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Shloka 16

The Universal Form (Virāṭ-Puruṣa): The Lord’s Entry into the Elements, the Devas, and the Origin of Varṇāśrama

निर्भिन्नान्यस्य चर्माणि लोकपालोऽनिलोऽविशत् । प्राणेनांशेन संस्पर्शं येनासौ प्रतिपद्यते ॥ १६ ॥

nirbhinnāny asya carmāṇi loka-pālo ’nilo ’viśat prāṇenāṁśena saṁsparśaṁ yenāsau pratipadyate

ਜਦੋਂ ਵਿਰਾਟ ਦੇਹ ਦੀ ਚਮੜੀ ਵੱਖਰੀ ਪ੍ਰਗਟ ਹੋਈ, ਤਦ ਵਾਯੂ ਦੇ ਅਧਿਦੇਵ ਅਨਿਲ ਸਪਰਸ਼-ਸ਼ਕਤੀ ਦੇ ਅੰਸ਼ ਸਮੇਤ ਉਸ ਵਿੱਚ ਪ੍ਰਵੇਸ਼ ਹੋਏ। ਉਸੇ ਪ੍ਰਾਣ-ਬਲ ਨਾਲ ਜੀਵ ਸਪਰਸ਼ ਦਾ ਗਿਆਨ ਪਾਂਦੇ ਹਨ।

निर्भिन्नानिsplit/opened
निर्भिन्नानि:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootनिर्भिन्न (कृदन्त; √भिद् धातु)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), बहुवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) ‘split/opened’
अस्यof him/of this (being)
अस्य:
Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootइदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन
चर्माणिskins/hides
चर्माणि:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootचर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), बहुवचन
लोकपालःthe guardian of the worlds (Lokapāla)
लोकपालः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootलोक + पाल (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘लोकस्य पालः’
अनिलःWind (Anila)
अनिलः:
Karta (कर्ता) (apposition to लोकपालः)
TypeNoun
Rootअनिल (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन
अविशत्entered
अविशत्:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√विश् (धातु)
Formलङ् (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद
प्राणेनby (his) vital breath
प्राणेन:
Karaṇa (करण)
TypeNoun
Rootप्राण (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन
अंशेनby a portion/part
अंशेन:
Karaṇa (करण) (instrumental of means/portion)
TypeNoun
Rootअंश (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन
संस्पर्शम्touch
संस्पर्शम्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootसंस्पर्श (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन
येनby which
येन:
Karaṇa (करण) (relative)
TypeNoun
Rootयद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun)
असौhe/that one
असौ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootअसद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; निर्देशार्थ सर्वनाम
प्रतिपद्यतेattains/experiences
प्रतिपद्यते:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootप्रति + √पद् (धातु)
Formलट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद
A
Anila (Vāyu)
V
Virāṭ-puruṣa (Universal Form)

FAQs

In Canto 3, Chapter 6, the Bhagavatam explains that when the universal form’s skin becomes manifest, Anila (Vāyu) enters it, and through prāṇa the capacity for touch (saṁsparśa) arises.

Anila is Vāyu, the presiding deity of wind. He enters the skin of the virāṭ-puruṣa because prāṇa (vital air) is the divine principle that enables the embodied being to experience touch and contact.

It encourages mindful awareness of prāṇa—through regulated breathing and sense-control—so that sensory contact is experienced with clarity rather than impulsive attachment.