Srimad Bhagavatam — Chaturtha Skandha, Shloka 19

Dakṣa’s Sacrifice Restored: Śiva’s Mercy and Nārāyaṇa’s Appearance

Devanagari script

तदा स्वप्रभया तेषां द्योतयन्त्या दिशो दश । मुष्णंस्तेज उपानीतस्तार्क्ष्येण स्तोत्रवाजिना ॥ १९ ॥

Transliteration

tadā sva-prabhayā teṣāṁ dyotayantyā diśo daśa muṣṇaṁs teja upānītas tārkṣyeṇa stotra-vājinā

Translation

Bấy giờ, Chúa Nārāyaṇa hiện ra, ngự trên vai Tārkṣya—Garuḍa, kẻ mang lời tán tụng với đôi cánh lớn; ánh quang tự thân của Ngài chiếu rạng mười phương, làm lu mờ hào quang của Brahmā và những vị hiện diện khác.

Synonyms

• tadā: then
• tadā: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; temporal adverb

• sva-prabhayā: with his own splendor
• sva-prabhayā: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक) + prabhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular; “with his own radiance”

• teṣām: of them
• teṣām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive (षष्ठी/6), Plural

• dyotayantyā: illuminating
• dyotayantyā: Karana (करण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dyut (दीप्तौ) + ṇic (णिच्) + śatṛ/śānac feminine instr. (शानच्)
• Form: Present participle (वर्तमानकृदन्त), Feminine, Instrumental Singular; agrees with prabhayā; “(radiance) illuminating”

• diśaḥ: the directions
• diśaḥ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: diś (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Plural

• daśa: ten
• daśa: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: daśan (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: (As numeral) Accusative Plural agreeing with diśaḥ; “ten”

• muṣṇan: stealing away
• muṣṇan: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √muṣ (स्तेये/अपहरणे) + śatṛ (शतृ)
• Form: Present active participle, Masculine, Nominative Singular; agrees with (implicit) Hariḥ; “stealing away”

• tejaḥ: splendor
• tejaḥ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tejas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular

• upānītaḥ: was brought/arrived
• upānītaḥ: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: upa + √nī (नयने) + kta (क्त)
• Form: Past passive participle, Masculine, Nominative Singular; “was brought/arrived” (agreeing with subject)

• tārkṣyeṇa: by Garuḍa
• tārkṣyeṇa: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tārkṣya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular; “by Tārkṣya (Garuḍa)”

• stotra-vājinā: by the hymn-swift (Garuḍa)
• stotra-vājinā: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: stotra (प्रातिपदिक) + vājin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular; stotra-vājin = “having hymns as speed/steed; hymn-speeding” epithet of Garuḍa

Purport

A description of Nārāyaṇa is given in the following two ślokas.

Characters & Entities

• Garuḍa (Tārkṣya)
• The Supreme Lord (Viṣṇu)

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about Lord Vishnu’s effulgence illuminating the ten directions?

This verse describes Viṣṇu’s self-effulgent radiance spreading in all ten directions, so powerful that it eclipses the brilliance of everyone present.

Why is Garuḍa (Tārkṣya) mentioned in the Daksha yajna episode?

Garuḍa is Viṣṇu’s divine carrier; the verse highlights that the Lord arrived at Dakṣa’s sacrificial arena mounted on Garuḍa, signaling His supreme authority over the ritual scene.

How can devotees apply the teaching of this shloka in modern life?

It reminds one to center life on the Supreme—when devotion to Viṣṇu is present, worldly prestige and competing “splendors” naturally lose their hold.