Shloka 1
दृ नामैकचत्वारिंशदुत्तरशततमो ऽध्यायः ब्रह्मोवाच / विंशादीन्पालयामास ह्यवतीर्णो हरिः प्रभुः / दैत्यधर्मस्य नाशार्थं वेदधर्मादिगुप्तये
dṛ nāmaikacatvāriṃśaduttaraśatatamo 'dhyāyaḥ brahmovāca / viṃśādīnpālayāmāsa hyavatīrṇo hariḥ prabhuḥ / daityadharmasya nāśārthaṃ vedadharmādiguptaye
ब्रह्मोवाच—अवतीर्णो हरिः प्रभुर्विंशादीन्पालयामास। दैत्यधर्मविनाशार्थं वेदधर्मादिगुप्तये॥
Brahma
Concept: Hari descends to protect the righteous and preserve Vedic dharma, destroying demonic conduct.
Vedantic Theme: Ishvara-anugraha and dharma-samsthapanarthaya; divine governance sustaining rta/dharma.
Application: Support dharmic institutions and personal discipline; interpret crises as calls to restore ethical order through right action and devotion.
Primary Rasa: vira
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: realm
Related Themes: Garuda Purana avatara narratives and dharma-protection motifs; Garuda Purana praise of Vishnu as protector of Veda and yajna
FAQs
This verse frames Vishnu’s descent as a divine intervention specifically to preserve Vedic dharma and its allied sacred practices when they are threatened by demonic or anti-dharmic conduct.
It states that Hari incarnates to destroy daitya-dharma (demonic norms) and to protect veda-dharma—presenting avatāra as restoration of righteous order rather than merely a historical event.
Uphold dharma through ethical conduct and support for authentic sacred learning and practice, while actively rejecting harmful, exploitative, or deceptive forms of “dharma.”