Shloka 53

Ahaṅkāra-Tripartition and the Rise of Indriyas, Devatās, and Cosmic Administrators

Devanagari script

गङ्गाद्यनन्तरं जज्ञे स्वाहा वै मन्त्रदेवता / स्वाहानामाग्निभार्योक्ता गङ्गादिभ्योधमा श्रुता

Transliteration

gaṅgādyanantaraṃ jajñe svāhā vai mantradevatā / svāhānāmāgnibhāryoktā gaṅgādibhyodhamā śrutā

Translation

ଗଙ୍ଗା ଆଦିଙ୍କ ପରେ ସ୍ୱାହା ଜନ୍ମିଲେ—ସେ ମନ୍ତ୍ରାହୁତିର ଅଧିଷ୍ଠାତ୍ରୀ ଦେବତା। ‘ସ୍ୱାହା’ ଅଗ୍ନିଙ୍କ ଭାର୍ଯ୍ୟା ବୋଲି କଥିତ, ଏବଂ ଗଙ୍ଗା ଆଦିମାନଙ୍କ ମଧ୍ୟରେ ଶ୍ରେଷ୍ଠା ବୋଲି ଶୁଣାଯାଏ।

Word by Word

• गङ्गादि: after/from Gaṅgā and the others
• गङ्गादि: Apadana (अपादान/Ablative source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन (अव्ययीभाव-प्राय प्रयोगे); अर्थ: 'from Gaṅgā etc.'

• अनन्तरम्: immediately after
• अनन्तरम्: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अनन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb) 'immediately after'

• जज्ञे: was born/arose
• जज्ञे: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √जन् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/लिट्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• स्वाहा: Svāhā
• स्वाहा: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वाहा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; नाम

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Emphasis particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात/निश्चयार्थक (particle: 'indeed')

• मन्त्रदेवता: the deity of mantras
• मन्त्रदेवता: Karta (कर्ता/Predicate noun)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र + देवता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (मन्त्रस्य देवता)

• स्वाहानामा: named Svāhā
• स्वाहानामा: Karta (कर्ता/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वाहा + नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; 'नाम' (नामन्-शब्द) समास/प्रयोग: 'named Svāhā'

• अग्निभार्योक्ता: called the wife of Agni
• अग्निभार्योक्ता: Karta (कर्ता/Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अग्नि + भार्या + उक्ता (कृदन्त; √वच् धातु)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (अग्नेः भार्या) + भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त 'उक्ता'

• गङ्गादिभ्यः: than Gaṅgā and the others
• गङ्गादिभ्यः: Apadana (अपादान/Comparison-source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष 'गङ्गा-आदि' + भ्यस्

• अधमा: the lowest/last
• अधमा: Karta (कर्ता/Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अधम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• श्रुता: is known/said to be
• श्रुता: Karta (कर्ता/Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रुत (कृदन्त; √श्रु धातु)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP) 'heard/known'

Speaker

Lord Vishnu

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Mantra and offering become efficacious through proper invocation (Svāhā) and the mediating fire (Agni); devotion expressed as disciplined ritual speech and act.

Vedantic Theme: Vāk (sacred speech) as śakti; karma-kāṇḍa as a preparatory purifier (citta-śuddhi) supporting higher realization.

Application: Perform offerings—literal or symbolic—with mindful speech: dedicate actions, conclude intentions with a conscious ‘offering’ attitude.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: ritual-site

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: sections on dāna, homa, and ritual merit where Agni is the carrier and mantra correctness is stressed; Garuda Purana: śrāddha passages where fire/offerings and mantras support ancestral rites (contextual)

Characters & Entities

• Ganga
• Svaha
• Agni

FAQs

What is the importance of Svāhā in the Garuda Purana?

This verse identifies Svāhā as the mantradevatā—the presiding power of mantra-offerings—highlighting that oblations in fire-sacrifice are ritually completed through the Svāhā-formula.

How does this verse connect mantra, Agni, and offering?

By calling Svāhā the wife of Agni and the deity of mantra-offerings, the verse presents a ritual theology: Agni carries the offering, while Svāhā is the sanctifying utterance that directs it to the intended deity.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

In homa, śrāddha-related fires, or daily offerings, pronounce mantras carefully and end oblations with “svāhā” with attention and purity, treating it as a meaningful invocation rather than a mere word.