Shloka 46

Hari-stuti by Śrī, Brahmā, Vāyu, Sarasvatī, Śeṣa, Garuḍa, Rudra, Vāruṇī and Pārvatī

Humility, Surrender, and the Power of the Name

Devanagari script

गरुड उवाच / तव पदोः स्तुतिं किं करोम्यहं मम पदांबुजे ह्यर्पितं मनः / कथमहं मुखे पक्षियोनिजः कथमेवङ्गुणा नीडितुं क्षमः

Transliteration

garuḍa uvāca / tava padoḥ stutiṃ kiṃ karomyahaṃ mama padāṃbuje hyarpitaṃ manaḥ / kathamahaṃ mukhe pakṣiyonijaḥ kathamevaṅguṇā nīḍituṃ kṣamaḥ

Translation

Garuḍa said: “How can I praise Your two feet? For my mind has already been offered upon the lotus of Your feet. How can I—born among birds, with a beak for a mouth—properly describe such exalted qualities?”

Word by Word

• गरुडः: Garuḍa
• गरुडः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: garuḍa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• तव: your
• तव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, एकवचन

• पदोः: of the feet
• पदोः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी/सप्तमी (Genitive/Locative), द्विवचन; here genitive ‘of (your) feet’

• स्तुतिम्: praise
• स्तुतिम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: stuti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक (interrogative)

• करोमि: do/make
• करोमि: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा, एकवचन

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, एकवचन

• पदाम्बुजे: in the lotus-feet
• पदाम्बुजे: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pada-ambuja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पदस्य अम्बुजम् = lotus of the foot)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (indeed/for)

• अर्पितम्: offered/placed
• अर्पितम्: Kriyā (विशेषण-रूपेण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: arpita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √arp/√ṛp? caus. of √ṛ)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (offered/placed)

• मनः: mind
• मनः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: katham (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक अव्यय (interrogative adverb: how)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा, एकवचन

• मुखे: in the mouth
• मुखे: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• पक्षियोनिजः: one born of the bird-species
• पक्षियोनिजः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pakṣi-yoni-ja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (पक्षिणां योनिः; तस्यां जातः)

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: katham (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक अव्यय

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रकारवाचक

• गुणाः: qualities
• गुणाः: Karta/Predicate (कर्ता/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: guṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; here as predicate ‘(such) qualities’

• नीडितुम्: to praise
• नीडितुम्: Prayojana (प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √nīḍ (धातु) + तुमुन्
• Form: तुमुनन्त (infinitive), ‘to praise/celebrate’ (नीड् = स्तुतौ)

• क्षमः: capable
• क्षमः: Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṣama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Garuḍa (Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: True praise arises from surrender; awareness of one’s limitation (vinaya) deepens devotion rather than obstructing it.

Vedantic Theme: Bhakti as a direct means of God-realization; the finite jīva’s speech cannot circumscribe the infinite (ananta) yet can cling to the Lord’s feet.

Application: Cultivate humility in prayer; place the mind repeatedly at the Lord’s feet (japa/dhyāna), accepting that devotion need not be rhetorically perfect.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana (Uttara/other sections): repeated padāmbuja-śaraṇāgati motifs in Vishnu-stuti passages

Characters & Entities

• Garuḍa
• Lord Vishnu (implied by 'Your feet')

FAQs

What is the importance of praising the Lord’s lotus feet in the Garuda Purana?

This verse presents lotus-feet devotion (pāda-bhakti) as the heart of worship—Garuḍa says his mind is already offered there, implying surrender is more fundamental than eloquent speech.

How does this verse explain the devotee’s relationship with the Divine?

It emphasizes humility and incapacity before the Divine’s infinite qualities: even Garuḍa, a great devotee, feels unfit to ‘describe’ the Lord, showing devotion is rooted in reverence rather than self-confidence.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Prioritize inner offering—steady remembrance and ethical living—over performative religiosity; let prayer arise from humility, acknowledging that sincerity matters more than perfect words.