regulated solutions; prioritize responsibility, consent, and ethical boundaries in family obligations.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: kingdoms/capitals

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.145 (continuation: birth of Dhritarashtra, Pandu, Vidura)

Characters & Entities

• Vicitravīrya
• Kāśīrāja
• Vyāsa

FAQs

What is the importance of Vicitravīrya and Vyāsa in this Garuda Purana verse?

The verse summarizes how, after Vicitravīrya’s death, the lineage was continued through Vyāsa, indicating a dharmic mechanism for preserving the royal line.

How does this verse relate to the Garuda Purana’s broader teaching on death?

By stating that Vicitravīrya “went to heaven” (svaryāte), it places death within a karmic-cosmic framework while showing that worldly duties like lineage-continuity were addressed through accepted dharmic means.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

It highlights responsibility and social duty (dharma) even amid loss—encouraging orderly, ethical decision-making guided by tradition and lawful norms rather than impulse.