Shloka 28

Vīrya, Māyā/Prakṛti, Śrī’s Inseparability, Paramāṇu, and Hari’s Infinitude

Devanagari script

सानादि नित्या सत्यरूपा च विष्णोर्मिथ्या रूपा सा कथं स्यात्खगेन्द्र / सत्या तनुः प्रकृतेस्तन्निगूढा सत्यत्वमाहुर्व्यवहारार्थरूपम्

Transliteration

sānādi nityā satyarūpā ca viṣṇormithyā rūpā sā kathaṃ syātkhagendra / satyā tanuḥ prakṛtestannigūḍhā satyatvamāhurvyavahārārtharūpam

Translation

اے خگندر! وہ (مایا/پرکرتی) بے آغاز اور ابدی ہے، اور وشنو کی شکتی کے روپ میں ‘سچ’ بھی کہی جاتی ہے—پھر وہ جھوٹی کیسے ہو سکتی ہے؟ پرکرتی کا تن سچ ہے، مگر وہ اس (وشنو) میں پوشیدہ طور پر نہاں ہے۔ اس کی ‘حقیقت’ کو معاملاتی و عملی تجربے (ویوہار) کے اعتبار سے بیان کیا جاتا ہے۔

Word by Word

• sā: she/that (prakṛti)
• sā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma, Strīliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana

• anādi: beginningless
• anādi: Karta-viśeṣaṇa (कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: an-ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; nañ-tatpuruṣa sense (ādi-rahitā)

• nityā: eternal
• nityā: Karta-viśeṣaṇa (कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nitya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana

• satya-rūpā: of true nature
• satya-rūpā: Karta-viśeṣaṇa (कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: satya (प्रातिपदिक) + rūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; karmadhāraya

• ca: and
• ca: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction

• viṣṇoḥ: of Viṣṇu
• viṣṇoḥ: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Ṣaṣṭhī, Ekavacana

• mithyā: falsely
• mithyā: Viśeṣaṇa (adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: mithyā (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Avyaya used adverbially (false/incorrectly)

• rūpā: form/nature
• rūpā: Samānādhikaraṇa (समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana (as predicate/attributive to sā)

• sā: she/that
• sā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma, Strīliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana

• katham: how
• katham: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: katham (अव्यय)
• Form: Praśna-avyaya (interrogative adverb)

• syāt: could be / should be
• syāt: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: Liṅ-lakāra (Optative/विधिलिङ्), Parasmaipada, Prathama-puruṣa, Ekavacana

• khagendra: O lord of birds (Garuḍa)
• khagendra: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: khaga (प्रातिपदिक) + indra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन), Ekavacana; tatpuruṣa ‘lord of birds’

• satyā: true
• satyā: Karta-viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: satya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana

• tanuḥ: body/essence
• tanuḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tanu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana

• prakṛteḥ: of prakṛti
• prakṛteḥ: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: prakṛti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Ṣaṣṭhī, Ekavacana

• tat: that
• tat: Sambandha (anaphoric)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma, Napuṃsakaliṅga, Prathamā/ Dvitīyā, Ekavacana

• nigūḍhā: hidden
• nigūḍhā: Karta-viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ni-gūḍha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Kta-participle (past passive participle/क्त), Strīliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; from √guh ‘to hide’ with ni-

• satyatvam: truth-status / reality
• satyatvam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: satyatva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napuṃsakaliṅga, Prathamā/ Dvitīyā, Ekavacana

• āhuḥ: (they) say
• āhuḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ah (धातु)
• Form: Liṭ-lakāra (Perfect), Parasmaipada, Prathama-puruṣa, Bahuvacana

• vyavahāra-artha-rūpam: having the form of practical usage
• vyavahāra-artha-rūpam: Karma-viśeṣaṇa (कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vyavahāra (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक) + rūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napuṃsakaliṅga, Prathamā/ Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; tatpuruṣa chain: vyavahārārthaṃ rūpam (having the form/purpose of practical dealings)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (teaching Garuda)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Prakṛti/māyā is beginningless and eternal as Viṣṇu’s śakti; it is not ‘false’ in the sense of non-existent—its reality is affirmed for transactional experience (vyavahāra), while remaining hidden within Him.

Vedantic Theme: Two-level truth (vyavahāra vs. paramārtha) harmonized with īśvara-śakti doctrine; avoids crude illusionism and crude realism.

Application: Hold a balanced view: treat the world as meaningful for duty and devotion (vyavahāra), without mistaking it for the ultimate; use this to reduce anxiety and fanatic certainty in debates.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 3.3.26 (māyā as subtle prakṛti); Garuda Purana 3.3.25 (Indrajāla metaphor qualified)

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Garuda
• Prakriti
• Maya

FAQs

What is the importance of vyavahāra (practical reality) in Garuda Purana?

This verse frames ‘reality’ as what functions in lived experience: Prakṛti is treated as real for worldly dealings (vyavahāra), even while deeper truth may be subtler than appearances.

How does this verse explain the relationship between Viṣṇu and Māyā/Prakṛti?

It presents Prakṛti/Māyā as Viṣṇu’s beginningless power—concealed in Him—so it cannot be dismissed as merely ‘false’ when discussing the manifested world.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Act ethically within the world’s practical order—duties, consequences, and discipline matter—while remembering that ultimate clarity comes from seeing beyond mere appearances.