Shloka 17

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

Sense-Discipline and Exclusive Refuge in Viṣṇu

Devanagari script

चतुर्दशसु चेन्द्रेषु सप्तमो यः पुरन्दरः / वृत्रादीनां शरीरं तु पुरमित्युच्यते बुधैः

Transliteration

caturdaśasu cendreṣu saptamo yaḥ purandaraḥ / vṛtrādīnāṃ śarīraṃ tu puramityucyate budhaiḥ

Translation

ଚତୁର୍ଦ୍ଦଶ ଇନ୍ଦ୍ରମାନଙ୍କ ମଧ୍ୟରେ ସପ୍ତମ ‘ପୁରନ୍ଦର’ ନାମେ ପ୍ରସିଦ୍ଧ। ବୃତ୍ରାଦିଙ୍କ ଶରୀରକୁ ବୁଦ୍ଧିମାନମାନେ ‘ପୁର’ (ନଗର/ଦୁର୍ଗ) ବୋଲି କହନ୍ତି।

Word by Word

• caturdaśasu: among the fourteen
• caturdaśasu: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Locative)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: caturdaśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative/सप्तमी), बहुवचन; द्विगु-समासः (संख्यापूर्वकः): चतुर्दश (14)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• indreṣu: among the Indras
• indreṣu: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: indra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative), बहुवचन

• saptamaḥ: the seventh
• saptamaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: saptama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्रमवाचक-विशेषण (ordinal)

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (यद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• purandaraḥ: Purandara (Indra)
• purandaraḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: purandara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नाम (epithet)

• vṛtra-ādīnām: of Vṛtra and others
• vṛtra-ādīnām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vṛtra + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः: वृत्रः आदिः येषाम् (वृत्रादयः) → तेषाम्

• śarīram: body
• śarīram: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śarīra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• tu: but, indeed
• tu: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अवधारण-निपात (particle: but/indeed)

• puram: city, fortress
• puram: Karma (कर्म/Object complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pura (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण-निपात (quotative)

• ucyate: is called
• ucyate: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (वच् धातु)
• Form: लट्, कर्मणि (Passive), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• budhaiḥ: by the wise
• budhaiḥ: Karana (करण/Agent-instrument in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: budha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental), बहुवचन

Speaker

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

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Cosmic offices recur across cycles; names encode functions; ‘pura’ as body/fortress is an interpretive etymology linking myth to meaning.

Vedantic Theme: Nāma–rūpa and functional designation (upādhi) in cosmic governance; knowledge as classification of roles rather than ultimate reality.

Application: Read puranic names as functional descriptors; understand leadership as duty-bound office within time-cycles, not absolute identity.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: vira

Geographic Context

Type: celestial city/realm

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana cosmological lists of manvantaras and Indras in adjacent adhyāyas; References to Vṛtra/Indra appear in puranic myth sections explaining divine epithets

Characters & Entities

• Indra
• Purandara
• Vritra

FAQs

What is the importance of Purandara in the Garuda Purana?

This verse identifies Purandara as the seventh among the fourteen Indras, highlighting a Purāṇic cosmological ordering and Indra’s well-known epithet.

How does this verse explain the idea of a ‘pura’ (city/fortress)?

It states that the ‘pura’ can denote a body—like that of Vṛtra and others—implying the body is a fortified ‘city’ inhabited/animated by an inner principle.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Treat the body as a temporary ‘city’ to be maintained with discipline and ethics, without mistaking it for the enduring self.