Shloka 10

Devanagari script

धर्म संरक्षणार्थाय अधर्मादिविनष्टये / दैत्यराक्षसनाशार्थं मत्स्यः पूर्वं यथाभवत्

Transliteration

dharma saṃrakṣaṇārthāya adharmādivinaṣṭaye / daityarākṣasanāśārthaṃ matsyaḥ pūrvaṃ yathābhavat

Translation

धर्मसंरक्षणार्थाय अधर्मादिविनाशनाय; दैत्यराक्षसनाशार्थं पूर्वं मत्स्यो यथा अभवत्।

Word by Word

• धर्म: dharma/righteousness
• धर्म: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन; (संरक्षण) इत्यस्य कर्म

• संरक्षणार्थाय: for the purpose of protection
• संरक्षणार्थाय: सम्प्रदान (Purpose/Dative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संरक्षण + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी-तत्पुरुष (purpose: ‘for the sake of protection’), पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (Dative), एकवचन

• अधर्मादिविनष्टये: for the destruction of unrighteousness etc.
• अधर्मादिविनष्टये: सम्प्रदान (Purpose/Dative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अधर्म + आदि + विनष्टि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी-तत्पुरुष (purpose: ‘for the destruction of adharma etc.’), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (Dative), एकवचन

• दैत्यराक्षसनाशार्थम्: for the purpose of destroying daityas and rākṣasas
• दैत्यराक्षसनाशार्थम्: प्रयोजन (Purpose)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्य + राक्षस + नाश + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (purpose-expression: ‘for the sake of destroying demons and rākṣasas’), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन; अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोजनार्थे

• मत्स्यः: the Fish (Matsya avatāra)
• मत्स्यः: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मत्स्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• पूर्वम्: formerly/first
• पूर्वम्: अधिकरण (Temporal adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb of time)

• यथा: as
• यथा: सम्बन्ध (Correlative marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (comparative/relative adverb: ‘as/how’)

• अभवत्: became/was
• अभवत्: क्रिया (Predicate verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular), परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in discourse to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Īśvara intervenes to protect dharma and restrain adharma; avatāra as moral-cosmic corrective.

Vedantic Theme: Loka-saṅgraha through divine governance; dharma as the sustaining order upheld by the Lord.

Application: Align actions with dharma; in crises, prioritize protection of the vulnerable and preservation of ethical order, seeing such work as participation in dharma-rakṣaṇa.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: vira

Secondary Rasa: raudra

Geographic Context

Type: ocean

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana avatāra and Viṣṇu-stuti passages (contextual parallel)

Characters & Entities

• Dharma
• Adharma
• Daityas
• Rakshasas
• Matsya (Vishnu)

FAQs

What is the importance of Matsya Avatar in the Garuda Purana?

This verse states that Matsya is a divine manifestation undertaken specifically to protect Dharma and eliminate Adharma, including the destructive influence of daityas and rākṣasas.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

Indirectly, it frames the moral universe in which the soul journeys: Dharma is upheld by divine order, and Adharma is opposed—implying that ethical alignment (Dharma) is foundational to one’s auspicious destiny.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Live in ways that protect Dharma—truthfulness, restraint, and duty—while actively reducing Adharma in one’s conduct (harm, deceit, exploitation), mirroring the verse’s core principle of preservation and correction.