Shloka 26

Pañcatattva-Pūjā: The Fivefold Vyuha of Hari, Mantras, Nyāsa, Maṇḍala, and Stotra

Devanagari script

शक्तयश्चैव पूर्वादौ देवदेवस्य शङ्कर / इन्द्रादयो लोकपालाः पूज्याः पूर्वादिषु स्थिताः

Transliteration

śaktayaścaiva pūrvādau devadevasya śaṅkara / indrādayo lokapālāḥ pūjyāḥ pūrvādiṣu sthitāḥ

Translation

Ó Śaṅkara, no oriente e nos demais quadrantes estão as Śaktis, os poderes divinos do Deva-deva, o Deus dos deuses; e Indra e os demais Lokapālas, guardiões dos mundos, situados no oriente e nas outras direções, devem ser venerados.

Word by Word

• शक्तयः: powers; energies
• शक्तयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय-बोधक)

• एव: indeed; only
• एव: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अवधारणार्थ particle)

• पूर्वादौ: in the eastern etc. (region/direction)
• पूर्वादौ: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; ‘पूर्वादि-देशे/दिशि’ (समूह-निर्देश)

• देवदेवस्य: of the God of gods
• देवदेवस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘देवानां देवः’

• शङ्कर: O Shankara
• शङ्कर: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शङ्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (Vocative), एकवचन

• इन्द्रादयः: Indra and others
• इन्द्रादयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• लोकपालाः: guardians of the worlds
• लोकपालाः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक) + पाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• पूज्याः: to be worshipped
• पूज्याः: Karta (Subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूज्य (कृदन्त; √पूज् धातु)
• Form: यत्-कृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• पूर्वादिषु: in the directions beginning with the east
• पूर्वादिषु: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (दिश्-समूह), सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘पूर्व-आदि-दिशः’

• स्थिताः: are situated
• स्थिताः: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्था (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘are situated’

Speaker

Lord Vishnu

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Cosmic order upheld by powers and guardians; ritual acknowledges delegated divine governance while oriented to the Supreme.

Vedantic Theme: Loka-saṅgraha and ṛta: harmonizing individual worship with cosmic administration; many deities as functional aspects under the One.

Application: In puja, honor the directional guardians (Indra etc.) and invoked śaktis to ‘seal’ the space—akin to protective boundary-setting and mindful orientation before practice.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: directional mandala/temple-quarters

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.32.22-25 (mandala worship; virtues/vices; vyuha and ayudha placement)

Characters & Entities

• Shankara (Shiva)
• Shaktis
• Indra
• Lokapalas (Directional Guardians)

FAQs

What is the importance of directional deities (Lokapālas) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse presents the directions as sacred spaces presided over by Indra and other Lokapālas, indicating that proper worship includes honoring the deities stationed in each quarter for ritual completeness and protection.

How does this verse relate to the soul’s journey after death in the Garuda Purana?

While not directly describing the afterlife here, it supports the broader Purāṇic framework that cosmic order (dik, devatā, and guardianship) is real and operative—an order that also governs post-death pathways and ritual supports performed by the living.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

In daily or ceremonial worship, maintain directional awareness (especially facing east for many rites) and include respectful invocation of the presiding deities of the quarters as a way to align actions with dharma and ritual order.