Shloka 19

Kāraṇānvēṣaṇam: The 32 Marks of Hari, Defects (Doṣas), Death-Omens, and Hari’s Omnipresence in Social & Household Life

Devanagari script

एकस्य वै लक्षणस्यापि विष्णोर्लक्ष्मीरन्तं नैव सम्यक् प्रपेदे / अतोनन्तैर्लक्षणैः संयुतं च हरिं चाहुर्लक्षणज्ञाः सदैव

Transliteration

ekasya vai lakṣaṇasyāpi viṣṇorlakṣmīrantaṃ naiva samyak prapede / atonantairlakṣaṇaiḥ saṃyutaṃ ca hariṃ cāhurlakṣaṇajñāḥ sadaiva

Translation

Selbst Lakṣmī vermochte nicht, die Grenze auch nur eines einzigen Merkmals Viṣṇus vollständig zu erreichen. Darum verkünden die Kenner der göttlichen Zeichen stets, dass Hari mit unendlichen Eigenschaften ausgestattet ist.

Word by Word

• एकस्य: of one
• एकस्य: सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी/Genitive relation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; 'one' as genitive qualifier

• वै: indeed
• वै: सम्बन्ध (निपात/Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात/particle (emphasis)

• लक्षणस्य: of a mark/attribute
• लक्षणस्य: सम्बन्ध (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: सम्बन्ध (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात/particle (concessive/additive)

• विष्णोः: of Viṣṇu
• विष्णोः: सम्बन्ध (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• लक्ष्मीः: Lakṣmī
• लक्ष्मीः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लक्ष्मी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• अन्तम्: the end/limit
• अन्तम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: सम्बन्ध (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध/negation particle

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: सम्बन्ध (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण/particle (restriction/emphasis)

• सम्यक्: properly
• सम्यक्: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्यक् (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण/adverb

• प्रपेदे: attained/reached
• प्रपेदे: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र+पद् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अतः: therefore
• अतः: सम्बन्ध (Logical connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थ/therefore (causal/inferential)

• अनन्तैः: with endless
• अनन्तैः: करण (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन

• लक्षणैः: by/with attributes
• लक्षणैः: करण (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन

• संयुतम्: endowed/connected
• संयुतम्: विशेषण (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्+युज् (धातु) → संयुत (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; qualifying हरिम्

• च: and
• च: सम्बन्ध (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/coordination conjunction

• हरिम्: Hari (Viṣṇu)
• हरिम्: कर्म (Object of 'āhuḥ')
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: सम्बन्ध (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/coordination conjunction

• आहुः: they say/call
• आहुः: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आह् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन

• लक्षणज्ञाः: knowers of characteristics
• लक्षणज्ञाः: कर्ता (Subject of 'āhuḥ')
• Type: Noun
• Root: लक्षण+ज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: लक्षणस्य ज्ञाः), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• सदा: always
• सदा: क्रियाविशेषण (Temporal adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय/adverb of time

• एव: indeed
• एव: सम्बन्ध (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण/particle (emphasis)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in dialogue with Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The Lord’s qualities are infinite (ananta); finite intellect cannot exhaust divine excellence—devotion thrives in humble wonder.

Vedantic Theme: Acintya/ananta nature of Bhagavān; the infinite cannot be delimited by the finite; bhakti grounded in awe and surrender.

Application: Adopt humility in spiritual claims; replace possessive certainty with reverent inquiry; practice nāma-smaraṇa and stuti acknowledging the Lord’s boundless qualities.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: divine abode

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 3.22 (culmination: from enumerated marks to infinite attributes)

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Lakshmi
• Hari

FAQs

What is the importance of describing Vishnu as having infinite attributes in the Garuda Purana?

This verse emphasizes Hari’s immeasurable nature: even Lakṣmī cannot reach the end of one quality, so devotion is grounded in humility and reverence for the Infinite.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

By stressing the limitless greatness of Viṣṇu, it points the soul toward surrender and remembrance of Hari as the ultimate refuge beyond limited human understanding.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Cultivate humility in spiritual practice: approach prayer, study, and worship with the awareness that the Divine cannot be fully captured by one definition or single concept.