Home›Garuda Purana›Brahma Khanda›Adhyaya 233›Shloka 6
←Previous Verse
Next Verse→

Shloka 6

Mṛtyvaṣṭaka of Mārkaṇḍeya: Refuge in Viṣṇu and the Withdrawal of Death

Devanagari script

भूतात्मानं महात्मानं यज्ञयोनिमयोनिजम् / विश्वरूपं प्रपन्नो ऽस्मि किन्नो मूत्युः करिष्यति

Transliteration

bhūtātmānaṃ mahātmānaṃ yajñayonimayonijam / viśvarūpaṃ prapanno 'smi kinno mūtyuḥ kariṣyati

Translation

मी सर्वभूतांत वसणाऱ्या परमात्मा—महात्मा, यज्ञाचा उगम असूनही अजन्मा, विश्वरूप—याच्या शरण आलो आहे; मग मृत्यू माझे काय करील?

Word by Word
भूतात्मानम्the Self of beings
भूतात्मानम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootभूत + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (भूतानाम् आत्मा)
महात्मानम्the great-souled one
महात्मानम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootमहात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः कर्मधारयः (महान् आत्मा)
यज्ञयोनिम्whose source is sacrifice
यज्ञयोनिम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootयज्ञ + योनि (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (यज्ञस्य योनि:)
अयोनिजम्not born from a womb; unoriginated
अयोनिजम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeAdjective
Rootअ + योनिज (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नञ्-समास/उपसर्गयुक्त विशेषणम् (अ- = not)
विश्वरूपम्of universal form
विश्वरूपम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeAdjective
Rootविश्व + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः कर्मधारयः (विश्वं रूपं यस्य/विश्व-रूपः)
प्रपन्नःhaving taken refuge
प्रपन्नः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeVerb
Rootप्र + √पद् (पद्/गत्यर्थे) → प्रपन्न (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
Formभूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगः; ‘शरणं गतः’ इत्यर्थः
अस्मिI am
अस्मि:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√अस् (अस्/भूवाचक)
Formलट्-लकार (Present), उत्तम-पुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्
किम्what?
किम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootकिम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक सर्वनाम; अत्र ‘किं’ = what?
नःto us / for us
नः:
Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
TypeNoun
Rootअस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formषष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive) बहुवचनस्य/अस्माकम्; वैकल्पिकं दत्तिवाचक-प्रयोगः; अत्र ‘नः’ = to us/for us
मृत्युःdeath
मृत्युः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootमृत्यु (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन
करिष्यतिwill do
करिष्यति:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√कृ (कृ/करणे)
Formलृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्
Speaker

A devotee/reciter affirming surrender to the Supreme (taught in the Vishnu–Garuda dialogue context)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Refuge in the unborn, all-pervading Supreme Self (Viṣṇu) dissolves fear of death; death cannot touch one established in the Absolute.

Vedantic Theme: Brahman/Paramātman as ajā (unborn) and viśvarūpa; fearlessness (abhaya) arising from ātma-jñāna and śaraṇāgati.

Application: Use this verse as a daily affirmation in japa/recitation, especially during anxiety, illness, or at life transitions; cultivate remembrance of the indwelling Lord in all beings.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: vira

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa themes: Viṣṇudūtas protecting devotees; death-conquering stotras (mṛtyu-śamana); Garuda Purana bhakti sections praising Acyuta/Nṛsiṃha as refuge

Characters & Entities
M
Mrityu (Death)
P
Paramatman (Supreme Self)

FAQs

This verse presents prapatti—taking refuge in the all-pervading Supreme—as a direct antidote to fear, implying that spiritual surrender to the Highest Reality is stronger than the terror of death.

By centering the soul’s identity in the Supreme Self present in all beings, it points to inner refuge and remembrance as the guiding principle—suggesting that one anchored in the Divine faces death without collapse into fear or confusion.

Cultivate daily remembrance and ethical living grounded in surrender—recite and reflect on this verse during illness, funerary rites, or anxiety, using it to replace panic with devotion, clarity, and steadiness.

←Previous Verse
Next Verse→