Shloka 83

Devanagari script

शौनकीयं नीतिसारं विष्णुः सर्वत्रतानि च / कथयामास वैपूर्वं तत्र शुश्राव शङ्करः / शङ्करादशृणोद्व्यासो व्यासादस्माभिरेव च

Transliteration

śaunakīyaṃ nītisāraṃ viṣṇuḥ sarvatratāni ca / kathayāmāsa vaipūrvaṃ tatra śuśrāva śaṅkaraḥ / śaṅkarādaśṛṇodvyāso vyāsādasmābhireva ca

Translation

Einst legte der Herr Viṣṇu Śaunakas Nītisāra—die Essenz der Ethik—dar und ebenso die Lehren von Seiner Allgegenwart. Dort hörte Śaṅkara (Śiva) zu; von Śaṅkara hörte es Vyāsa; und von Vyāsa haben auch wir es vernommen.

Word by Word

• शौनकीयम्: pertaining to Śaunaka
• शौनकीयम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शौनकीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• नीतिसारम्: essence of polity/ethics
• नीतिसारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नीति + सार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (नीतेः सारः)

• विष्णुः: Vishnu
• विष्णुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• सर्वत्रतानि: (teachings on) omnipresence/everywhere-ness
• सर्वत्रतानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्वत्रता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (पाठानुसारं); ‘सर्वत्रता’ = omnipresence (as topics/teachings)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-निपात

• कथयामास: told/related
• कथयामास: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथय् (धातु, णिजन्त)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• पूर्वम्: formerly/before
• पूर्वम्: Kala-adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोगे अव्ययवत् (adverb: ‘formerly/earlier’)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• शुश्राव: heard
• शुश्राव: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• शङ्करः: Shankara
• शङ्करः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शङ्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• शङ्करात्: from Shankara
• शङ्करात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शङ्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• अशृणोत्: heard
• अशृणोत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• व्यासः: Vyasa
• व्यासः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• व्यासात्: from Vyasa
• व्यासात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अस्माभिः: by us/we
• अस्माभिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तम-पुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Avadharana (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-निपात

Speaker

Narrator/Compiler voice (tradition transmission within the Garuḍa Purāṇa discourse)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Paramparā and śravaṇa: ethical essence (nīti-sāra) and doctrine of Viṣṇu’s all-pervasiveness are preserved through disciplined listening and transmission.

Vedantic Theme: Sarvavyāptatva of Brahman/Īśvara (Viṣṇu) and the epistemic authority of śruti-smṛti style lineage; knowledge is safeguarded by tradition.

Application: Learn from authentic sources and teachers; verify teachings through lineage and consistent practice; value careful listening (śravaṇa) and responsible teaching.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: divine discourse / śravaṇa-sabhā

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: recurring emphasis on Viṣṇu-bhakti and dharma-nīti; narrative self-authentication via lineage statements

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Shankara (Shiva)
• Vyasa
• Shaunaka

FAQs

What is the importance of paramparā (lineage) in the Garuḍa Purāṇa?

This verse grounds the teaching in an authoritative transmission—Viṣṇu taught it, Śaṅkara heard it, Vyāsa received it, and it reached the present narrator—establishing reliability and continuity.

How does this verse relate to the Garuḍa Purāṇa’s teachings on the soul and afterlife?

While not describing the afterlife directly, it authenticates the doctrinal framework (dharma, nīti, and Viṣṇu’s all-pervasiveness) that underpins later discussions on death rites, sin, and the soul’s journey.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Treat ethical living (nīti/dharma) and remembrance of the Divine as foundational, and learn sacred teachings through credible sources and disciplined study within a recognized tradition.