Shloka 58

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

Humility, Surrender, and the Power of the Name

Devanagari script

नारायणेति तव नाम च एकमेव वैराग्यभक्तिविभवे परमं समर्थाम् / असंख्यब्रह्मादिकहत्यनाशाने गुर्वङ्गनाकोटिविनाशने च

Transliteration

nārāyaṇeti tava nāma ca ekameva vairāgyabhaktivibhave paramaṃ samarthām / asaṃkhyabrahmādikahatyanāśāne gurvaṅganākoṭivināśane ca

Translation

The single utterance of Your name—“Nārāyaṇa”—is supremely powerful in granting the wealth of devotion and dispassion; and it can destroy sins such as countless slayings of Brahmins and the like, and even the ruinous sin equal to violating the wife of one’s guru in crores.

Word by Word

• नारायण: O Nārāyaṇa
• नारायण: सम्बोधन (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; vocative singular

• इति: thus
• इति: सम्बन्ध/वाक्य-सम्बन्ध (Discourse marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/इत्यर्थक अव्यय (quotative particle)

• तव: your
• तव: षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6/षष्ठी), एकवचन; genitive singular pronoun

• नाम: name
• नाम: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1/प्रथमा), एकवचन; nominative singular

• च: and
• च: सम्बन्ध/समुच्चय (Coordinator)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• एकम्: one
• एकम्: विशेषण (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1/प्रथमा), एकवचन; agrees with नाम

• एव: alone/indeed
• एव: सम्बन्ध (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• वैराग्य-भक्ति-विभवे: in the power of detachment and devotion
• वैराग्य-भक्ति-विभवे: अधिकरण (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैराग्य (प्रातिपदिक) + भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + विभव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7/सप्तमी), एकवचन; locative singular; समासः—तत्पुरुष (वैराग्यभक्त्योः विभवः)

• परम्: supremely
• परम्: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; adverbial/qualifying usage

• समर्थम्: capable/powerful
• समर्थम्: विशेषण (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1/प्रथमा), एकवचन; agrees with नाम

• असंख्य-ब्रह्म-आदि-हत्या-नाशाने: in destroying countless killings of Brahmins etc.
• असंख्य-ब्रह्म-आदि-हत्या-नाशाने: अधिकरण (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असंख्य (प्रातिपदिक) + ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + हत्या (प्रातिपदिक) + नाशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7/सप्तमी), एकवचन; locative singular; समासः—तत्पुरुष (असंख्यब्रह्मादिहत्यायाः नाशनम्)

• गुरु-अङ्गना-कोटि-विनाशने: in destroying crores of (sins like) violating the guru’s wife
• गुरु-अङ्गना-कोटि-विनाशने: अधिकरण (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु (प्रातिपदिक) + अङ्गना (प्रातिपदिक) + कोटि (प्रातिपदिक) + विनाशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7/सप्तमी), एकवचन; locative singular; समासः—तत्पुरुष (गुर्वङ्गनाकोṭेः विनाशनम्)

• च: and
• च: सम्बन्ध/समुच्चय (Coordinator)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Nāma-japa of ‘Nārāyaṇa’ grants bhakti and vairāgya and destroys even extreme pāpa; the Name functions as a direct purifier and spiritual catalyst.

Vedantic Theme: Śabda-brahma and nāma as upāya; grace (anugraha) overriding karmic accretions when devotion is sincere.

Application: Daily japa of ‘Nārāyaṇa’ with repentance and resolve; pair chanting with ethical repair (apology, restitution) rather than using nāma as a license.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 3.6.57 (exclusive refuge in the Lord); Garuda Purana 3.6.59-60 (humility of the speaker)

Characters & Entities

• Narayana
• Brahmins
• Guru

FAQs

What is the importance of chanting “Narayana” in the Garuda Purana?

This verse states that even a single utterance of “Nārāyaṇa” is supremely potent—awakening devotion and detachment, and destroying even extremely grave sins.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul after death?

By emphasizing remembrance/utterance of the divine name, it points to bhakti-based purification as a key support for the jīva’s onward journey, reducing the weight of pāpa that binds the soul to suffering states.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Maintain daily nāma-japa (especially “Nārāyaṇa”), cultivate bhakti and vairāgya through ethical living, and encourage remembrance of Vishnu during illness, old age, and end-of-life rites.