Shloka 57

Kāraṇa-vyākhyā: Cosmic Agents, Rudra-Forms, Sense-Purity, and Ānanda-Tāratamya

Devanagari script

स्तूद्दैव चौर्वो विष्णुपादारविदं स्मृत्वास्मृत्वा रुद्धकण्ठो बभूव / ते पापिष्ठाः पापरूपान्भजन्तो दिनेदिने दुर्विषयान्कदिन्द्रियैः

Transliteration

stūddaiva caurvo viṣṇupādāravidaṃ smṛtvāsmṛtvā ruddhakaṇṭho babhūva / te pāpiṣṭhāḥ pāparūpānbhajanto dinedine durviṣayānkadindriyaiḥ

Translation

അപ്പോൾ കള്ളൻ ദൈവത്തെ സ്തുതിക്കുന്നതുപോലെ, വിഷ്ണുവിന്റെ പാദപദ്മങ്ങളെ വീണ്ടും വീണ്ടും സ്മരിച്ചു; സ്മരണയിൽ അവന്റെ കണ്ഠം ഭക്തിഭാവത്തിൽ തടഞ്ഞുപോയി. എന്നാൽ അതിമഹാപാപികൾ പാപാനുരൂപമായ രൂപങ്ങൾ ധരിച്ചു, ദിനംപ്രതി നീച ഇന്ദ്രിയങ്ങളാൽ ദുഷ്‌വിഷയങ്ങളെ പിന്തുടരുന്നു.

Word by Word

• स्तुत्: having praised / praised
• स्तुत्: क्रियाविशेषण (manner)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्तु (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle) नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग प्रथमा एकवचन; here used adverbially with 'दैव' (textual: स्तूद्दैव)

• दैव: the divine (deity)
• दैव: कर्म/सम्बन्ध (contextual)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; here as 'the deity/divine' (textual sandhi)

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (conjunction)

• और्वः: Aurva
• और्वः: कर्ता
• Type: Noun
• Root: और्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• विष्णु-पाद-अरविन्दम्: the lotus-feet of Viṣṇu
• विष्णु-पाद-अरविन्दम्: कर्म (object of स्मृत्वा)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक) + पाद (प्रातिपदिक) + अरविन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative: 'lotus of Viṣṇu's feet'); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• स्मृत्वा: having remembered
• स्मृत्वा: पूर्वकाल
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund)

• स्मृत्वा: having remembered again and again
• स्मृत्वा: पूर्वकाल
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund) (repetition for emphasis)

• रुद्ध-कण्ठः: with choked throat
• रुद्ध-कण्ठः: विशेषण (of Aurva)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रुद्ध (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, रुध् धातु) + कण्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (descriptive: 'choked-throated'); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• बभूव: became
• बभूव: क्रिया
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ते: they
• ते: कर्ता
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• पापिष्ठाः: most sinful
• पापिष्ठाः: विशेषण (of ते)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पापिष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक; superlative of पाप)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• पाप-रूपान्: sinful forms
• पाप-रूपान्: कर्म (object of भजन्तः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (determinative: 'sin-forms'); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन

• भजन्तः: indulging in, resorting to
• भजन्तः: कर्ता (agent participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भज् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• दिने: in a day
• दिने: अधिकरण (time-locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• दिने: day by day
• दिने: अधिकरण (time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन (repetition: day by day)

• दुर्विषयान्: evil sense-objects
• दुर्विषयान्: कर्म (object of implied 'pursue')
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर् (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + विषय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; 'दुर्-' as prefix meaning bad/difficult

• कद्-इन्द्रियैः: with wretched senses
• कद्-इन्द्रियैः: करण (instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कद् (अव्यय/उपसर्गार्थ) + इन्द्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (determinative: 'wretched senses'); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (narrating to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Smaraṇa of Viṣṇu’s lotus-feet transforms the heart; sin (pāpa) externalizes as degraded tendencies/forms, driving repeated harmful viṣaya-seeking.

Vedantic Theme: Māyā-driven identification with pāpa-vāsanā; bhakti-smṛti as purifying counter-current leading toward sattva and liberation-readiness.

Application: Practice nāma-smaraṇa and pāda-sevā-bhāva (reverent remembrance of the Lord’s feet) when cravings surge; replace harmful habits with devotional routines.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: karuna

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: Viṣṇu-smaraṇa as purifier and protector (common refrain across devotional sections); Continuation of māyā/viṣaya critique culminating in 3.18.59-60

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu

FAQs

What is the importance of remembering Vishnu’s lotus feet in the Garuda Purana?

This verse presents remembrance of Viṣṇu’s lotus-feet as a powerful inner turning—so intense it chokes the voice—signaling repentance and spiritual recollection even in a sinful person.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul after wrongdoing?

It states that the gravely sinful “assume forms shaped by sin” and repeatedly chase harmful sense-objects, indicating continued bondage to karmic tendencies rather than liberation.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Cultivate daily remembrance of the divine (nāma/smaraṇa) and restrain harmful sense-indulgence; otherwise, habits harden into karmic patterns that keep pulling the mind toward destructive objects.