Shloka 5

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

Devanagari script

कृष्णे स्फुरज्जलधरोदरचारुकृष्णे लोकाधिकारपुरुषे परमप्रमेये / एको हि भावगुणमात्रदृढप्रणामः सद्यः श्वपाकमपि साधयितुं सशक्तः

Transliteration

kṛṣṇe sphurajjaladharodaracārukṛṣṇe lokādhikārapuruṣe paramaprameye / eko hi bhāvaguṇamātradṛḍhapraṇāmaḥ sadyaḥ śvapākamapi sādhayituṃ saśaktaḥ

Translation

Me inclino ante Kṛṣṇa—oscuro y hermoso como el vientre fulgurante de una nube de lluvia; ante la Persona suprema que rige los mundos y es inconmensurable. Un solo acto de rendición reverente, firme y nacido únicamente del sentimiento puro del corazón, tiene poder para llevar incluso al más vil de los marginados a la plenitud espiritual de inmediato.

Word by Word

• कृष्णे: in/unto Krishna
• कृष्णे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• स्फुरत्: gleaming
• स्फुरत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्फुर् (धातु) → स्फुरत् (वर्तमान-कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कृदन्तः (शतृ), नपुंसक/पुं-प्रातिपदिकरूपेण समासाङ्ग; ‘shining/gleaming’

• जलधर: cloud
• जलधर: Sambandha (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक) + धर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तत्पुरुष (जलम् धरति इति)

• उदर: belly/inner part
• उदर: Sambandha (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उदर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; समासाङ्ग (belly/inside)

• चारु: beautiful
• चारु: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चारु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: विशेषण; समासाङ्ग ‘beautiful’

• कृष्णे: in/unto (that) Krishna (dark-hued, beautiful like a shining cloud)
• कृष्णे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; बहुपद-समास (स्फुरज्जलधरोदरचारुकृष्णे) कर्मधारय-प्रधानः ‘कृष्णे’ विशेष्ये

• लोकाधिकारपुरुषे: in the Person who holds authority over the worlds
• लोकाधिकारपुरुषे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक) + अधिकार (प्रातिपदिक) + पुरुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (लोकस्य अधिकारः यस्य सः पुरुषः)

• परमप्रमेये: in the supreme object of knowledge
• परमप्रमेये: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रमेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (परमं प्रमेयम्)

• एकः: one (single)
• एकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphasis)

• भावगुणमात्रदृढप्रणामः: a firm bow consisting only of inner feeling/quality
• भावगुणमात्रदृढप्रणामः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भाव (प्रातिपदिक) + गुण (प्रातिपदिक) + मात्र (प्रातिपदिक) + दृढ (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रणाम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (भावगुणमात्रे दृढः प्रणामः)

• सद्यः: immediately
• सद्यः: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सद्यः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb) ‘immediately’

• श्वपाकम्: a dog-cooker (outcaste)
• श्वपाकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्वपाक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात ‘even’

• साधयितुम्: to accomplish, to elevate
• साधयितुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: साध् (धातु) → साधयितुम् (तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: कृदन्त; तुमुन् (infinitive) ‘to accomplish’

• सशक्तः: capable
• सशक्तः: Karta (Predicate/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (उपसर्ग/सह) + शक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (शक्तः सन्)

Speaker

Lord Viṣṇu (teaching Garuḍa)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: A single firm pranāma with pure inner feeling to Kṛṣṇa can grant immediate spiritual accomplishment even to an outcaste.

Vedantic Theme: Īśvara-kṛpā; bhakti as direct means; equality of access to the Divine beyond varṇa-based limitation at the level of grace.

Application: Practice bhāva-śuddhi (purity of intention) in devotion; avoid spiritual elitism; honor the capacity of all persons for realization.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shringara

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: bhakti’s supremacy over ritual grandeur (general motif in devotional passages)

Characters & Entities

• Kṛṣṇa
• Viṣṇu
• Garuḍa

FAQs

What is the importance of firm surrender (praṇāma) in the Garuḍa Purāṇa?

This verse teaches that a single, unwavering act of surrender to Kṛṣṇa—done with genuine inner feeling—can be spiritually decisive, outweighing external status and mere formalities.

How does this verse relate to purification and eligibility for liberation?

By stating that even a śvapāka can be 'made successful' immediately through true devotion, the verse emphasizes inner transformation as the key criterion for spiritual attainment.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Cultivate sincere devotion and humility—offer a genuine daily praṇāma or prayer with steadiness of mind—prioritizing inner sincerity over display, pride, or social labels.