Shloka 18

Devanagari script

कामस्याप्यभिमानी तु स एव परिकीर्तितः / ब्रह्माहङ्कारिकं प्राणं कार्योत्पत्तेरनन्तरम्

Transliteration

kāmasyāpyabhimānī tu sa eva parikīrtitaḥ / brahmāhaṅkārikaṃ prāṇaṃ kāryotpatteranantaram

Translation

కామానికి అధిష్ఠాత (అభిమానీ) ఆయనే అని కీర్తించబడెను. కార్యోత్పత్తి అనంతరం బ్రహ్మాసంబంధ అహంకారయుక్త ప్రాణము ప్రాదుర్భవించెను.

Word by Word

• कामस्य: of Kāma
• कामस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle)

• अभिमानी: the presiding/identifying one
• अभिमानी: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभिमानिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/कर्ता), एकवचन; कर्तृवाचक-नाम (one who presides/identifies)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: None (अव्यय-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/विरोधार्थक-निपात (but/indeed)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: None (अव्यय-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण-निपात (emphatic ‘only/indeed’)

• परिकीर्तितः: is proclaimed/declared
• परिकीर्तितः: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि + कीर्त् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; भूतकर्मणि-प्रत्यय (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (is proclaimed)

• ब्रह्म-अहङ्कारिकम्: Brahmā’s ego-born
• ब्रह्म-अहङ्कारिकम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + अहङ्कारिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण; तत्पुरुष (brahmaṇaḥ ahaṅkārikaḥ)

• प्राणम्: the vital breath (Prāṇa)
• प्राणम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन

• कार्य-उत्पत्तेः: of the arising of effects
• कार्य-उत्पत्तेः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्पत्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (kāryasya utpattiḥ)

• अनन्तरम्: afterwards
• अनन्तरम्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अनन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक-क्रियाविशेषण (afterwards)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in dialogue teaching Garuda/Vinatā-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Prāṇa and kāma function through presiding principles; prāṇa manifests in the wake of creation, conditioned by ahaṅkāra and rooted in Brahmā’s creative order.

Vedantic Theme: Upādhi-based conditioning of life-force and desire; distinction between the witnessing Self and emergent psycho-physical principles (tattva-viveka).

Application: Observe desire and breath as conditioned movements of ahaṅkāra; cultivate prāṇa-sākṣitva (witnessing breath) and reduce identification with impulses.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana (Brahma-khanda/cosmogony sections): discussions of ahaṅkāra, prāṇa, and creation-order; Garuda Purana: passages linking kāma to guṇa-driven mind and bondage

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Ahaṅkāra
• Prāṇa
• Kāma

FAQs

What is the importance of kāma and its abhimānī in the Garuda Purana?

This verse frames kāma (desire) as governed by a presiding principle (abhimānī), indicating that desire is not random but functions within an ordered cosmic hierarchy of tattvas.

How does this verse explain the emergence of prāṇa in creation?

It states that immediately after manifest effects arise, prāṇa appears as a principle linked with Brahmā and shaped by ahaṅkāra—showing prāṇa as a subtle, ego-conditioned life-force within the created order.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Seeing desire and life-force as conditioned by ego helps one practice self-restraint, breath-discipline, and ethical living—reducing ego-driven impulses and stabilizing prāṇa through mindful conduct.