Shloka 7

Moksha and Svarga through Dāna, Tīrtha, Nāma-smaraṇa, and Bhāva

Devanagari script

मृतो विष्णुपुरं याति न पुनर्जायते क्षितौ / सकृदुच्चरितं येन हरिरित्यक्षरद्वयम्

Transliteration

mṛto viṣṇupuraṃ yāti na punarjāyate kṣitau / sakṛduccaritaṃ yena harirityakṣaradvayam

Translation

Wer auch nur ein einziges Mal die zwei Silben „Ha-ri“ ausspricht—selbst im Augenblick des Todes—gelangt in Vishnus Wohnstatt und wird auf Erden nicht wiedergeboren.

Word by Word

• मृतः: (one who is) dead
• मृतः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मृ (धातु)
• Form: Past participle (क्त), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); ‘dead’

• विष्णुपुरम्: Vishnu’s abode
• विष्णुपुरम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक) + पुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); ‘city/abode of Vishnu’

• याति: goes
• याति: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: Present tense (लट्), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

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

• पुनर्जायते: is born again
• पुनर्जायते: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय) + जन् (धातु)
• Form: Present tense (लट्), Ātmanepada (आत्मनेपद), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन); with adverb ‘again’

• क्षितौ: on earth
• क्षितौ: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षिति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन)

• सकृत्: once
• सकृत्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सकृत् (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय)

• उच्चरितम्: uttered
• उच्चरितम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद्-चर् (धातु)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); ‘uttered’

• येन: by whom/whereby
• येन: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन); relative pronoun

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

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

• अक्षरद्वयम्: the two-syllabled (name)
• अक्षरद्वयम्: Apposition (समानााधिकरण/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अक्षर (प्रातिपदिक) + द्वय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); ‘two syllables’

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in discourse to Garuda/Vainateya)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Moksha

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Nāma-smarana/uccāraṇa: even a single utterance of ‘Hari’ (two syllables) can carry the soul to Viṣṇu’s realm and end rebirth—emphasizing divine grace and the power of devotion.

Vedantic Theme: Īśvara-anugraha through nāma; bhakti as direct means to mokṣa; the transformative saṃskāra of the final thought/word.

Application: Adopt daily Hari-nāma japa; train the mind so the name arises naturally in crisis and at death; keep devotional reminders (kīrtan, mantra cards, beads).

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Geographic Context

Type: divine abode

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: nāma-mahimā and death-time remembrance motifs; mokṣa via Viṣṇu-bhakti; saptapurī and antya-kāla teachings nearby.

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Hari
• Vishnupura (Vaikuntha)
• Earth (Kshiti)

FAQs

What is the importance of chanting 'Hari' in the Garuda Purana?

This verse teaches that even a single utterance of the two-syllabled name ‘Hari’ has liberating power, leading the departed to Vishnu’s abode and cutting off rebirth.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul after death?

It presents a direct devotional route: remembrance/utterance of Hari at death aligns the soul with Vishnu’s realm (Vishnupura), bypassing return to earthly birth.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Cultivate daily nāma-smaraṇa (remembering/reciting Hari or Vishnu-names) so that the mind naturally turns to the divine at life’s end, supporting a calm, dharmic departure.