Shloka 6

Viṣṇv-ekapūjya-nirṇaya; Gaṅgā-Viṣṇupadī-māhātmya; Kali-yuga doṣa; Puṣkara-dharma of Viṣṇu-smaraṇa

Devanagari script

या पूर्वकाले यज्ञलिङ्गस्य विष्णोः साक्षाद्धरेर्विक्रमतः खगेन्द्र / वामस्य पादस्य नखाग्रतश्च निर्भिद्य चोर्ध्वाण्डकटाहखण्डम्

Transliteration

yā pūrvakāle yajñaliṅgasya viṣṇoḥ sākṣāddharervikramataḥ khagendra / vāmasya pādasya nakhāgrataśca nirbhidya cordhvāṇḍakaṭāhakhaṇḍam

Translation

噢，伽坚陀罗（迦楼罗），众鸟之主！在远古之时，当毗湿奴——其形即祭祀（yajña）之本原——以哈利之身迈出宇宙大步之际，他左足趾甲之尖刺穿并击碎了宇宙卵壳（aṇḍa-kaṭāha）上部的碎片。

Word by Word

• yā: she who
• yā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); relative pronoun

• pūrva-kāle: in ancient times
• pūrva-kāle: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pūrva (प्रातिपदिक) + kāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Locative (सप्तमी/7), Singular; सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष ‘in former time’

• yajña-liṅgasya: of the sacrificial emblem
• yajña-liṅgasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yajña (प्रातिपदिक) + liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Genitive (षष्ठी/6), Singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष ‘of the sign/form of sacrifice’

• viṣṇoḥ: of Viṣṇu
• viṣṇoḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (षष्ठी/6), Singular

• sākṣāt: directly, manifestly
• sākṣāt: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sākṣāt (अव्यय)
• Form: Indeclinable; adverb (क्रियाविशेषण)

• hareḥ: of Hari
• hareḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hari (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (षष्ठी/6), Singular

• vikramataḥ: of (him) striding forth
• vikramataḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-kram (धातु)
• Form: Present active participle (वर्तमान-कृदन्त/शतृ), Genitive (षष्ठी/6), Singular, Masculine/Neuter; ‘of (him) striding’

• khaga-indra: O king of birds (Garuḍa)
• khaga-indra: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: khaga (प्रातिपदिक) + indra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative (सम्बोधन), Singular; तत्पुरुष ‘lord of birds’

• vāmasya: of the left
• vāmasya: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive (षष्ठी/6), Singular; adjective qualifying ‘pādasya’

• pādasya: of the foot
• pādasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (षष्ठी/6), Singular

• nakhāgrataḥ: from the nail-tip
• nakhāgrataḥ: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nakha (प्रातिपदिक) + agra (प्रातिपदिक) + -tas (तसिल्)
• Form: Ablatival adverb (तसिलन्त-अव्यय) ‘from the tip of the nail’; compound base nakha-agra

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Indeclinable; conjunction (समुच्चय)

• nirbhidya: having pierced
• nirbhidya: Kriyā (क्रिया; pūrvakāla)
• Type: Verb
• Root: nir-bhid (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वान्त/ल्यप्) ‘having pierced/split’

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Indeclinable; conjunction

• ūrdhva-aṇḍa-kaṭāha-khaṇḍam: the upper fragment of the cosmic shell
• ūrdhva-aṇḍa-kaṭāha-khaṇḍam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ūrdhva (प्रातिपदिक) + aṇḍa (प्रातिपदिक) + kaṭāha (प्रातिपदिक) + khaṇḍa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular; multi-member तत्पुरुष ‘the upper egg-shaped cauldron-fragment’ (i.e., the upper part of the cosmic shell)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (narration addressed to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Vishnu as yajña-svarūpa (the very principle of sacrifice) whose cosmic act (vikrama) transcends and orders the universe.

Vedantic Theme: The Absolute as immanent (yajña) and transcendent (beyond the cosmic shell); divine action as revelation of higher reality.

Application: Contemplate the sacred in daily offerings (yajña-spirit) and cultivate reverence for the cosmic order; use the image of ‘breaking the shell’ as inner breakthrough beyond ego-limits.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: vira

Geographic Context

Type: cosmic boundary

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: Viṣṇupadī/Gaṅgā origin motifs and Vishnu-supremacy passages (general internal parallel)

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Hari
• Garuda (Khagendra)
• Yajna (sacrificial principle)
• Brahmanda (cosmic egg)

FAQs

What is the importance of Vishnu being called 'yajñaliṅga' in the Garuda Purana?

This verse presents Vishnu as the very embodiment and defining mark (liṅga) of yajña—implying that cosmic order and creation are sustained through the sacrificial principle, with Vishnu as its living reality.

How does this verse explain the structure of the universe (brahmāṇḍa)?

By describing Vishnu’s nail piercing the ‘upper fragment of the cosmic egg-like cauldron,’ the verse depicts the universe as an enclosed brahmāṇḍa with layers/coverings that can be conceptually ‘pierced’ in divine, cosmic-scale events.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Treat duty, offerings, and self-discipline as sacred (yajña-like) actions: aligning daily life with dharma is portrayed as participation in the same cosmic order upheld by Vishnu.