Shloka 41

Hari-stuti by Śrī, Brahmā, Vāyu, Sarasvatī, Śeṣa, Garuḍa, Rudra, Vāruṇī and Pārvatī

Humility, Surrender, and the Power of the Name

Devanagari script

अवताररूपे यमदुः खादिकं च न चिन्तनीयं ज्ञानिभिर्देवदेव / अहं कदाचित्सुखनाशप्रदेशे दैत्यांस्तथा मारयितुं गतोस्मि

Transliteration

avatārarūpe yamaduḥ khādikaṃ ca na cintanīyaṃ jñānibhirdevadeva / ahaṃ kadācitsukhanāśapradeśe daityāṃstathā mārayituṃ gatosmi

Translation

ഹേ ദേവദേവാ! അവതാരരൂപത്തിൽ പ്രത്യക്ഷമാകുന്ന യമസംബന്ധമായ ദുഃഖങ്ങളും പീഡിപ്പിക്കുന്ന ‘ഖാദിക’ ഉപദ്രവങ്ങളും ജ്ഞാനികൾ ഭയപ്പെടുകയോ ചിന്തിക്കുകയോ ചെയ്യേണ്ടതല്ല. ഞാനും ചിലപ്പോൾ സുഖനാശപ്രദേശങ്ങളിലേക്കു പോയി അവിടെ ദൈത്യരെ വധിച്ചിട്ടുണ്ട്।

Word by Word

• अवताररूपे: in the form of an incarnation
• अवताररूपे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अवतार-रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तत्पुरुष (अवतारस्य रूपम्)

• यम्: which/whom
• यम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बन्धे (relative pronoun)

• दुःखादिकम्: suffering etc.
• दुःखादिकम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुःख-आदिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्ग

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• चिन्तनीयम्: to be considered
• चिन्तनीयम्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चिन्त् (धातु)
• Form: अनीयर्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive/ought-to-be-thought), प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्ग

• ज्ञानिभिः: by the wise
• ज्ञानिभिः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञानिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (Instrumental/करण), बहुवचन, पुंलिङ्ग

• देवदेव: O God of gods
• देवदेव: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव-देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग; कर्मधारय (देवानां देवः)

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

• कदाचित्: once/sometime
• कदाचित्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदाचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• सुखनाशप्रदेशे: in a region causing the destruction of happiness
• सुखनाशप्रदेशे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुख-नाश-प्रदेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी, एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग; तत्पुरुष (सुखस्य नाशः यस्मिन् प्रदेशे)

• दैत्यान्: demons
• दैत्यान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया, बहुवचन, पुंलिङ्ग

• तथा: thus/likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: तुल्यतावाचक-अव्यय

• मारयितुम्: to kill
• मारयितुम्: Prayojana (प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मृ (धातु) [णिच् causative: मारय-]
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive), हेत्वर्थ (purpose)

• गतः: gone
• गतः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle), प्रथमा, एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग

• अस्मि: am
• अस्मि: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्, परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (addressing Garuda, Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The wise do not fixate on Yama’s terrors; remembrance of the Lord’s avatāric power dispels fear.

Vedantic Theme: Abhayam through īśvara-āśraya; fear arises from identification with the body, while the jñānī rests in the imperishable.

Application: When anxiety about death/afterlife arises, shift attention from imagery of punishment to devotion and discernment; cultivate abhayam via nāma-smaraṇa and right understanding.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: vira

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: region/realm

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana (Pretakalpa): recurring counsel that fear of Yama is overcome by dharma and Hari-smaraṇa (general thematic parallel)

Characters & Entities

• Yama
• Daityas
• Devadeva (Vishnu as addressed)

FAQs

What is the importance of not fearing Yama’s punishments in the Garuda Purana?

This verse says the wise (jñānīs) should not mentally cling to fear of Yama’s torments; spiritual knowledge and devotion steady the mind beyond panic about punitive afterlife imagery.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul in relation to Yama’s realm?

By contrasting the wise person’s non-fear with descriptions of Yama’s punishments, it implies that one’s inner state (knowledge, dharma) determines whether Yama’s realm is experienced as terror or as a lesson within cosmic order.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Live dharmically and cultivate steady remembrance of the Divine; use teachings on Yama and punishment as ethical guidance, not as anxiety—let fear become motivation for right conduct and spiritual practice.