Shloka 20

Nāma-mahātmya: Liberation through Salutation, Chanting, and the Mantra “Namo Nārāyaṇāya”

Devanagari script

विज्ञातदुष्कृतिसहस्रसमावृतो ऽपिश्रेयः परन्तु परिशुद्धिम भीप्समानः / स्पप्नान्तरे न हि पुनश्च भवं स पश्येन्नारायणस्तुतिकथापरमो मनुष्यः

Transliteration

vijñātaduṣkṛtisahasrasamāvṛto 'piśreyaḥ parantu pariśuddhima bhīpsamānaḥ / spapnāntare na hi punaśca bhavaṃ sa paśyennārāyaṇastutikathāparamo manuṣyaḥ

Translation

Aunque un hombre esté cubierto por miles de faltas conocidas, alcanza aun así el bien supremo si anhela la purificación interior; pues quien se entrega a la alabanza y a la narración sagrada de Nārāyaṇa no vuelve a contemplar el devenir mundano, ni siquiera en sueños.

Word by Word

• विज्ञातदुष्कृतिसहस्रसमावृतः: covered by thousands of known misdeeds
• विज्ञातदुष्कृतिसहस्रसमावृतः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विज्ञात (वि + ज्ञा, क्त) + दुष्कृति + सहस्र + समावृत (सम् + आ + वृत्, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषसमासः (विज्ञातानि दुष्कृतिसहस्राणि येन/यत्र, तैः समावृतः); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण

• अपि: even though
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपवादसूचक अव्यय (particle: 'even/though')

• श्रेयः: the good (highest welfare)
• श्रेयः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रेयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; 'श्रेयस्' (good, welfare)

• परन्तु: but
• परन्तु: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परन्तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोधार्थक अव्यय (adversative conjunction: 'but/however')

• परिशुद्धिम्: purification
• परिशुद्धिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परिशुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• अभीप्समानः: desiring
• अभीप्समानः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि + ईप्स् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शानच्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (Present middle participle/शानच्), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; 'desiring'

• स्वप्नान्तरे: in a dream-state / within a dream
• स्वप्नान्तरे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वप्न + अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषः (स्वप्ने अन्तरम्/अन्तरे)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: काल/पुनरावृत्त्यर्थक अव्यय (adverb: again)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (conjunction: and)

• भवम्: worldly becoming (rebirth)
• भवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; 'भव' = संसार/जन्म (becoming)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• पश्येत्: would see
• पश्येत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पश् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• नारायणस्तुतिकथापरमः: one devoted to talk of Nārāyaṇa’s praise
• नारायणस्तुतिकथापरमः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नारायण + स्तुति + कथा + परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः/कर्मधारयप्रायः: 'नारायणस्य स्तुतिकथायां परमः' (one devoted chiefly to narratives of Nārāyaṇa's praise)

• मनुष्यः: a man/person
• मनुष्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनुष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (Nārāyaṇa) speaking to Garuḍa (Vinātā-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Even burdened by many misdeeds, one who seeks purification and is devoted to Nārāyaṇa’s praise and sacred narration does not return to worldly becoming.

Vedantic Theme: Bhakti as purifier (citta-śuddhi) leading to liberation; the end of punarbhava (rebirth) through God-centered consciousness.

Application: Commit to regular śravaṇa-kīrtana (listening/reciting) of Nārāyaṇa-kathā; pair with honest self-audit and a vow of inner purification rather than despair.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: bhakti as purifier and remover of pāpa; narratives on the efficacy of Viṣṇu-stuti and nāma

Characters & Entities

• Nārāyaṇa

FAQs

What is the importance of Nārāyaṇa-stuti (praise of Vishnu) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse states that devotion to Nārāyaṇa’s praise and sacred discourse leads to the highest good and prevents a return to worldly becoming (saṃsāra), even for one burdened by many sins.

How does this verse explain freedom from rebirth?

It links liberation to two factors: a sincere desire for purification and steadfast absorption in Nārāyaṇa-stuti and kathā; such a person “does not see bhava again,” indicating release from repeated existence.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Cultivate daily habits of purification (ethical restraint, repentance, right conduct) and regularly hear/recite Vishnu-centered stuti and kathā as a disciplined spiritual practice aimed at transforming karma and attachment.