Shloka 117

Veṅkaṭācala Māhātmya: Bhakti-Lakṣaṇa, Nārasiṁha-tīrtha, and the Secret Darśana-Vidhi of Śrīnivāsa

Devanagari script

आग्नेये वारुणीं चैव गायत्रीं चैव नैरृते / वायव्ये भारतीं चैव ईशान्ये गिरिजां नमेत्

Transliteration

āgneye vāruṇīṃ caiva gāyatrīṃ caiva nairṛte / vāyavye bhāratīṃ caiva īśānye girijāṃ namet

Translation

আগ্নেয় দিকে বারুণী দেবীকে, নৈঋত্যে গায়ত্রীকে, বায়ব্যে ভারতীকে এবং ঈশান্যে গিরিজা (পার্বতী) দেবীকে প্রণাম করিবে।

Word by Word

• आग्नेये: in the southeast
• आग्नेये: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आग्नेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अधिकरण (locative of place)

• वारुणीम्: Vāruṇī (goddess/ शक्ति of Varuṇa)
• वारुणीम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वारुणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्म (object)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Avyaya (अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed/also
• एव: Sambandha/Avyaya (अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण (emphatic particle)

• गायत्रीम्: Gāyatrī
• गायत्रीम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गायत्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्म (object)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Avyaya (अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• एव: also
• एव: Sambandha/Avyaya (अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण (emphatic particle)

• नैरृते: in the southwest
• नैरृते: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नैरृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अधिकरण (locative of place)

• वायव्ये: in the northwest
• वायव्ये: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अधिकरण (locative of place)

• भारतीम्: Bhāratī (Sarasvatī)
• भारतीम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भारती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्म (object)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Avyaya (अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• एव: also
• एव: Sambandha/Avyaya (अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण (emphatic particle)

• ईशान्ये: in the northeast
• ईशान्ये: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईशान्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अधिकरण (locative of place)

• गिरिजाम्: Girijā (daughter of the mountain)
• गिरिजाम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गिरि + जा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (गिरेः जा = पर्वतस्य दुहिता); कर्म (object)

• नमेत्: should bow (to)
• नमेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative/विधि), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; ‘should bow’

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in instruction to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Ritual correctness through honoring deities assigned to directions (dik-devatā-nyāsa).

Vedantic Theme: Īśvara as immanent order (ṛta) expressed through cosmic functions; many forms honored within a single sacred order.

Application: In pūjā or śrāddha-adjacent offerings, face/mark directions and offer namaskāra to the prescribed devatās to stabilize attention and procedure.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: ritual space / mandala of directions

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 3.24 (directional offerings sequence continuing in 3.24.118–121)

Characters & Entities

• Vāruṇī
• Gāyatrī
• Bhāratī
• Girijā (Pārvatī)
• Agni (directional)
• Vāyu (directional)
• Īśāna (directional)

FAQs

What is the importance of directional salutations (dik-namaskāra) in Garuda Purana?

This verse shows that ritual purity and protection are reinforced by honoring specific divine powers in specific directions, aligning the practitioner with cosmic order while performing rites.

How does this verse relate to Garuda Purana death rituals?

In the Preta Kanda context, such invocations function as ritual safeguards and sanctifying acts during ceremonies connected with the departed, ensuring the rite proceeds under auspicious divine oversight.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

During prayer or ancestral rites, one may mindfully face the relevant directions and offer respectful salutations to these deities, cultivating discipline, reverence, and steadiness in spiritual practice.