Shloka 14

Kula-amṛta: Śiva’s Teaching to Nārada on Viṣṇu-Dhyāna and Mokṣa

Devanagari script

सर्वात्मकञ्च वै यावदात्मचैतन्यरूपकम् / शुभमेकाक्षरं विष्णुं सदा ध्यायन्विमुच्यते

Transliteration

sarvātmakañca vai yāvadātmacaitanyarūpakam / śubhamekākṣaraṃ viṣṇuṃ sadā dhyāyanvimucyate

Translation

So long as one meditates constantly on the auspicious, one-syllabled Viṣṇu—who is all-pervading and whose very nature is the soul’s consciousness—one becomes liberated.

Word by Word

• सर्वात्मकम्: all-souled/whose self is all
• सर्वात्मकम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व + आत्मक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (पाठे कर्मपदे विष्णुम् इति विशेषणत्वात् द्वितीया); समासः: सर्व-आत्मक (तत्पुरुष: 'having all as self')

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक/उपपद-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• यावत्: as much as/so far as
• यावत्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय/संबन्ध-शब्द)
• Form: परिमाण/अवधि-वाचक-अव्यय (as much as/so long as)

• आत्म: self
• आत्म: Sambandha (Compound member/समास-संबन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: (समासाङ्ग) प्रातिपदिक-रूप

• चैतन्य: consciousness
• चैतन्य: Sambandha (Compound member/समास-संबन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चैतन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: (समासाङ्ग) प्रातिपदिक-रूप

• रूपकम्: having the nature/form of self-consciousness
• रूपकम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रूपक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः: आत्म-चैतन्य-रूपक (तत्पुरुष: 'having the form of self-consciousness') विशेषणम् (विष्णुम्)

• शुभम्: auspicious
• शुभम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (विष्णुम्)

• एक: one
• एक: Sambandha (Compound member/समास-संबन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: (समासाङ्ग) प्रातिपदिक-रूप

• अक्षरम्: one-syllabled (the sacred syllable)
• अक्षरम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अक्षर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः: एक-अक्षर (द्विगु: 'one syllable/imperishable syllable') विशेषणम् (विष्णुम्)

• विष्णुम्: Vishnu
• विष्णुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन

• सदा: always
• सदा: Adhikarana (Temporal/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय

• ध्यायन्: meditating
• ध्यायन्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ध्यै (धातु) + शतृ
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त; पुल्लिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि

• विमुच्यते: is freed
• विमुच्यते: Kriya (Result/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लट्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि (passive)

Speaker

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

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Meditation on Vishnu as sarvatmaka and as the very form of atma-chaitanya, and as the auspicious eka-akshara, grants liberation as long as the contemplation is sustained.

Vedantic Theme: Identity of Self-consciousness with the all-pervading Lord; pranava/akshara as a support for realizing Brahman; continuity of remembrance as the operative cause.

Application: Adopt a concise mantra-support (eka-akshara/pranava-like) with meaning: ‘Vishnu as consciousness in all’; integrate into breath and daily activities for sustained smriti.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: emphasis on nama/akshara-based remembrance and Vishnu as all-pervading consciousness (theme parallel)

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu

FAQs

What is the importance of ekākṣara (one-syllabled) Vishnu in Garuda Purana?

This verse presents the one-syllabled, auspicious form of Vishnu as a direct support for liberation: steady contemplation of that single, concentrated divine remembrance frees the practitioner.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

Rather than describing post-death routes, it gives the inner means: realizing the soul’s consciousness as aligned with the all-pervading Vishnu through continuous dhyāna leads to release (vimukti).

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Maintain daily, consistent meditation on Vishnu (even in a brief, single-syllable mantra-focused way) to cultivate clarity, detachment, and a liberation-oriented life.