Shloka 5

Viṣṇu as the Embodied Purāṇas and the Merit of Hearing the Svarga-khaṇḍa

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मवैवर्तसंज्ञं तु वामजानुरुदाहृतः । लैंगं ह गुल्फकं दक्षं वाराहं वामगुल्फकम्

Transliteration

brahmavaivartasaṃjñaṃ tu vāmajānurudāhṛtaḥ | laiṃgaṃ ha gulphakaṃ dakṣaṃ vārāhaṃ vāmagulphakam

Translation

ส่วนที่เรียกว่า พรหมไววรรตะ กล่าวว่าเป็นพระชานุซ้าย ลิงคปุราณะเป็นข้อเท้าขวาโดยแท้ และวราหปุราณะเป็นข้อเท้าซ้าย

Word by Word

• ब्रह्मवैवर्तसंज्ञम्: called “Brahmavaivarta”
• ब्रह्मवैवर्तसंज्ञम्: Predicate complement (विधेयविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्रह्मवैवर्त + संज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: 'ब्रह्मवैवर्त-नाम संज्ञा यस्य' — 'named Brahmavaivarta'

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध) / Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अव्यय; contrast/emphasis — 'but/indeed'

• वामः: left
• वामः: Visheshana (विशेषण) of subject
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वाम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण — 'left'

• जानुः: knee
• जानुः: Karta (कर्ता) / Subject
• Type: Noun
• Root: जानु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• उदाहृतः: is mentioned
• उदाहृतः: Kriya (क्रिया) — participial predicate
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद् + आ + √हृ (धातु) → उदाहृत (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (past passive participle, क्त), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); कर्मणि भाव — 'is stated/mentioned'

• लैङ्गम्: the Liṅga (Purāṇa)
• लैङ्गम्: Predicate complement (विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लैङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular); (पुराणनाम) — 'Liṅga (Purāṇa)'

• ह: indeed
• ह: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध) / Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ह (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अव्यय; emphasis (often in epic style)

• गुल्फकम्: ankle
• गुल्फकम्: Karta (कर्ता) / Subject
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुल्फक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• दक्षम्: right
• दक्षम्: Visheshana (विशेषण) of subject
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण — 'right'

• वाराहम्: the Vārāha (Purāṇa)
• वाराहम्: Predicate complement (विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाराह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular); (पुराणनाम) — 'Vārāha (Purāṇa)'

• वामगुल्फकम्: left ankle
• वामगुल्फकम्: Karta (कर्ता) / Subject
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाम + गुल्फक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); कर्मधारय: वामः गुल्फकः — 'left ankle'

Speaker

Unspecified in the provided excerpt (context-dependent narration within Svarga-khaṇḍa 3.62).

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: वामजानुरुदाहृतः = वामः + जानुः + उदाहृतः

Characters & Entities

• Brahmavaivarta (Purāṇa)
• Liṅga (Purāṇa)
• Vārāha (Purāṇa)

FAQs

Why does this verse assign other Purāṇas to body parts like the knee and ankle?

It uses a traditional ‘cosmic body’ metaphor to classify and relate Purāṇic texts as integrated limbs of a single sacred corpus, emphasizing unity among diverse Purāṇas.

What is the main doctrinal focus of this verse?

Rather than a theological doctrine like bhakti practice, it primarily conveys a textual taxonomy—placing specific Purāṇas within a symbolic bodily scheme.

What ethical or practical lesson is implied by this classification?

The implied lesson is reverence for the broader Purāṇic tradition: different texts serve different functions, yet belong to one interconnected sacred whole.