Shloka 25

Mahālakṣmī’s Forms, Brahmā’s Fourfold Origin, Vāyu’s Names and Soteriology, and Bhāratī’s Manifestations

Devanagari script

अतो वायुःस्थितिर्नाम बभूव खगसत्तम / अथवा वायुरेवैकः श्वेतद्वीपगतं हरिम्

Transliteration

ato vāyuḥsthitirnāma babhūva khagasattama / athavā vāyurevaikaḥ śvetadvīpagataṃ harim

Translation

それゆえ、鳥の中の最勝者よ、「ヴァーユの安住」と呼ばれる境地が生じた。あるいはむしろ、ヴァーユただ一人が、シュヴェータドヴィーパに住まうハリ（ヴィシュヌ）に到達したのである。

Word by Word

• ataḥ: therefore
• ataḥ: Hetu (हेतु/कारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (Avyaya), हेत्वर्थ/तस्मात्-अर्थे (therefore/from that)

• vāyuḥ: Vāyu (the Wind-god)
• vāyuḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāyu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• sthitiḥ: state/abiding
• sthitiḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sthiti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• nāma: named/called
• nāma: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/labeling)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nāman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: निपात (particle), नाम-शब्दः—‘called/indeed’ इत्यर्थे

• babhūva: became/was
• babhūva: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (भू धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• khaga-sattama: O best of birds
• khaga-sattama: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Vocative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: khaga (प्रातिपदिक) + sattama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—खगानां सत्तमः

• athavā: or else
• athavā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: athavā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (conjunction), विकल्पार्थे (or/alternatively)

• vāyuḥ: Vāyu
• vāyuḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāyu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• eva: indeed/only
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle), अवधारणार्थे (emphasis: indeed/only)

• ekaḥ: alone/one
• ekaḥ: Visheshana (विशेषण of vāyuḥ)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)

• śveta-dvīpa-gatam: gone to Śvetadvīpa
• śveta-dvīpa-gatam: Visheshana (विशेषण of harim)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śveta (प्रातिपदिक) + dvīpa (प्रातिपदिक) + gata (गम् धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle) ‘gone’; सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष/उपपद-समासः—श्वेतद्वीपे गतः

• harim: Hari (Viṣṇu)
• harim: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hari (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Vāyu’s ‘abiding’ as a distinct state; alternatively, Vāyu uniquely attains/approaches Hari in Śvetadvīpa—suggesting exceptional purity, access, or mediating role.

Vedantic Theme: Sattva-śuddhi and divine proximity; the idea of a privileged messenger/mediator principle (vāyu/prāṇa) that can ‘reach’ the Lord—interpretable as purified prāṇa leading mind to God.

Application: Aim for purity and steadiness so that prāṇa and mind become fit for sustained God-remembrance; cultivate single-pointed devotion (ekāgratā) as the ‘path’ to divine proximity.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Geographic Context

Type: divine island/realm

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 3.16.22 (Badarī-Viṣṇu praise); Garuda Purana 3.16.23-24 (Dhṛti; heart remembrance)

Characters & Entities

• Vayu
• Hari
• Shvetadvipa
• Garuda

FAQs

What is the importance of Vāyu-sthiti in the Garuda Purana?

This verse highlights a special ‘state of abiding’ connected with Vāyu (vital air/wind), indicating Vāyu’s unique capacity or status in approaching the divine presence of Hari.

How does this verse explain access to Hari in Śvetadvīpa?

It states that Vāyu alone reaches Hari in Śvetadvīpa, implying an exceptional divine proximity of Vāyu and emphasizing Śvetadvīpa as a transcendent Vishnu-abode.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Cultivating prāṇa-discipline (breath awareness, purity, steadiness) and focused devotion can be taken as a practical reminder that inner vitality and steadiness support spiritual approach to Vishnu.