Shloka 16
Vishnu-sahasranāma-style Japa: Vishnu as Cosmic Cause and Inner Self
Antaryāmin
सर्वाध्यक्षः सुराध्यक्ष सुरासुरनमस्कृतः / दुष्टानां च सुराणां च सर्वदा घातको ऽन्तकः (१०१)
sarvādhyakṣaḥ surādhyakṣa surāsuranamaskṛtaḥ / duṣṭānāṃ ca surāṇāṃ ca sarvadā ghātako 'ntakaḥ (101)
Er ist der Lenker über alles, der Herr der Götter, verehrt von Devas wie Asuras. Und er—Antaka, der Beender—ist stets der Vernichter der Bösen, ja selbst der Götter, wenn ihr Ende kommt.
Lord Vishnu (addressing Garuda/Vinatā-putra in the Garuḍa Purāṇa dialogue frame)
Concept: The Lord is the supreme overseer and ender (Antaka); He destroys wickedness and even terminates the lives of gods—indicating the supremacy of time and moral order under Him.
Vedantic Theme: Īśvara as kāla-tattva; impermanence of even celestial status; dharma protected through cosmic retribution.
Application: Cultivate humility and ethical living; do not rely on power/status (even ‘divine’); restrain cruelty and adharmic acts knowing accountability is inevitable.
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Related Themes: Garuda Purana passages on kāla, daṇḍa, and the Lord’s governance over all beings
FAQs
This verse presents Antaka as a universal power—revered across cosmic factions—who enforces the inevitable end and the moral order by destroying the wicked.
By emphasizing death as unavoidable even for devas, it frames the soul’s journey as governed by cosmic law—death initiates the post-death transition that later teachings describe in terms of karma and onward states.
Live with urgency and ethics: since death is impartial and certain, prioritize dharma, avoid harmful conduct, and cultivate actions that reduce suffering for self and others.