Shloka 2

Hari-Pūjā: Puruṣa-sūkta, Bhakti-Supremacy, and Consequences of Neglect

Devanagari script

अर्चितं स्याज्जगदिदं तेन सर्वं चराचरम् / यो न पूजयते विष्णुं तं विद्याद्ब्रह्मघातकम्

Transliteration

arcitaṃ syājjagadidaṃ tena sarvaṃ carācaram / yo na pūjayate viṣṇuṃ taṃ vidyādbrahmaghātakam

Translation

Wenn Er verehrt wird, ist gleichsam dieses ganze Universum verehrt — alles Bewegliche und Unbewegliche. Wer jedoch Viṣṇu nicht verehrt, den soll man als schuldig an brahma-hatyā erkennen, der schwersten Sünde.

Word by Word

• अर्चितम्: worshipped
• अर्चितम्: Kriya (Predicate complement/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्च् (धातु) → अर्चित (क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (Past passive participle/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; भावे/कर्मणि प्रयोगः ('is worshipped')

• स्यात्: would be / should be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Auxiliary/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• जगत्: the world
• जगत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Visheshana (Appositive/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; निर्देशार्थक (demonstrative)

• तेन: by that / by him
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• सर्वम्: all
• सर्वम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying चराचरम्)

• चराचरम्: moving and unmoving (beings)
• चराचरम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चर + अचर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (चरं च अचरं च)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation)

• पूजयते: worships
• पूजयते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• विष्णुम्: Viṣṇu
• विष्णुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• विद्यात्: should know (as)
• विद्यात्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• ब्रह्मघातकम्: a slayer of a brāhmaṇa (brahma-killer)
• ब्रह्मघातकम्: Karma (Object complement/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् + घातक (घात्/हन्-अर्थे, कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (ब्रह्मणः घातकः)

Speaker

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

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Worship of Viṣṇu is tantamount to worship of the entire moving and unmoving universe; failure to worship Him is condemned as gravely sinful.

Vedantic Theme: Viṣṇu as antaryāmin and sarvātmā: honoring the source honors all; neglect indicates spiritual blindness and adharma.

Application: Center life around reverence for the divine in all beings; maintain some form of Viṣṇu-upāsanā and avoid contempt/neglect of sacred duty.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: raudra

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: sections equating devotion to Viṣṇu with fulfillment of many rites; warnings against nāstikatva and neglect of worship

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Brahman

FAQs

What is the importance of worshipping Vishnu in the Garuda Purana?

This verse states that worship of Viṣṇu is equivalent to honoring the entire cosmos (all moving and unmoving beings), presenting Viṣṇu-bhakti as a comprehensive, highest form of worship.

Does this verse relate to sins and punishments described in the Garuda Purana?

Yes. By declaring neglect of Viṣṇu-worship as comparable to brahma-hatyā (a gravest sin), it frames devotion as central to dharma and implies severe karmic consequences—consistent with the Purana’s broader moral-judicial outlook.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Maintain regular Viṣṇu-oriented worship (pujā, nāma-japa, remembrance) and live with reverence for all beings; the verse links devotion with universal respect and warns against spiritual negligence.