Shloka 6

Babhruvāhana Meets a Preta: Vṛṣotsarga, Heirless Death, and the Signs of Preta-Affliction

Devanagari script

अक्षुब्धत्वेर्ऽचलसमः सहिष्णुत्वे धरासमः / स कदाचिन्महाबाहुः प्रभूतबलवाहनः

Transliteration

akṣubdhatver'calasamaḥ sahiṣṇutve dharāsamaḥ / sa kadācinmahābāhuḥ prabhūtabalavāhanaḥ

Translation

Dalam keteguhan yang tidak tergoncang, baginda laksana gunung; dalam kesabaran, baginda laksana bumi. Pada suatu ketika, sang mahabahu itu—berbekal kekuatan dan kenderaan yang melimpah—tampak hadir.

Word by Word

• akṣubdhatve: in (his) unshakenness
• akṣubdhatve: Adhikarana (Respect/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: akṣubdhatva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• acala-samaḥ: equal to a mountain
• acala-samaḥ: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: acala (प्रातिपदिक) + sama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (अचलस्य समः = अचल-सदृशः)

• sahiṣṇutve: in forbearance
• sahiṣṇutve: Adhikarana (Respect/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sahiṣṇutva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• dharā-samaḥ: equal to the earth
• dharā-samaḥ: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dharā (प्रातिपदिक) + sama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (धरायाः समः = धरासदृशः)

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• kadācit: once/sometime
• kadācit: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kadācit (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• mahā-bāhuḥ: the mighty-armed one
• mahā-bāhuḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + bāhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (महौ बाहू यस्य सः)

• prabhūta-bala-vāhanaḥ: having abundant strength and conveyances
• prabhūta-bala-vāhanaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prabhūta (प्रातिपदिक) + bala (प्रातिपदिक) + vāhana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (प्रभूतं बलं वाहनं यस्य सः / whose forces and mounts are abundant)

Speaker

Narrator (within the Vishnu–Garuda dialogue frame)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Ideal leadership combines unshakable steadiness (akṣubdhatva) with forbearance (sahiṣṇutva).

Vedantic Theme: Sattvic steadiness (sthiti) and titikṣā (forbearance) as virtues supporting dharma and inner mastery.

Application: Practice emotional regulation and patience under provocation; build resilience and consistency in duty.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: vira

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana ethical/virtue passages praising kṣamā (forbearance) and dhṛti (steadfastness)

Characters & Entities

• Mahabahu (a mighty-armed figure)

FAQs

What is the importance of steadiness (akṣubdhatva) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse praises unshaken steadiness as mountain-like, presenting it as a key virtue that supports dharmic conduct even amid fear, grief, or upheaval.

How does this verse connect to the Garuda Purana’s afterlife teachings?

In the Preta Kanda’s broader context of death and post-death realities, the verse highlights inner stability and endurance—qualities needed to face suffering, transitions, and moral testing described in the afterlife narrative.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Cultivate calm under provocation and patience under hardship—be “mountain-steady” in mind and “earth-like” in تحمل (forbearance), especially during family loss, ritual duties, and ethical decision-making.