Shloka 54

Gradations of Bliss and Knowledge; Lakṣmī’s Special Insight; The Rarity of Bhakti in Kali-yuga; Nīlā’s Vow and Śrīnivāsa Darśana

Devanagari script

अनाद्यनन्तेष्वपि जन्मसु प्रभो विचार्यमाणा न विजानेप्यहं च / एतै हि सर्वे च निमित्तमात्रतः पित्रादयस्त्वं ह्यनिमित्तमात्रतः

Transliteration

anādyananteṣvapi janmasu prabho vicāryamāṇā na vijānepyahaṃ ca / etai hi sarve ca nimittamātrataḥ pitrādayastvaṃ hyanimittamātrataḥ

Translation

ໂອ້ ພຣະເຈົ້າເອີຍ, ແມ່ນແຕ່ຂ້າພະເຈົ້າພິຈາລະນາຜ່ານການເກີດທີ່ບໍ່ມີຕົ້ນ ແລະ ບໍ່ມີທ້າຍ ກໍຍັງບໍ່ອາດຮູ້ຈັກພຣະອົງໄດ້ແທ້. ເພາະບິດາແລະອື່ນໆ ເປັນພຽງເຫດປັດໃຈຊ່ວຍເທົ່ານັ້ນ; ແຕ່ພຣະອົງແຕ່ຜູ້ດຽວເປັນເຫດອັນບໍ່ອາໄສສິ່ງໃດ.

Word by Word

• अनादि-अनन्तेषु: in beginningless and endless
• अनादि-अनन्तेषु: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनादि (प्रातिपदिक) + अनन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative/7th), बहुवचन; समासः (द्वन्द्व): ‘अनादिषु च अनन्तेषु च’ (in beginningless and endless...)

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अप्यर्थक/सम्भावनार्थक निपात (particle: even/also)

• जन्मसु: in births
• जन्मसु: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचन

• प्रभो: O Lord
• प्रभो: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• विचार्यमाणा: reflecting/being considered
• विचार्यमाणा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-चर् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कर्मणि/आत्मनेपदी कृदन्त: शानच् (Present participle, middle/passive sense), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘being considered/reflecting’

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निषेध (negation particle)

• विजाने: I know
• विजाने: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अप्यर्थक निपात (even)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, उत्तमपुरुष, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयार्थक

• एतैः: by these
• एतैः: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, हेत्वर्थक/निश्चयार्थक निपात (indeed/for)

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयार्थक

• निमित्त-मात्रतः: merely as instrumental causes
• निमित्त-मात्रतः: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: निमित्त (प्रातिपदिक) + मात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तद्धितान्त अव्यय: -तस् (ablatival adverb), ‘only as a cause/occasion’; समासः (तत्पुरुष): निमित्तस्य मात्रम्

• पितृ-आदयः: father and others
• पितृ-आदयः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; समासः (तत्पुरुष): ‘पिता आदिः येषाम्’ (father and others)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, मध्यमपुरुष, प्रथमा, एकवचन

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

• अनिमित्त-मात्रतः: as the causeless (one) alone
• अनिमित्त-मात्रतः: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अ-निमित्त (प्रातिपदिक) + मात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तद्धितान्त अव्यय: -तस्; समासः (तत्पुरुष): ‘निमित्तं न’ इति; ‘from (the standpoint of) being only without cause’

Speaker

Garuda (Vinata-putra), addressing Lord Vishnu

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Distinction between instrumental causes (nimitta-mātra) like parents and the Lord as the ultimate, non-dependent cause (animiitta/independent cause).

Vedantic Theme: Īśvara as jagat-kāraṇa (ultimate cause) beyond beginningless saṁsāra; limitation of intellect across births in grasping Brahman/Īśvara fully.

Application: Practice humility in inquiry; use causality contemplation to shift reliance from contingent supports to the ultimate source; integrate jñāna with bhakti.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 3.19.53 (exclusive refuge); Garuda Purana 3.19.55 (vow oriented to the Lord)

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Pitris

FAQs

What is the importance of the Lord being called the 'non-instrumental cause' (animitta) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse stresses that worldly relations like father, family, and other conditions function only as instruments, while the Supreme is independent and ultimate—guiding the seeker to rely on divine reality rather than temporary causes.

How does this verse relate to the soul’s journey through repeated births?

By admitting that even across countless births one may fail to know the Supreme, the verse highlights the depth of saṃsāra and points to devotion and right knowledge as the way to transcend mere worldly causation.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Honor family and duties, but remember they are not the final support; cultivate daily remembrance, ethical living, and spiritual study so life is oriented toward the independent Supreme rather than only worldly dependencies.