Shloka 12

Veṅkaṭācala Māhātmya: Bhakti-Lakṣaṇa, Nārasiṁha-tīrtha, and the Secret Darśana-Vidhi of Śrīnivāsa

Devanagari script

नृणां सर्वेषां श्रीनिवासो हरिस्तु कलौ स्वरूपं श्रीनिवासस्य देवी / न मानुषाः प्रविजानन्ति सर्वे यतः कलौ तामसा राजसास्तु

Transliteration

nṛṇāṃ sarveṣāṃ śrīnivāso haristu kalau svarūpaṃ śrīnivāsasya devī / na mānuṣāḥ pravijānanti sarve yataḥ kalau tāmasā rājasāstu

Translation

Für alle Menschen ist Hari wahrlich Śrīnivāsa; und im Kali-Zeitalter ist die Göttin (Devī) die offenbarte Gestalt Śrīnivāsas selbst. Doch nicht alle erkennen dies in Wahrheit, denn im Kali herrschen tamasische und rajasische Neigungen vor.

Word by Word

• nṛṇām: of men/people
• nṛṇām: Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Plural

• sarveṣām: of all
• sarveṣām: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (6th), Plural; adjective qualifying nṛṇām

• śrīnivāsaḥ: Śrīnivāsa
• śrīnivāsaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrī-nivāsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st), Singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष

• hariḥ: Hari (Vishnu)
• hariḥ: Apposition to Karta (कर्ता-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hari (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st), Singular

• tu: but/indeed
• tu: Sambandha/Contrast (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात) expressing contrast/emphasis

• kalau: in Kali age
• kalau: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kali (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative (7th), Singular

• svarūpam: (his) own form/nature
• svarūpam: Pradhāna-predicative (विशेष्य/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva-rūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative (1st/2nd), Singular; कर्मधारय: svaṃ rūpam = own form; here predicative nominative/accusative in ellipsis

• śrīnivāsasya: of Śrīnivāsa
• śrīnivāsasya: Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrī-nivāsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (6th), Singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष in stem

• devī: the Goddess (Devī)
• devī: Karta (कर्ता) / predicate identification (समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st), Singular

• na: not
• na: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Negation particle (निषेध)

• mānuṣāḥ: humans
• mānuṣāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mānuṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st), Plural

• pravijānanti: fully know/recognize
• pravijānanti: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√jñā (धातु)
• Form: Present (लट्), 3rd person, Plural, Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

• sarve: all
• sarve: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st), Plural; adjective qualifying mānuṣāḥ

• yataḥ: because
• yataḥ: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: Causal indeclinable (हेतुवाचक अव्यय) = 'because/for'

• kalau: in Kali age
• kalau: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kali (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative (7th), Singular

• tāmasāḥ: tamasic (dark/dull)
• tāmasāḥ: Karta (कर्ता) (implied 'people are')
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tāmasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st), Plural; adjective used substantively

• rājasāḥ: rajasic (passionate)
• rājasāḥ: Karta (कर्ता) (coordinated)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: rājasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st), Plural; adjective used substantively

• tu: indeed/and in fact
• tu: Sambandha/Contrast (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Hari as Śrīnivāsa; Śrī (Devī/Lakṣmī) as His manifest embodiment in Kali; spiritual recognition is hindered by tamas and rajas.

Vedantic Theme: Īśvara-tattva and śakti-śaktimān relation; necessity of sattva for right knowledge (samyag-darśana).

Application: Cultivate sattva (purity, restraint, truthful living) and consciously honor Hari with Śrī (Lakṣmī-Nārāyaṇa upāsanā) rather than reducing devotion to mere social identity.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 3.24.13-16 (rarity of true bhaktas; dispassion; definition of devotee; distinction of jīva and Hari)

Characters & Entities

• Hari (Vishnu)
• Shrinivasa
• Devi (Lakshmi/Devī)
• Kali-yuga
• Tamas
• Rajas

FAQs

What is the importance of recognizing Hari as Śrīnivāsa in the Garuda Purana?

This verse frames Hari as the universal refuge (Śrīnivāsa) for all people, implying that clear recognition and devotion are central remedies in Kali-yuga when spiritual discernment declines.

How does this verse explain spiritual confusion in Kali-yuga?

It attributes people’s failure to recognize the divine (Hari and Devī) to the dominance of tamas and rajas—states that cloud understanding and fuel distraction and restlessness.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Cultivate sattva through disciplined worship, ethical living, and steady remembrance of Hari and Devī, so recognition (pravijñāna) replaces confusion driven by tamas and rajas.