Shloka 4
Pādukā-Vandana and the Ananta Padmāsana: Mantra-Body of Śiva-Śakti
ॐ ह्रीं श्रीं पूथिवीतत्सवर्णभुवनद्वीपसमुद्रदिशामनन्ताख्यमासनं पद्मासनं पूजयामि नमः
oṃ hrīṃ śrīṃ pūthivītatsavarṇabhuvanadvīpasamudradiśāmanantākhyamāsanaṃ padmāsanaṃ pūjayāmi namaḥ
Om—Hrīm—Śrīm. I worship and bow to the lotus-seat, Padmāsana, the seat called “Ananta”, encompassing the earth, the like realms, the worlds, continents, oceans, and all directions.
Narrative/ritual voice (mantra-style invocation within the Garuda Purana; not a direct Vishnu–Garuda dialogue line)
Concept: The divine seat as the all-encompassing ground of experience; ritual contemplation of totality (sarva-vyāpti).
Vedantic Theme: Brahman/Īśvara as adhikaraṇa (substratum) pervading names-and-forms; meditation on universality reduces egoic contraction.
Application: In japa/pūjā, visualize the deity’s presence extending through all directions and environments to cultivate non-separative awareness.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: cosmography
Related Themes: Garuda Purana cosmographic and ritual visualization passages (general internal resonance)
FAQs
This verse frames the deity’s seat as cosmic in scope—earth, worlds, continents, oceans, and directions—so offering the āsana symbolizes inviting and honoring the divine presence as all-pervading before proceeding with further worship.
Indirectly: by invoking a cosmic order (directions, worlds, oceans), it situates ritual action within a structured universe—an important Garuda Purana theme when later describing post-death journeys through realms governed by cosmic law.
Begin any prayer or remembrance with a deliberate act of respect—create a clean seat/space, mentally ‘offer the āsana,’ and align intention with steadiness and reverence before chanting or meditation.