Shloka 23

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

Devanagari script

यः पठेच्छृणुयाद्वा पि नित्यमेव स्तवोत्तमम् / कोटिजन्मकृतं पापमपि तस्य प्रणश्यति

Transliteration

yaḥ paṭhecchṛṇuyādvā pi nityameva stavottamam / koṭijanmakṛtaṃ pāpamapi tasya praṇaśyati

Translation

Whoever regularly recites—or even listens to—this excellent hymn, even the sins accumulated over tens of millions of births are destroyed for that person.

Word by Word

• यः: who (whoever)
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचनम् (Nominative singular)

• पठेत्: should recite/read
• पठेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पठ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्

• शृणुयात्: should hear/listen
• शृणुयात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Disjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक निपात (disjunctive particle)

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-भावार्थक निपात (particle: also/even)

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण अव्ययवत् (adverbial accusative)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• स्तवोत्तमम्: the best hymn
• स्तवोत्तमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्तव (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचनम्; कर्मधारयः (उत्तमः स्तवः)

• कोटिजन्मकृतम्: accumulated over crores of births
• कोटिजन्मकृतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कोटि (प्रातिपदिक) + जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + कृत (प्रातिपदिक; क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कोटि-जन्मनां कृतम्) — ‘done over crores of births’

• पापम्: sin
• पापम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचनम् (Nominative singular)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अपि-निपातः (even)

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचनम् (Genitive singular)

• प्रणश्यति: perishes, is destroyed
• प्रणश्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + नश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (वर्तमानकालः/Present), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

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

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Regular recitation or even hearing of the supreme hymn destroys accumulated sins from innumerable births.

Vedantic Theme: Grace mediated through śabda (stotra) and bhakti; karmic purification (citta-śuddhi) as gateway to higher realization.

Application: Establish a daily stotra routine; if unable to recite, listen attentively; pair with ethical restraint to stabilize purification.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: stotra-mahātmya passages promising papa-kshaya through śravaṇa/pāṭha; Garuda Purana: emphasis on Vishnu-nāma as purifier in kali-yuga

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Garuda

FAQs

What is the importance of regularly reciting or hearing a stotra in the Garuda Purana?

This verse states that consistent recitation or even attentive listening to the ‘excellent hymn’ has purificatory power strong enough to destroy vast accumulated sin (pāpa) over innumerable births.

Does the Garuda Purana consider listening (śravaṇa) as effective as recitation (pāṭha)?

Yes—this verse explicitly includes both: one who recites or one who listens, with regularity, gains the same core result of pāpa-kṣaya (destruction of sin).

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Make a steady practice: daily recite the hymn or listen to a clear recitation with attention and reverence, treating it as a discipline for ethical reset and karmic purification.