Shloka 112

Multi-form Manifestations, Indra–Kāma Incarnations, Pravāha, and the Twofold Buddhi

Sense-Discipline and Exclusive Refuge in Viṣṇu

Devanagari script

तदा ह्यलक्ष्मीः कुत्र पलायते ऽसावतो मूलं विष्णुपादं भजस्व / पते भज त्वं सर्वदा वायुतत्त्वं न चाश्रयेस्त्वं सूक्ष्मस्कन्दं च मूढ

Transliteration

tadā hyalakṣmīḥ kutra palāyate 'sāvato mūlaṃ viṣṇupādaṃ bhajasva / pate bhaja tvaṃ sarvadā vāyutattvaṃ na cāśrayestvaṃ sūkṣmaskandaṃ ca mūḍha

Translation

Lalu, kemanakah ketidakberuntungan (Alakshmi) dapat lari? Pergilah ke akar sejati—berlindunglah di kaki Wisnu. Wahai tuan, sembahlah selalu prinsip Bayu; dan janganlah, wahai orang yang tertipu, mencari perlindungan pada sandaran yang halus.

Word by Word

• tadā: then
• tadā: Kāla (काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात, अव्यय

• alakṣmīḥ: Alakṣmī (misfortune)
• alakṣmīḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: alakṣmī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• kutra: where
• kutra: Deśa (देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kutra (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नवाचक अव्यय (interrogative adverb of place)

• palāyate: runs away
• palāyate: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: palāy (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; धातु: √पलाय (पलायने)

• asau: that (she)
• asau: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम (असौ)

• ataḥ: therefore
• ataḥ: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, हेत्वर्थ/तस्मात् (therefore)

• mūlam: the root/foundation
• mūlam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mūla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• viṣṇupādam: Viṣṇu's feet
• viṣṇupādam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṇu + pāda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (विष्णोः पादः)

• bhajasva: worship/seek refuge
• bhajasva: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhaj (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; धातु: √भज (सेवायाम्/भजने)

• pate: O lord
• pate: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• bhaja: worship
• bhaja: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhaj (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (भज)

• tvam: you
• tvam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• sarvadā: always
• sarvadā: Kāla (काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sarvadā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (always)

• vāyutattvam: the principle of air (vāyu)
• vāyutattvam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāyu + tattva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (वायोः तत्त्वम्)

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अन्वयार्थक अव्यय

• āśrayeḥ: should you resort to
• āśrayeḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√śri (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; धातु: √श्रि (श्रयणे) उपसर्ग: आ-; निषेधेन—‘न ... आश्रयेः’

• tvam: you
• tvam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• sūkṣmaskandam: the subtle Skanda
• sūkṣmaskandam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sūkṣma + skanda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (सूक्ष्मः स्कन्दः)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय

• mūḍha: O fool
• mūḍha: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mūḍha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; विशेषणरूपेण सम्बोधन

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in instruction to Garuda/Vinata-putra, within the Preta Kanda discourse)

Medical Ayurveda

Dosha: Vata

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Alakṣmī (misfortune) cannot persist where one takes refuge in Viṣṇu; cultivate vāyu-tattva (prāṇa discipline) rather than clinging to subtle-body supports.

Vedantic Theme: Śaraṇāgati to the Supreme; prāṇa as an instrument for steadiness; turning from upādhi-identification toward the root (mūla) reality.

Application: Daily Viṣṇu-pāda-smaraṇa and nāma-japa; prāṇāyāma/regulated breath; avoid occult or egoic reliance on ‘subtle’ props; choose sattvic supports.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Geographic Context

Type: sacred locus (pāda-sevā)

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: Viṣṇu-nāma and śaraṇāgati passages (general motif); Garuda Purana: teachings on prāṇa/vāyu in ancillary sections (general motif)

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Alakshmi
• Vayu

FAQs

What is the importance of taking refuge in Vishnu’s feet in the Garuda Purana?

This verse presents Viṣṇu-pāda-śaraṇāgati (refuge at Vishnu’s feet) as the ‘root’ remedy that drives away Alakṣmī—inauspiciousness and misfortune—by establishing the practitioner in the highest protective spiritual support.

How does this verse relate to the subtle body (sūkṣma-śarīra) teachings in the Garuda Purana?

It warns against relying only on subtle supports (‘sūkṣma-skanda’) and emphasizes a deeper anchoring: devotion to Viṣṇu and alignment with vāyu-tattva (prāṇa), which is central to the functioning of the subtle body described in Preta Kanda contexts.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Cultivate steady devotion (Vishnu-nama/smarana), maintain prāṇa discipline through ethical living and breath-awareness, and avoid being carried away by merely subtle/psychic fascinations—choose stable spiritual refuge and balanced vital energy.