Shloka 27
Viṣṇv-ekapūjya-nirṇaya; Gaṅgā-Viṣṇupadī-māhātmya; Kali-yuga doṣa; Puṣkara-dharma of Viṣṇu-smaraṇa
संजानातीत्येव संज्ञामवाप संज्ञेति लोके सूर्य भार्या खगेन्द्र / ब्रह्मण्डस्य ह्यभिमानी तु देवो विराडिति ह्यभिधामाप तेन
saṃjānātītyeva saṃjñāmavāpa saṃjñeti loke sūrya bhāryā khagendra / brahmaṇḍasya hyabhimānī tu devo virāḍiti hyabhidhāmāpa tena
Wahai Khagendra, kerana benar-benar “mengetahui” (saṃjānāt), maka ia memperoleh nama Saṃjñā; sebab itu di dunia ia dipanggil Saṃjñā, isteri Surya (Dewa Matahari). Dan dewa yang memerintah sebagai kesedaran-identiti batin bagi telur kosmik (brahmāṇḍa) memperoleh, melalui dirinya, gelaran «Virāṭ».
Lord Vishnu (narrating to Garuda)
Concept: Names encode cognition and function; Virāṭ denotes the cosmic ‘I’-principle presiding over the manifested universe.
Vedantic Theme: Virāṭ as the macrocosmic aspect of Īśvara; the relation of individual identification to cosmic identification (abhimāna) as a teaching device.
Application: Use macrocosm–microcosm reflection: observe how ‘I’-sense operates, then contemplate its cosmic counterpart to loosen ego-fixation.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: cosmic totality
Related Themes: Garuda Purana 3.29.26 (Rohiṇī as Nārāyaṇa’s manifestation); Garuda Purana 3.29.28-30 (shift to tīrtha/śakti and mantra-personification)
FAQs
This verse links Virāṭ to the presiding self-identification (abhimāna) of the brahmāṇḍa, presenting Virāṭ as a cosmic identity through which the universe is apprehended as an embodied whole.
Indirectly, it frames a Purāṇic worldview where cosmic orders and presiding deities structure experience; such cosmology underlies later teachings on how the jīva moves through ordained realms and identities after death.
Use it to cultivate a wider perspective: personal ‘I’-sense is a limited reflection of cosmic ‘abhimāna’; remembering this supports humility, steadier dharma, and less ego-driven action.