Shloka 41

Means to Liberation: Supremacy of Hari, Proper Salutations, and Purāṇic Authority

Devanagari script

न चास्ति विष्णोः सदृशं च दैवतं न चास्ति वायोः सदृशो गुरुश्च / न चास्ति तीर्थं सदृशं विष्णुपद्याः न विष्णुभक्तेन समोस्ति भक्तः

Transliteration

na cāsti viṣṇoḥ sadṛśaṃ ca daivataṃ na cāsti vāyoḥ sadṛśo guruśca / na cāsti tīrthaṃ sadṛśaṃ viṣṇupadyāḥ na viṣṇubhaktena samosti bhaktaḥ

Translation

لا إلهَ يساوي فيشنو (Viṣṇu)، ولا مُرشدَ (guru) يساوي فايُو (Vāyu). ولا تيرثا (tīrtha) تماثل قدم فيشنو—أي الغانغا—وبين العابدين لا أحد يساوي عابدَ فيشنو.

Word by Word

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय

• asti: there is
• asti: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (अस् धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• viṣṇoḥ: of Viṣṇu
• viṣṇoḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṇu (विष्णु प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• sadṛśam: equal/similar
• sadṛśam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sadṛśa (सदृश प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण daivatam-शब्दस्य

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय

• daivatam: deity
• daivatam: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daivata (दैवत प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय

• asti: there is
• asti: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (अस् धातु)
• Form: लट्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• vāyoḥ: of Vāyu
• vāyoḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāyu (वायु प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• sadṛśaḥ: equal/similar
• sadṛśaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sadṛśa (सदृश प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण guruḥ-शब्दस्य

• guruḥ: teacher
• guruḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: guru (गुरु प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय

• asti: there is
• asti: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (अस् धातु)
• Form: लट्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• tīrtham: holy place
• tīrtham: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tīrtha (तीर्थ प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• sadṛśam: equal/similar
• sadṛśam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sadṛśa (सदृश प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण tīrtham-शब्दस्य

• viṣṇu-padyāḥ: of Viṣṇu’s foot (Gaṅgā/foot-water)
• viṣṇu-padyāḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṇu (विष्णु) + padī/padya (पदी/पद्य प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: 'viṣṇoḥ padyāḥ' (of Viṣṇu’s foot/foot-water)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• viṣṇu-bhaktena: with/than a devotee of Viṣṇu
• viṣṇu-bhaktena: Karaṇa (करण/Comparison standard)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṇu (विष्णु) + bhakta (भक्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: 'viṣṇoḥ bhaktena'

• samaḥ: equal
• samaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sama (सम प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण bhaktaḥ-शब्दस्य

• asti: there is
• asti: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (अस् धातु)
• Form: लट्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• bhaktaḥ: devotee
• bhaktaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhakta (भक्त प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (teaching Garuda/Vinatā-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Viṣṇu is supreme; Vāyu is the foremost guru; Gaṅgā is the foremost tīrtha; the Viṣṇu-bhakta is the foremost among devotees.

Vedantic Theme: Īśvara-paratva (supremacy of the Lord) and bhakta-mahattva; devotion as the highest purifier and marker of spiritual excellence.

Application: Center worship on Viṣṇu; honor authentic guru-paramparā (here symbolized by Vāyu); undertake pilgrimage/inner purification aligned with Viṣṇu; cultivate sādhusanga with Viṣṇu-bhaktas.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Geographic Context

Type: tirtha (sacred river/ford)

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: Viṣṇu-nāma and bhakti-mahātmyas (general thematic parallel); Garuda Purana: tīrtha and Gaṅgā praise passages (general thematic parallel)

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Vayu
• Vishnupadi (Ganga)

FAQs

What is the importance of Vishnu-bhakti in the Garuda Purana?

This verse ranks devotion to Viṣṇu as the highest form of devotion, stating that no devotee is equal to a devotee of Viṣṇu—highlighting bhakti as a supreme spiritual path.

How does this verse relate to death rites and afterlife concerns in the Garuda Purana?

Even within a text known for after-death descriptions and rites, the verse emphasizes that spiritual protection and upliftment ultimately rest on Viṣṇu and sincere devotion—framing rituals within a larger bhakti-centered theology.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Prioritize steady devotion (japa, nāma-smaraṇa, pūjā), honor genuine teachers and sacred waters like the Gaṅgā, and cultivate humility by respecting devotees as spiritually significant.