Shloka 19

Nāma-mahātmya: Liberation through Salutation, Chanting, and the Mantra “Namo Nārāyaṇāya”

Devanagari script

जिह्वाग्रे वर्तते यस्य हरिरित्यक्षरद्वयम् / संसारसागरं तीर्त्वा स गच्छेद्वैष्णवं पदम्

Transliteration

jihvāgre vartate yasya harirityakṣaradvayam / saṃsārasāgaraṃ tīrtvā sa gacchedvaiṣṇavaṃ padam

Translation

Wessen Zungenspitze die zwei Silben „Ha-ri“ beständig trägt, der durchquert den Ozean des Saṃsāra und gelangt zum vaiṣṇavischen Zustand, zur höchsten Wohnstatt Viṣṇus.

Word by Word

• जिह्वाग्रे: on the tip of the tongue
• जिह्वाग्रे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जिह्वा + अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (जिह्वायाः अग्रे)

• वर्तते: is present / remains
• वर्तते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृत् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• यस्य: of whom / whose
• यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative)

• हरिः: Hari
• हरिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/इत्यर्थक अव्यय (quotative particle)

• अक्षरद्वयम्: the two syllables
• अक्षरद्वयम्: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अक्षर + द्वय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st)/द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अक्षराणां द्वयम्)

• संसारसागरम्: the ocean of saṃsāra
• संसारसागरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संसार + सागर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (संसारस्य सागरम्)

• तीर्त्वा: having crossed
• तीर्त्वा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तॄ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/क्त्वा), 'having crossed'

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• गच्छेत्: would go / should go
• गच्छेत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• वैष्णवम्: Vaiṣṇava
• वैष्णवम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वैष्णव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying पदम्)

• पदम्: abode/state
• पदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Hari-nāma (even the two syllables ‘Ha-ri’) on the tongue grants passage across saṃsāra to Viṣṇu’s abode.

Vedantic Theme: Nāma as non-different from Nāmin (the Named); grace-mediated liberation through devotion rather than mere ritual capacity.

Application: Keep Hari-nāma on the tongue via japa/kīrtana; cultivate ‘tongue-tip remembrance’ especially at stress, temptation, and before sleep.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Geographic Context

Type: celestial abode

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: nāma-mahātmya and Viṣṇu-smaraṇa as liberating at death and in life (related bhakti sections)

Characters & Entities

• Hari
• Vishnu

FAQs

What is the importance of chanting “Hari” in the Garuda Purana?

This verse states that keeping the divine name “Hari” on one’s tongue enables one to cross saṃsāra and reach Vishnu’s supreme abode, highlighting nāma as a direct means to liberation.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

It presents remembrance/utterance of Hari as the decisive inner support: by anchoring consciousness in Vishnu’s name, the soul transcends worldly bondage (saṃsāra-sāgara) and moves toward the Vaiṣṇava state.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Cultivate regular nāma-japa of “Hari” (and related Vishnu names) so that remembrance becomes natural—especially valuable in times of fear, illness, and at life’s end.