Shloka 6
Bhadrā and Mitravindā: The Fruits of Namaskāra, Pradakṣiṇā, Hari-nāma, and Śravaṇa of Bhāgavata Kathā
यथा प्रसन्नो वन्दनाद्देवद्देव स्तथा न तुष्टः पूजनात्कर्मतश्च / यथा नामस्मरणाद्वन्दनाद्वा पापान्नियच्छेतु तथा न चान्यैः
yathā prasanno vandanāddevaddeva stathā na tuṣṭaḥ pūjanātkarmataśca / yathā nāmasmaraṇādvandanādvā pāpānniyacchetu tathā na cānyaiḥ
Just as the Lord of lords becomes pleased by reverent salutation, so too He is not necessarily satisfied merely by ritual worship and outward acts. And just as by remembrance of His Name—or even by salutation—sins are restrained and checked, so it is not accomplished in the same way by other means.
Lord Vishnu (in instruction to Garuda/Vinata-putra)
Concept: The Lord is especially pleased by vandana; mere external pūjā/karma may not suffice; nāma-smaraṇa and vandana restrain sins in a way other means do not.
Vedantic Theme: Primacy of bhakti (nāma and vandana) as an immediate purifier; inner devotion outweighs externalism; grace responds to sincere remembrance.
Application: Establish a daily rhythm of nāma-japa/smaraṇa and simple pranāma; treat external ritual as supportive, not substitutive for inner remembrance.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Related Themes: Garuda Purana: repeated glorification of nāma as pāpa-nāśaka; Garuda Purana: bhakti as the sure aid in crisis and at death
FAQs
This verse elevates nāma-smaraṇa as a direct and effective means to restrain sins, emphasizing inner devotion over mere external ritual.
It implies that outward acts (karma/ritual pūjā) alone may not guarantee divine satisfaction, while sincere salutation and name-remembrance have a uniquely purifying power.
Maintain daily nāma-japa or mindful remembrance of Vishnu along with respectful salutations, using devotion as the foundation for ethical conduct rather than relying only on formal ritual.