Shloka 108

Vṛṣotsarga (Bull-Release Gift): Procedure, Merit, and Narratives on Dharma, Karma, and Liberation

Devanagari script

भक्त्या तदेव मनसि भावयन्नहमद्भुतम् / काले कलेवरं त्यक्त्वा गतवान् हरिमव्ययम्

Transliteration

bhaktyā tadeva manasi bhāvayannahamadbhutam / kāle kalevaraṃ tyaktvā gatavān harimavyayam

Translation

ഭക്തിയോടെ ഞാൻ മനസ്സിൽ ആ അത്ഭുതനായ പ്രഭുവിനെ നിരന്തരം ധ്യാനിച്ചു. കാലം വന്നപ്പോൾ ദേഹം വിട്ട് അവ്യയനായ ഹരിയെ പ്രാപിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• भक्त्या: by devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन — Instrumental singular

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Accusative singular (pronoun)

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha/Emphasis (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• मनसि: in (the) mind
• मनसि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Locative singular

• भावयन्: meditating on / causing to be (in mind)
• भावयन्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु) + णिच् (causative) → भावयत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Present active participle, nominative singular

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — 1st person pronoun, nominative singular

• अद्भुतम्: wonderful/marvelous
• अद्भुतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अद्भुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Accusative singular (qualifying implied object/experience)

• काले: at (the) time
• काले: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Locative singular

• कलेवरम्: body
• कलेवरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलेवर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Accusative singular

• त्यक्त्वा: having abandoned
• त्यक्त्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्यज् (धातु) → त्यक्त्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund) — having abandoned

• गतवान्: went/has gone
• गतवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) → गतवत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकालिक-कृदन्त (क्तवतु), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Past active participle, nominative singular

• हरिम्: Hari (Vishnu)
• हरिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Accusative singular

• अव्ययम्: imperishable
• अव्ययम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अव्यय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Accusative singular (qualifying हरिम्)

Speaker

A devotee/narrator describing his own liberation (within the Vishnu–Garuda dialogue frame)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Moksha

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Antima-kala smarana of Hari, sustained by devotion, culminates in attaining the imperishable Lord beyond bodily abandonment.

Vedantic Theme: Ishvara-prapti through bhakti; body as perishable upadhi, Hari as avyaya (unchanging reality).

Application: Cultivate daily Hari-smriti (japa, dhyana, kirtana) so that remembrance becomes natural at the time of death.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana (Preta/Moksha sections): emphasis on Vishnu-smriti at death and liberation; Garuda Purana: praise of bhakti and nama-smarana as destroyers of sin

Characters & Entities

• Hari (Vishnu)

FAQs

What is the importance of remembering Hari at the time of death in the Garuda Purana?

This verse teaches that steady devotional remembrance of Hari culminates in attaining the imperishable Lord when the body is left at the destined time.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul after death?

It presents a bhakti-centered trajectory: the person departs the physical body at the appointed time and reaches Hari, implying liberation rather than wandering as a preta.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Cultivate daily devotion and mental recollection of Vishnu so that one’s mind is trained toward the Divine even in life’s final moments.