Shloka 53

Jñāna-hetu-nirūpaṇa

On the Causes/Means of Knowledge

Devanagari script

अवतारेषु वायोस्तु सम्यक् शक्त्यात्मनास्ति हि / अपरोक्षतिरोभावौ नांशावतरणेष्वपि

Transliteration

avatāreṣu vāyostu samyak śaktyātmanāsti hi / aparokṣatirobhāvau nāṃśāvataraṇeṣvapi

Translation

വായുവിന്റെ അവതാരങ്ങളിൽ അവന്റെ ശക്തി സ്വസ്വരൂപത്തിൽ പൂർണ്ണമായി നിലകൊള്ളുന്നു. അവിടെ പൂർണ്ണ പ്രത്യക്ഷപ്രാകട്യവും ഇല്ല, പൂർണ്ണ തിരോഭാവവും ഇല്ല—അംശാവതാരങ്ങളിലും അതുപോലെ.

Word by Word

• अवतारेषु: in (full) incarnations
• अवतारेषु: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Domain)
• Type: Noun
• Root: avatāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative), बहुवचन

• वायोः: of Vāyu
• वायोः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāyu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Contrast)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (contrastive particle)

• सम्यक्: fully/properly
• सम्यक्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण/Adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: samyak (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: properly/fully)

• शक्त्यात्मना: by (his) power-nature / as power itself
• शक्त्यात्मना: Karaṇa (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śakti (प्रातिपदिक) + ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास ('शक्तिः आत्मा यस्य/शक्तिरूपेण आत्मना'), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental), एकवचन

• अस्ति: is/exists
• अस्ति: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Emphasis-causal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle: for/indeed)

• अपरोक्षतिरोभावौ: direct manifestation and concealment (both)
• अपरोक्षतिरोभावौ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aparokṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + tirobhāva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्व-समास (इतरेतर: 'अपरोक्षः च तिरोभावः च'), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), द्विवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (negation)

• अंशावतरणेषु: in partial descents/incarnations
• अंशावतरणेषु: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Domain)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aṃśa (प्रातिपदिक) + avataraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास ('अंशस्य अवतरणम्'), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative), बहुवचन

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Addition)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle: also/even)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (narrating to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Degrees of manifestation (aparo-ksha/tiro-bhava) and fullness of shakti in Vayu-avatara even when termed ‘partial’.

Vedantic Theme: Shakti-vyakti vs avyakta: appearance/concealment as modes of upadhi; fullness not always identical with visibility.

Application: Cultivate discernment: do not judge spiritual potency only by outward display; learn to recognize subtle presence and function.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 3.12.54-57 (gradation across yugas; Vayu’s display and delusion)

Characters & Entities

• Vayu

FAQs

What is the importance of Vāyu’s avatāras in the Garuda Purana?

This verse highlights that Vāyu’s descents retain a complete potency (śakti) rather than being diminished, shaping how devotees understand Deva-incarnations and their efficacy.

How does this verse explain manifesting and hiding (aparokṣa and tirobhāva)?

It states that in Vāyu’s incarnations there is no strict binary of fully visible (aparokṣa) versus fully concealed (tirobhāva); even partial descents do not imply a loss of essential power.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Treat divine help and sacred forces as capable even when they appear “partial” or indirect—cultivate steadiness in sādhanā and dharma without judging spiritual potency only by outward display.