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Shloka 22

Bhakti-māhātmya: The Marks of the Vaiṣṇava and the Liberating Power of Exclusive Devotion

Devanagari script

भ्राम्यतां तत्र संसारे नराणां कुर्मदुर्गमे / हस्तावलम्बने ह्येकं येन तुष्येज्जनार्दनः / न शृणोति गुणान्दिव्यान्देवदेवस्य चक्रिणः / स मरो बधिरो ज्ञेयः सर्वधर्मबहिष्कृतः

Transliteration

bhrāmyatāṃ tatra saṃsāre narāṇāṃ kurmadurgame / hastāvalambane hyekaṃ yena tuṣyejjanārdanaḥ / na śṛṇoti guṇāndivyāndevadevasya cakriṇaḥ / sa maro badhiro jñeyaḥ sarvadharmabahiṣkṛtaḥ

Translation

Mientras los hombres vagan por el saṃsāra—difícil de cruzar, como una fortaleza de tortuga—hay un único asidero seguro por el cual Janārdana (Viṣṇu) se complace. Quien no escucha las virtudes divinas del Señor portador del Disco, Dios de dioses, debe ser tenido por extraviado y sordo, excluido de todo dharma.

Word by Word
भ्राम्यताम्let (them) wander
भ्राम्यताम्:
Kriya (Verb)
TypeVerb
Rootभ्रम् (धातु)
Formलोट् (imperative), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद (let them wander)
तत्रthere
तत्र:
Adhikaraṇa (Locus)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतत्र (अव्यय)
Formदेशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb: 'there/in that')
संसारेin saṃsāra
संसारे:
Adhikaraṇa (Locus)
TypeNoun
Rootसंसार (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन (locative singular)
नराणाम्of men
नराणाम्:
Sambandha (Genitive relation)
TypeNoun
Rootनर (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन (genitive plural)
कूर्मदुर्गमेhard to cross like a tortoise (very difficult)
कूर्मदुर्गमे:
Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
TypeAdjective
Rootकूर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + दुर्गम (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; विशेषणम्; कर्मधारयः (कूर्म इव दुर्गमः) (masc. loc. sg.)
हस्तावलम्बनेin (taking) the support of the hand
हस्तावलम्बने:
Adhikaraṇa (Locus)
TypeNoun
Rootहस्त (प्रातिपदिक) + अवलम्बन (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (hastasya avalambanam) (neut. loc. sg.)
हिindeed, for
हि:
Sambandha (Emphasis)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootहि (अव्यय)
Formनिपात (particle: emphasis/causal)
एकम्one (thing)
एकम्:
Karma (Object)
TypeAdjective
Rootएक (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; संख्याविशेषणम् (neut. acc. sg.)
येनby which
येन:
Karaṇa (Instrument)
TypeNoun
Rootयद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (instrumental singular: 'by which')
तुष्येत्may be pleased
तुष्येत्:
Kriya (Verb)
TypeVerb
Rootतुष् (धातु)
Formविधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (may be pleased)
जनार्दनःJanārdana (Viṣṇu)
जनार्दनः:
Karta (Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootजनार्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन (nominative singular)
नnot
न:
Sambandha (Negation)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootन (अव्यय)
Formनिषेध-निपात (negation)
शृणोतिhe hears
शृणोति:
Kriya (Verb)
TypeVerb
Rootश्रु (धातु)
Formलट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद
गुणान्qualities, virtues
गुणान्:
Karma (Object)
TypeNoun
Rootगुण (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन (accusative plural)
दिव्यान्divine
दिव्यान्:
Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
TypeAdjective
Rootदिव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (masc. acc. pl.)
देवदेवस्यof the God of gods
देवदेवस्य:
Sambandha (Genitive relation)
TypeNoun
Rootदेव (प्रातिपदिक) + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (देवानां देवः) (gen. sg.)
चक्रिणःof the discus-bearer
चक्रिणः:
Sambandha (Genitive relation)
TypeNoun
Rootचक्रिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन (genitive singular)
सःhe
सः:
Karta (Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)
मृतःdead
मृतः:
Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
TypeAdjective
Rootमृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √मृ)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त), विशेषणम् (masc. nom. sg., past participle)
बधिरःdeaf
बधिरः:
Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
TypeAdjective
Rootबधिर (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (masc. nom. sg.)
ज्ञेयःis to be known (as)
ज्ञेयः:
Kriya (Predicate)
TypeAdjective
Rootज्ञा (धातु) + य (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय; तव्यत्/यत्)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विधेयकृदन्त (gerundive: 'to be known/considered')
सर्वधर्मबहिष्कृतःexcluded from all dharmas
सर्वधर्मबहिष्कृतः:
Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
TypeAdjective
Rootसर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + धर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + बहिष्कृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √कृ with बहिस्-उपसर्ग)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (sarvebhyaḥ dharmebhyaḥ bahiṣkṛtaḥ) (masc. nom. sg.)
Speaker

Lord Vishnu (teaching Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: In the tortuous samsara, the sure support is that by which Janardana is pleased—hearing/attending to the divine virtues of Chakrin (Vishnu). Neglect of shravana is spiritual deafness and dharma-exclusion.

Vedantic Theme: Bhakti begins with shravana; grace is accessed through attentive hearing of the Lord’s qualities; adharma is framed as turning away from the divine.

Application: Establish regular shravana: read/listen to Vishnu-katha, stotra, Purana recitation; reduce noise/distraction; treat ‘not listening’ as a serious lapse in spiritual hygiene.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: vira

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: Vishnu-nama and bhakti as sin-destroying (cf. 1.227.23–24); Garuda Purana: Yama’s non-jurisdiction over Vaishnavas (cf. 1.227.25)

Characters & Entities
J
Janardana (Vishnu)
C
Chakrin (Vishnu as the discus-bearer)
D
Deva-deva (God of gods)

FAQs

This verse presents hearing the divine qualities of Lord Viṣṇu as the key “handhold” for crossing difficult saṃsāra—devotional listening is treated as a primary dharmic practice.

It frames worldly existence as extremely hard to overcome and implies that neglecting devotion—specifically, refusing to hear Viṣṇu’s virtues—keeps one spiritually “deaf” and outside dharma, obstructing liberation.

Regularly listen to or study Viṣṇu-stuti, Purāṇic kathā, and teachings on divine virtues; cultivate attentive hearing as a daily discipline to strengthen dharma and devotion.

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