Shloka 47

Multi-form Manifestations, Indra–Kāma Incarnations, Pravāha, and the Twofold Buddhi

Sense-Discipline and Exclusive Refuge in Viṣṇu

Devanagari script

कृष्णावतारे द्रोणनामा बभूव अंभोजजावेशयुतो बृहस्यपतिः / यस्माद्दोणात्संभभूव गुरुश्च तस्मादसौ द्रोणसंज्ञो बभूव

Transliteration

kṛṣṇāvatāre droṇanāmā babhūva aṃbhojajāveśayuto bṛhasyapatiḥ / yasmāddoṇātsaṃbhabhūva guruśca tasmādasau droṇasaṃjño babhūva

Translation

ໃນຍຸກອະວະຕານຂອງພຣະກຣິດສະນະ ພຣະບຣິຫັດສະປະຕິ ຜູ້ມີອາເວສະ (ພະລັງສິງສະຖິດ) ຂອງ ອັມໂພຊະຈາ ໄດ້ຮັບນາມວ່າ «ໂດຣນະ». ແລະເນື່ອງຈາກຄູອາຈານເກີດຈາກ ໂດຣນະ (ພາຊະນະ) ຈຶ່ງໄດ້ຊື່ «ໂດຣນະ» ດັ່ງນັ້ນ।

Word by Word

• kṛṣṇa-avatāre: in Kṛṣṇa’s incarnation
• kṛṣṇa-avatāre: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛṣṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + avatāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कृष्णस्य अवतारे)

• droṇa-nāmā: named Droṇa
• droṇa-nāmā: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: droṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + nāman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (द्रोण इति नाम यस्य)

• babhūva: became
• babhūva: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (भू धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd person, Singular

• ambhoja-ja-āveśa-yutaḥ: endowed with the influence/possession of the lotus-born
• ambhoja-ja-āveśa-yutaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ambhoja (प्रातिपदिक) + ja (प्रातिपदिक) + āveśa (प्रातिपदिक) + yuta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √yuj)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः

• bṛhaspatiḥ: Bṛhaspati
• bṛhaspatiḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bṛhaspati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular (text has variant bṛhasyapatiḥ)

• yasmāt: because/from which
• yasmāt: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Ablative (पञ्चमी/5), Singular; relative pronoun

• droṇāt: from a droṇa-vessel
• droṇāt: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: droṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Ablative, Singular

• saṃbabhūva: arose/was born
• saṃbabhūva: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (भू धातु) with prefix sam-
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd person, Singular; सम्+भू

• guruḥ: teacher
• guruḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: guru (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चयबोधक)

• tasmāt: therefore/from that
• tasmāt: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Ablative, Singular; demonstrative pronoun

• asau: he
• asau: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adas (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• droṇa-saṃjñaḥ: having the appellation ‘Droṇa’
• droṇa-saṃjñaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: droṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃjñā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (द्रोण इति संज्ञा यस्य)

• babhūva: became
• babhūva: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (भू धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd person, Singular

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (narrating to Garuda/Vinata-putra in the Garuda Purana dialogue frame)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Āveśa (empowered embodiment) and nāma-nirukti indicate that roles (like guru) can be vehicles for divine śakti in history.

Vedantic Theme: Īśvara’s śakti working through upādhis; recognition of divine agency behind worldly causation and naming.

Application: Honor the guru-function as sacred; cultivate discernment that learning and guidance can be channels of higher inspiration.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: itihāsa-kāla (Mahābhārata milieu implied)

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 3.28 (sequence of identifications: Bṛhaspati across avatāra contexts)

Characters & Entities

• Krishna
• Drona
• Brihaspati
• Ambhojaja

FAQs

What is the importance of the name ‘Droṇa’ in this Garuda Purana verse?

The verse gives an etymological (nirukti) explanation: he is called Droṇa because the guru is said to have arisen from a droṇa—meaning a vessel or container—linking identity to a symbolic birth-origin.

How does this verse relate to Garuda Purana’s broader teachings?

Although the Garuda Purana is famous for afterlife and ritual sections, it also preserves puranic identifications and name-derivations; here it frames a guru-figure (Bṛhaspati/Droṇa) as empowered through āveśa and explains his appellation.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

It encourages respect for the guru principle and reminds readers that names and roles can carry spiritual symbolism—prompting mindful study of tradition rather than treating titles as mere labels.