Shloka 20

Narasiṃha’s Greatness and the Slaying of Hiraṇyakaśipu

Boon, Portents, and Cosmic Restoration

Devanagari script

भगवान्सर्वभूतानामादिकर्त्ता स्वयंप्रभुः । स्रष्टा च हव्यकव्यानामव्यक्तप्रकृतिः परः

Transliteration

bhagavānsarvabhūtānāmādikarttā svayaṃprabhuḥ | sraṣṭā ca havyakavyānāmavyaktaprakṛtiḥ paraḥ

Translation

ಭಗವಾನ್ ಸರ್ವಭೂತಗಳ ಆದಿಕರ್ತ, ಸ್ವಯಂಪ್ರಭು ಮತ್ತು ಸ್ವತಂತ್ರನು. ಹವ್ಯ-ಕವ್ಯಗಳ—ದೇವರುಗಳಿಗೆ ಮತ್ತು ಪಿತೃಗಳಿಗೆ ಅರ್ಪಣೆಗಳ—ಸೃಷ್ಟಿಕರ್ತನೂ ಅವನೇ; ಅವನು ಪರಮ, ಅವನ ಪ್ರಕೃತಿ ಅವ್ಯಕ್ತ।

Word by Word

• भगवान्: the Blessed Lord
• भगवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — ‘the Lord’

• सर्वभूतानाम्: of all beings
• सर्वभूतानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + भूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन — कर्मधारय: ‘सर्वाणि भूतानि’; genitive ‘of all beings’

• आदिकर्त्ता: the prime creator
• आदिकर्त्ता: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक) + कर्तृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — तत्पुरुष: ‘आदेः कर्ता’ (the first/prime creator)

• स्वयम्: by himself
• स्वयम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) — ‘by oneself’

• प्रभुः: the Lord/master
• प्रभुः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — ‘lord/master’

• स्रष्टा: creator
• स्रष्टा: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्रष्टृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — ‘creator’

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय) — ‘and’

• हव्यकव्यानाम्: of havya and kavya offerings
• हव्यकव्यानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हव्य (प्रातिपदिक) + कव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन — द्वन्द्व: ‘हव्याणि च कव्यानि च’; genitive ‘of oblations (for gods) and offerings (for ancestors)’

• अव्यक्तप्रकृतिः: (whose) nature is unmanifest / unmanifest nature
• अव्यक्तप्रकृतिः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अव्यक्त (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रकृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — कर्मधारय: ‘अव्यक्ता प्रकृतिः’ (unmanifest nature)

• परः: supreme
• परः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — adjective ‘supreme’

Speaker

Unspecified (narrative voice not provided in the excerpt; commonly within a Purāṇic dialogue framework)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Geographic Context

Type: celestial_realm

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: भगवान् + सर्वभूतानाम् = भगवान्सर्वभूतानाम्; सर्वभूतानाम् + आदिकर्त्ता = सर्वभूतानामादिकर्त्ता; हव्यकव्यानाम् + अव्यक्तप्रकृतिः = हव्यकव्यानामव्यक्तप्रकृतिः

FAQs

What does this verse say about God’s role in creation?

It presents Bhagavān as the primordial agent behind all beings—self-effulgent, independent, and the ultimate source of cosmic order and ritual structures.

What are “havya” and “kavya” in this verse?

Havya refers to oblations offered to the devas, while kavya refers to offerings made to the pitṛs (ancestors). The verse states that their very institution originates from the Supreme.

What is the ethical or devotional lesson implied here?

Since even sacred duties like offerings to gods and ancestors arise from the Supreme, the verse encourages reverence for Bhagavān as the ultimate foundation of both life and dharma.