Shloka 28

Viṣṇu as Seed-Cause: Pañcarātra Emanations, Tattva-Unfolding, and the Avatāra Chronology

Devanagari script

केशवाद्याश्चतुर्विंशतिर्वै संकर्षणादयः / विश्वादय सहस्रं च पराद्या अमिताः स्मृताः

Transliteration

keśavādyāścaturviṃśatirvai saṃkarṣaṇādayaḥ / viśvādaya sahasraṃ ca parādyā amitāḥ smṛtāḥ

Translation

En vérité, les vingt-quatre (noms) commençant par Keśava, ceux commençant par Saṅkarṣaṇa, le millier commençant par Viśva, et les innombrables commençant par Parā, sont mémorisés comme des appellations divines.

Word by Word

• keśava-ādyāḥ: Keśava and others
• keśava-ādyāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: keśava (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative Plural; ‘Keśava etc.’

• catur-viṃśatiḥ: twenty-four
• catur-viṃśatiḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: catur (प्रातिपदिक) + viṃśati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative Singular; numeral compound functioning as count

• vai: indeed
• vai: Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात)

• saṃkarṣaṇa-ādayaḥ: Saṃkarṣaṇa and others
• saṃkarṣaṇa-ādayaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃkarṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative Plural

• viśva-ādayaḥ: Viśva and others
• viśva-ādayaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viśva (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative Plural

• sahasram: a thousand
• sahasram: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sahasra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative Singular (also Accusative Singular possible); here count in apposition

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction

• para-ādyāḥ: Para and others
• para-ādyāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative Plural

• amitāḥ: countless/immeasurable
• amitāḥ: Karta-anvaya (कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: amita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative Plural; adjective to (names/manifestations) implied

• smṛtāḥ: are declared/remembered
• smṛtāḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: smṛ (धातु)
• Form: Kridanta: past passive participle (क्त, PPP); Masculine, Nominative Plural; passive sense ‘are said/remembered’

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Divine names (nāma) are manifold gateways to the One; remembrance (smaraṇa) through structured name-lists supports devotion and steadies mind.

Vedantic Theme: Nāma-rūpa as approachable expressions of Brahman/Īśvara; unity accessed through multiplicity without contradiction.

Application: Adopt a daily nāma practice: recite Keśava-ādi 24 names, vyūha names (Saṅkarṣaṇa-ādi), or Viśva-ādi sahasranāma with attention and meaning.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 3.15.29 (avatāra non-difference); Garuda Purana 3.15.30 (Viṣṇu’s infinitude)

Characters & Entities

• Keśava
• Saṅkarṣaṇa
• Viśva
• Parā

FAQs

What is the importance of listing Vishnu’s names in the Garuda Purana?

This verse frames multiple canonical sets of divine names—24 names, the Saṅkarṣaṇa group, and the thousand names—affirming remembrance and recitation of Vishnu’s epithets as an established spiritual practice.

How does this verse relate to the soul’s welfare in Garuda Purana teachings?

By emphasizing remembrance of Vishnu through recognized name-lists, it supports the Garuda Purana’s broader theme that devotion and sacred recitation purify the mind and strengthen dharmic orientation, which is repeatedly linked to auspicious outcomes.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Choose a structured practice—recite the 24 names (Keśavaādi) or the Viṣṇu Sahasranāma regularly with attention to meaning—using it as daily discipline for steadiness, ethical living, and devotional focus.