Shloka 9

Veṅkaṭācala Māhātmya: Bhakti-Lakṣaṇa, Nārasiṁha-tīrtha, and the Secret Darśana-Vidhi of Śrīnivāsa

Devanagari script

सहस्रसूर्याधिककान्तिकान्तः सविद्युत्त्वान्मानुषाणां रमेशः / ऋष्यादीनां दृश्यते चन्द्रवच्च सन्मानुषाणामपरोक्षो हरिस्तु

Transliteration

sahasrasūryādhikakāntikāntaḥ savidyuttvānmānuṣāṇāṃ rameśaḥ / ṛṣyādīnāṃ dṛśyate candravacca sanmānuṣāṇāmaparokṣo haristu

Translation

ആയിരം സൂര്യന്മാരെക്കാളും അധിക കാന്തിയുള്ളതും മിന്നലുപോലെ ദീപ്തിയുള്ളതുമായ രമേശനായ ഹരി സാധാരണ മനുഷ്യർക്കു ദൂരസ്ഥനായ प्रभുവെന്നപോലെ തോന്നുന്നു; എന്നാൽ ഋഷിമാർക്കു അദ്ദേഹം ചന്ദ്രനെപ്പോലെ വ്യക്തമായി ദർശനീയൻ, സന്മാനുഷർക്കു ഹരി അപരോക്ഷമായി അനുഭവപ്പെടുന്നു।

Word by Word

• सहस्रसूर्य: a thousand suns
• सहस्रसूर्य: समासाङ्ग (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र-सूर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासपूर्वपद; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (sahasrasya sūryaḥ / sahasra-sūryāṇām) अर्थे ‘a thousand suns’

• अधिक: exceeding
• अधिक: समासाङ्ग (Compound member)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अधिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासपूर्वपद; अतिशयार्थ

• कान्ति: radiance
• कान्ति: समासाङ्ग (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कान्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; समासपूर्वपद (radiance)

• कान्तः: beautiful/splendid
• कान्तः: विशेषण (Adjective to रमेशः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कान्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; बहुव्रीह्यर्थे/विशेषण (very beautiful)

• स: he
• स: कर्ता (Karta)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स (सर्वनाम प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• विद्युत्: lightning
• विद्युत्: समासाङ्ग (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विद्युत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; समासपूर्वपद (lightning)

• त्वान्: having (lightning-like brilliance)
• त्वान्: विशेषण (Adjective to रमेशः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्वत्/त्वन् (प्रातिपदिक; तद्धित)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तद्धितान्त ‘-त्वान्’ (possessing/like)

• मानुषाणाम्: of humans
• मानुषाणाम्: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन

• रमेशः: Lord of Ramā (Viṣṇu)
• रमेशः: कर्ता (Karta; passive subject implied)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रमा-ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (ramāyāḥ īśaḥ)

• ऋष्यादीनाम्: of sages and others
• ऋष्यादीनाम्: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन

• दृश्यते: is seen
• दृश्यते: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु √दृश्)
• Form: लट्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि

• चन्द्रवत्: like the moon
• चन्द्रवत्: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial simile)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चन्द्र + वत् (अव्यय/तद्धित)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमानवाचक (like the moon)

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

• सत्: good/virtuous
• सत्: समासाङ्ग (Compound member)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत् (प्रातिपदिक; √अस् शतृ/सत्)
• Form: समासपूर्वपद; ‘good/true’

• मानुषाणाम्: of humans
• मानुषाणाम्: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन

• अपरोक्षः: directly perceptible/manifest
• अपरोक्षः: विधेयविशेषण (Predicate adjective to हरिः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपरोक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• हरिः: Hari
• हरिः: कर्ता (Karta)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• तु: indeed
• तु: निपात (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विशेषार्थक

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Perception of God varies with inner purity and qualification: for the unrefined He is remote; for ṛṣis He is as evident as the moon; for the truly sādhus He is aparokṣa (immediate).

Vedantic Theme: Aparokṣānubhūti as the culmination of sādhana; gradation of adhikāra (manda/madhyama/uttama) and the role of sattva-śuddhi.

Application: Cultivate sattva through discipline, truthfulness, and devotion; seek sādhus and śāstra; move from conceptual belief to lived, immediate remembrance and ethical nobility.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 3.24.10-11 (further gradation of visibility; Kali-yuga misperception)

Characters & Entities

• Hari (Vishnu)
• Rishis

FAQs

What is the importance of aparoksha (direct realization) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse states that Hari is not merely an object of belief; for the truly virtuous (sat-mānuṣa) He becomes aparokṣa—directly evident—showing that inner purity and dharma mature into immediate spiritual knowing.

How does this verse explain why some people feel God is distant while others 'see' Him?

It contrasts three levels: ordinary people experience the Lord as remote; sages perceive Him clearly (like the moon); and the genuinely noble realize Him directly—implying that spiritual refinement changes perception.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Cultivate dharma, truthfulness, and devotion with steady practice; the teaching is that ethical living and inner purification make spiritual insight more immediate rather than merely conceptual.