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Shloka 37

Dāna for the Preta: Supreme Gifts, Yama’s Pacification, and Viṣṇu-Smaraṇa at the Time of Death

Devanagari script

मत्स्यं कर्मं च वाराहं नारसिंहञ्च वामनम् / रामं रामं च कृष्णं च बुद्धं चैव सकल्किनम् / एतानि दश नामानि स्मर्तव्यानि सदा बुधैः

Transliteration

matsyaṃ karmaṃ ca vārāhaṃ nārasiṃhañca vāmanam / rāmaṃ rāmaṃ ca kṛṣṇaṃ ca buddhaṃ caiva sakalkinam / etāni daśa nāmāni smartavyāni sadā budhaiḥ

Translation

മത്സ്യ, കൂർമ, വരാഹ, നരസിംഹ, വാമന, രാമ, പരശുരാമ, കൃഷ്ണ, ബുദ്ധ, കല്കി—ഈ പത്ത് നാമങ്ങൾ പണ്ഡിതർ സദാ സ്മരിക്കണം.

Word by Word
मत्स्यम्Matsya (Fish incarnation)
मत्स्यम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootमत्स्य (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग; एकवचनम्; द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative singular)
कूर्मम्Kūrma (Tortoise incarnation)
कूर्मम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootकूर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग; एकवचनम्; द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative singular)
चand
च:
Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चय-निपात (conjunction)
वाराहम्Varāha (Boar incarnation)
वाराहम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootवाराह (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग; एकवचनम्; द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative singular)
नारसिंहम्Narasimha (Man-lion incarnation)
नारसिंहम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootनर (प्रातिपदिक) + सिंह (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग; एकवचनम्; द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative singular); ‘नर-सिंहः’ इति कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुषप्रायः (man-lion)
चand
च:
Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चय-निपात (conjunction)
वामनम्Vāmana (Dwarf incarnation)
वामनम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootवामन (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग; एकवचनम्; द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative singular)
रामम्Rāma (Paraśurāma)
रामम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootराम (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग; एकवचनम्; द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative singular)
रामम्Rāma (Dāśarathi)
रामम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootराम (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग; एकवचनम्; द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative singular)
चand
च:
Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चय-निपात (conjunction)
कृष्णम्Kṛṣṇa
कृष्णम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootकृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग; एकवचनम्; द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative singular)
चand
च:
Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चय-निपात (conjunction)
बुद्धम्Buddha
बुद्धम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootबुद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग; एकवचनम्; द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative singular)
चand
च:
Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चय-निपात (conjunction)
एवindeed
एव:
Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootएव (अव्यय)
Formनिपात (particle of emphasis)
सकल्किनम्Kalkin (the final incarnation)
सकल्किनम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootस (उपसर्ग/प्रातिपदिक) + कल्किन् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग; एकवचनम्; द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative singular); ‘सः कल्किः’/‘कल्किना सहितः’ इति कर्मधारयप्रायः (epithet)
एतानिthese
एतानि:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootएतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formसर्वनाम; नपुंसकलिङ्ग; बहुवचनम्; प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative plural); नामानि इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्
दशten
दश:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootदशन् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
Formसंख्यावाचक; अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः; नामानि इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम् (numeral ‘ten’)
नामानिnames
नामानि:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootनामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग; बहुवचनम्; प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative plural)
स्मर्तव्यानिare to be remembered
स्मर्तव्यानि:
Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया-भाव)
TypeVerb
Root√स्मृ (धातु)
Formतव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (Gerundive/Obligatory participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; बहुवचनम्; प्रथमा-विभक्तिः; ‘स्मरणीयानि’ (to be remembered)
सदाalways
सदा:
Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootसदा (अव्यय)
Formकालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)
बुधैःby the wise
बुधैः:
Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
TypeNoun
Rootबुध (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग; बहुवचनम्; तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental plural)
Speaker

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

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Nitya-smaraṇa of Viṣṇu’s daśa-nāma/avatāra names as a wise person’s constant practice.

Vedantic Theme: Nāma as upāsanā: remembrance purifies citta, aligns with īśvara, and supports liberation-oriented life.

Application: Daily japa or recollection of these names (e.g., morning/evening); use as a mental refuge during fear, grief, or moral uncertainty.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Geographic Context

Type: divine abode

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: Viṣṇu-nāma and bhakti passages recommending nāma-smaraṇa for protection and auspiciousness (general internal parallel).

Characters & Entities
M
Matsya
K
Kurma
V
Varaha
N
Narasimha
V
Vamana
P
Parashurama
S
Sri Rama
K
Krishna
B
Buddha
K
Kalkin

FAQs

This verse teaches constant smaraṇa (remembrance) of Vishnu’s ten incarnations as a core devotional practice, implying spiritual protection and steadiness of mind—especially meaningful in Preta-kāṇḍa contexts focused on after-death transition.

By emphasizing uninterrupted remembrance of Vishnu’s forms, the verse points to a bhakti-based support for consciousness at critical moments; in the Garuda Purana’s afterlife framework, such remembrance is presented as a stabilizing, auspicious aid amid fear, karma, and post-death rites.

Memorize and recite the ten names daily (japa/paṭhana), especially during illness, funerary observances, or śrāddha days, using the list as a concise devotion practice to cultivate calmness, ethical living, and God-remembrance.

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