Shloka 19
Śiva’s Narasiṃha-Stotra and the Pacification of the Mātṛgaṇas
सृष्ट्वा ताश्च न शक्तो ऽहं संहर्तुमपराजितः / पूर्वं कृत्वा कथं तासां विनाशमभिरोचये
sṛṣṭvā tāśca na śakto 'haṃ saṃhartumaparājitaḥ / pūrvaṃ kṛtvā kathaṃ tāsāṃ vināśamabhirocaye
వారిని సృష్టించిన నేను—అపరాజితుడనైనా—వారిని సంహరించలేను; ముందుగా సృష్టించిన వారి వినాశాన్ని నేను ఎలా కోరగలను?
Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda)
Concept: Moral responsibility for one’s creations/actions; the difficulty (and impropriety) of wishing destruction upon what one has initiated.
Vedantic Theme: Karma as binding through agency (kartṛtva) and its consequences; the ethical weight of sṛṣṭi (bringing into being) and saṃhāra (withdrawing).
Application: Before initiating major actions (projects, policies, relationships), consider downstream effects; practice accountability and remediation rather than denial.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.231.18 (creation of mothers; disobedience); Garuda Purana 1.231.17 (Śiva’s petition to Narasiṃha-Hari)
FAQs
This verse highlights that the divine principle that creates beings does not delight in their destruction, framing compassion and protection of life as aligned with dharma.
By implying that beings are not created for annihilation, it supports the Purana’s broader view that souls undergo karmic journeys and moral consequences rather than arbitrary destruction.
Avoid harm and vindictiveness: if you are responsible for someone’s welfare (family, students, dependents), do not become the cause of their ruin—act with restraint, protection, and dharmic accountability.