Shloka 77

Veṅkaṭeśa-Māhātmya: Varāha Prelude, Descent of Śeṣācala, Svāmipuṣkariṇī and the Network of Tīrthas

with Dāna-Lakṣaṇas

Devanagari script

हस्ताष्टकं तत्प्रमाणं वदन्ति तत्र स्नानं वैष्णवैः कार्यमेव / तत्र स्नात्वा प्रयतो वै मुरारेः कथां दिव्यां शृणुयादादरेण / स्नानं पानं तत्र दानं च कुर्याल्लक्ष्मीनृसिंहप्रीयते देवि नित्यम्३,२६।७६ // बदरीफलमात्रं च वर्तुलं बिन्दुसंयुतम्

Transliteration

hastāṣṭakaṃ tatpramāṇaṃ vadanti tatra snānaṃ vaiṣṇavaiḥ kāryameva / tatra snātvā prayato vai murāreḥ kathāṃ divyāṃ śṛṇuyādādareṇa / snānaṃ pānaṃ tatra dānaṃ ca kuryāllakṣmīnṛsiṃhaprīyate devi nityam3,26.76 // badarīphalamātraṃ ca vartulaṃ bindusaṃyutam

Translation

അവർ പറയുന്നു: അതിന്റെ അളവ് എട്ട് കൈ; അവിടെ വൈഷ്ണവർ നിർബന്ധമായി സ്നാനം ചെയ്യണം. അവിടെ നിയന്ത്രണത്തോടെ സ്നാനം ചെയ്ത് മുരാരി (ശ്രീവിഷ്ണു)യുടെ ദിവ്യകഥ ഭക്തിശ്രദ്ധയോടെ ശ്രവിക്കണം. അവിടെ സ്നാനം, തീർത്ഥജലപാനം, ദാനം എന്നിവയും ചെയ്യുക; ദേവീ, ലക്ഷ്മീ-നൃസിംഹൻ നിത്യം പ്രസന്നനാകുന്നു. (അടുത്ത വരി) ‘ബദരി ഫലത്തിന്റെ അളവിൽ, വൃത്താകാരം, ബിന്ദുയുക്തം…’

Word by Word

• हस्त-अष्टकम्: a measure of eight hands
• हस्त-अष्टकम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हस्त (प्रातिपदिक) + अष्टक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; द्विगु-समास (अष्टौ हस्ताः प्रमाणम्)

• तत्-प्रमाणम्: that measure/standard
• तत्-प्रमाणम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + प्रमाण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; तत्पुरुष (तस्य प्रमाणम्)

• वदन्ति: they say
• वदन्ति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु)
• Form: Present (लट्), Parasmaipada, 3rd Person, Plural

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb/देशवाचक-अव्यय

• स्नानम्: bathing
• स्नानम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• वैष्णवैः: by Vaiṣṇavas
• वैष्णवैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैष्णव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural

• कार्यम्: should be done
• कार्यम्: Vidhi (विधि)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: Gerundive (तव्यत्/यत् sense), Neuter, Nominative (1st), Singular; ‘to be done’

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Nipata (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: Emphatic particle/निश्चयार्थक-निपात

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb/देशवाचक-अव्यय

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Kriya-viseshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वा), ‘having bathed’

• प्रयतः: self-controlled
• प्रयतः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रयत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st), Singular; used substantively ‘one who is restrained’

• वै: indeed
• वै: Nipata (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle/निपात (emphasis)

• मुरारेः: of Murāri (Viṣṇu)
• मुरारेः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुरारि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (6th), Singular

• कथाम्: story/discourse
• कथाम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कथा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative (2nd), Singular

• दिव्याम्: divine
• दिव्याम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative (2nd), Singular; qualifying कथाम्

• शृणुयात्: should listen
• शृणुयात्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: Optative (विधिलिङ्), Parasmaipada, 3rd Person, Singular

• आदरेण: with reverence
• आदरेण: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (3rd), Singular

• स्नानम्: bathing
• स्नानम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd), Singular (as item in list)

• पानम्: drinking
• पानम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd), Singular

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb/देशवाचक-अव्यय

• दानम्: giving/charity
• दानम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd), Singular

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction/समुच्चय-निपात

• कुर्यात्: should do
• कुर्यात्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: Optative (विधिलिङ्), Parasmaipada, 3rd Person, Singular

• लक्ष्मी-नृसिंहः: Lakṣmī-Nṛsiṃha
• लक्ष्मी-नृसिंहः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लक्ष्मी (प्रातिपदिक) + नृसिंह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st), Singular; तत्पुरुष (लक्ष्म्याः नृसिंहः / लक्ष्मीसहितो नृसिंहः—name)

• प्रीयते: is pleased
• प्रीयते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्री (धातु)
• Form: Present (लट्), Ātmanepada, 3rd Person, Singular

• देवि: O Goddess
• देवि: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Vocative (8th), Singular

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Kriya-viseshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Adverbial accusative used as avyaya; कालवाचक

• बदरी-फल-मात्रम्: only jujube-fruit-sized
• बदरी-फल-मात्रम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बदरी (प्रातिपदिक) + फल (प्रातिपदिक) + मात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative (1st/2nd), Singular; तत्पुरुष (बदरीफलस्य मात्रम् = ‘only the size of a jujube-fruit’)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction/समुच्चय-निपात

• वर्तुलम्: round
• वर्तुलम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वर्तुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative (1st/2nd), Singular

• बिन्दु-संयुतम्: provided with dots/marks
• बिन्दु-संयुतम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बिन्दु (प्रातिपदिक) + सं-युत (कृदन्त, युज् धातु)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative (1st/2nd), Singular; past participle ‘joined’; तत्पुरुष (बिन्दुभिः सं-युतम्)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (to Garuda; ‘devi’ suggests a quoted/preserved reading—treated here as Vishnu’s instruction in the narrative style)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Tīrtha-sevā (snāna–pāna–dāna) joined with attentive śravaṇa of Hari-kathā pleases the Lord and yields auspicious results.

Vedantic Theme: Bhakti supported by karma (ritual action) as a purifier of antaḥkaraṇa; śravaṇa as a primary limb leading toward liberation-oriented devotion.

Application: Visit a Viṣṇu-tīrtha with self-restraint; bathe, sip sanctified water as appropriate, give charity, and listen/read Viṣṇu/Nṛsiṃha-kathā with focused attention.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Geographic Context

Type: tirtha/kshetra (implied)

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 3.26.78-81 (marks of the deity/stone; merit of donating the image); Garuda Purana Pretakalpa sections on śravaṇa, dāna, and tīrtha-merit (general thematic linkage)

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu (Murari)
• Lakshmi-Nrisimha
• Vaishnavas

FAQs

What is the importance of tirtha-snana (holy bathing) in this Garuda Purana verse?

The verse frames holy bathing as a required Vaiṣṇava practice, meant to purify the practitioner and prepare them for devotional hearing (Hari-kathā) and charity.

How does this verse connect ritual action with devotion in the Garuda Purana?

It links external acts—bathing, drinking sacred water, and giving charity—with inner devotion—listening reverently to Vishnu’s divine narration—presenting them as a unified spiritual discipline.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Combine cleanliness and restraint with devotional study/listening (Vishnu-kathā) and regular charity; treat pilgrimages or temple visits as occasions for both worship and ethical generosity.