Shloka 24

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

Devanagari script

सप्ताधिकैर्विशतिलक्षणैस्तु समायुताः स्वस्त्रियो लक्ष्मणाद्याः / षड्वविंशत्या लक्षणैश्चापि युक्ता वारुण्याद्या पञ्चविंशैश्च चन्द्रः

Transliteration

saptādhikairviśatilakṣaṇaistu samāyutāḥ svastriyo lakṣmaṇādyāḥ / ṣaḍvaviṃśatyā lakṣaṇaiścāpi yuktā vāruṇyādyā pañcaviṃśaiśca candraḥ

Translation

ലക്ഷ്മണാ മുതലായ ശുഭസ്ത്രീകൾ ഇരുപതിനെക്കാൾ അധികം (ഇരുപത്തിയേഴ്) ലക്ഷണങ്ങളാൽ സമന്വിതരെന്ന് പറയുന്നു. വാരുണീ മുതലായവർ ഇരുപത്താറ് ലക്ഷണങ്ങളാൽ യുക്തർ; ചന്ദ്രൻ ഇരുപത്തഞ്ച് ലക്ഷണങ്ങളുള്ളവനായി വർണ്ണിക്കപ്പെടുന്നു।

Word by Word

• sapta-adhikaiḥ: with seven additional (marks)
• sapta-adhikaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sapta (प्रातिपदिक) + adhika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Tṛtīyā (3rd/तृतीया), Bahuvacana; विशेषण—‘with seven more’ (सप्ताधिक)

• viṃśati-lakṣaṇaiḥ: with twenty marks
• viṃśati-lakṣaṇaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṃśati (प्रातिपदिक) + lakṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसकलिङ्ग, Tṛtīyā (3rd), Bahuvacana; संख्यापूर्वक-समासः—‘twenty marks’

• tu: indeed/but
• tu: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; निपातः—contrast/emphasis

• samāyutāḥ: endowed (with)
• samāyutāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam-ā-yuj (धातु) → samāyuta (कृदन्त)
• Form: Kṛdanta (PPP/क्त), Puṃliṅga, Prathamā (1st), Bahuvacana; ‘endowed/combined’

• svāḥ: their own
• svāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā (1st), Bahuvacana; विशेषण—‘own’

• striyaḥ: women
• striyaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: strī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā (1st), Bahuvacana

• lakṣmaṇa-ādyāḥ: Lakṣmaṇā and others
• lakṣmaṇa-ādyāḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lakṣmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā (1st), Bahuvacana; ‘Lakṣmaṇā and others’ (आद्य)

• ṣaḍ-viṃśatyā: with twenty-six (marks)
• ṣaḍ-viṃśatyā: Karaṇa (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṣaṭ (प्रातिपदिक) + viṃśati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Tṛtīyā (3rd), Ekavacana; संख्या—‘twenty-six’ (षड्विंशति)

• lakṣaṇaiḥ: with marks
• lakṣaṇaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lakṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसकलिङ्ग, Tṛtīyā (3rd), Bahuvacana

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; समुच्चयार्थक-निपातः (conjunction)

• api: also
• api: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; निपातः—‘also/even’

• yuktā: endowed
• yuktā: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yuj (धातु) → yukta (कृदन्त)
• Form: Kṛdanta (PPP/क्त), Strīliṅga, Prathamā (1st), Ekavacana; ‘joined/endowed’

• vāruṇī-ādyā: Vāruṇī and others
• vāruṇī-ādyā: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāruṇī (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā (1st), Ekavacana; ‘Vāruṇī and others’

• pañca-viṃśaiḥ: with twenty-five (marks)
• pañca-viṃśaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pañcan (प्रातिपदिक) + viṃśati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Tṛtīyā (3rd), Bahuvacana; संख्या—‘twenty-five’ (पञ्चविंशति)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; conjunction

• candraḥ: the Moon (Candra)
• candraḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: candra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā (1st), Ekavacana

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in discourse to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Auspicious marks (lakshanas) are treated as indicators of fortune/merit and cosmic harmony across beings.

Vedantic Theme: Punya expresses as auspiciousness in embodied form within vyavahara; external marks are secondary signs, not ultimate reality.

Application: Use ‘auspicious marks’ discourse as a reminder to value virtues behind appearances; avoid reducing worth to physiognomy while appreciating symbolic language of auspiciousness.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 3.22.20-23 (lakshana framework and comparative theology)

Characters & Entities

• Lakshmana
• Varuni
• Chandra

FAQs

What is the importance of lakṣaṇas (auspicious marks) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse uses lakṣaṇas as a traditional measure of auspiciousness and divine/ideal characteristics, classifying beings by the number of recognized marks.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

It does not directly address the soul’s journey; instead, it belongs to a descriptive section that catalogs auspicious characteristics and classifications of beings in the Purana’s cosmological/ideal typologies.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Use it as a reminder that classical texts encode ideals through symbolic “marks”; practically, focus on cultivating auspicious qualities (satya, śauca, dayā) rather than only external signs.