Shloka 6

Kāraṇānvēṣaṇam: The 32 Marks of Hari, Defects (Doṣas), Death-Omens, and Hari’s Omnipresence in Social & Household Life

Devanagari script

य एतत्सर्वं मिलितं चैकमेव हरेर्विष्णोर्लक्षणं चाहुरार्याः / मुखं स्त्रिग्धं वर्तुलं पुष्टिरूपं द्वितीयं तल्लक्षणं चाहुरार्याः

Transliteration

ya etatsarvaṃ militaṃ caikameva harerviṣṇorlakṣaṇaṃ cāhurāryāḥ / mukhaṃ strigdhaṃ vartulaṃ puṣṭirūpaṃ dvitīyaṃ tallakṣaṇaṃ cāhurāryāḥ

Translation

Les nobles enseignent que, lorsque tous ces traits se trouvent réunis en un seul tout, ils constituent les marques distinctives de Hari—Viṣṇu. Ils disent encore que le visage doit être lisse et lumineux, rond et d’apparence pleine ; telle est la seconde marque.

Word by Word

• ye: those who
• ye: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural; relative pronoun

• etat: this
• etat: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; qualifying 'sarvam'

• sarvam: all (this)
• sarvam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular

• militam: combined/assembled
• militam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mil (धातु)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; agreeing with 'sarvam'

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चय-निपात)

• ekam: one
• ekam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; with 'eva' = 'one alone'

• eva: indeed/alone
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Emphatic particle (अवधारण-निपात)

• hareḥ: of Hari
• hareḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hari (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular

• viṣṇoḥ: of Viṣṇu
• viṣṇoḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular

• lakṣaṇam: mark/characteristic
• lakṣaṇam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lakṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चय-निपात)

• āhuḥ: they say
• āhuḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ah (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd Person (प्रथमपुरुष), Plural (बहुवचन)

• āryāḥ: the noble ones/sages
• āryāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ārya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural

• mukham: face
• mukham: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• snigdham: smooth/unctuous
• snigdham: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: snigdha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; agreeing with 'mukham'

• vartulam: round
• vartulam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vartula (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; agreeing with 'mukham'

• puṣṭi-rūpam: having a well-nourished form
• puṣṭi-rūpam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: puṣṭi (प्रातिपदिक) + rūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: 'puṣṭeḥ rūpam' = 'having the form of fullness'

• dvitīyam: the second
• dvitīyam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dvitīya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; ordinal qualifying 'lakṣaṇam' understood

• tat: that
• tat: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; qualifying 'lakṣaṇam'

• lakṣaṇam: mark/characteristic
• lakṣaṇam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lakṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चय-निपात)

• āhuḥ: they say
• āhuḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ah (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd Person (प्रथमपुरुष), Plural (बहुवचन)

• āryāḥ: the noble ones/sages
• āryāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ārya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (teaching Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Auspicious bodily marks (lakṣaṇa) as identifiers of Hari-Viṣṇu; integrated wholeness of signs indicates divinity and supports dhyāna.

Vedantic Theme: Saguna-brahman upāsanā: form-based contemplation as a support for steadiness of mind leading toward liberation.

Application: Use the described facial qualities (smooth, lustrous, round, full) as a dhyāna-image for Viṣṇu; cultivate inner ‘snigdhata’ (gentleness/clarity) as a moral-aesthetic analogue.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana sections enumerating Viṣṇu’s rūpa, āyudha, and lakṣaṇa for meditation; Phala-śruti style claims connecting hearing/knowing marks with spiritual benefit

Characters & Entities

• Hari
• Vishnu
• Aryas

FAQs

What is the importance of Viṣṇu-lakṣaṇa (signs of Vishnu) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse frames Viṣṇu’s “lakṣaṇa” as a coherent set of auspicious traits recognized by learned tradition, helping devotees and ritual contexts identify and contemplate the divine form correctly.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

Indirectly: by emphasizing contemplation and recognition of Hari–Viṣṇu’s auspicious form, it supports devotional focus (smaraṇa/bhakti), which the Garuda Purana often presents as spiritually protective and elevating for the jīva.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Use it as a guideline for respectful temple icon recognition and for meditation: contemplate Viṣṇu’s serene, lustrous, well-formed visage to cultivate steadiness, devotion, and sattvic conduct.