Shloka 143
Multi-form Manifestations, Indra–Kāma Incarnations, Pravāha, and the Twofold Buddhi
Sense-Discipline and Exclusive Refuge in Viṣṇu
भजस्व मूढ परदैवतं च नारायणं तारकं सर्वदुः खात् / सुक्षुद्रदेवेषु मतिं च मा कुरु न च शृणु त्वं फल्गुवाक्यं तथैव
bhajasva mūḍha paradaivataṃ ca nārāyaṇaṃ tārakaṃ sarvaduḥ khāt / sukṣudradeveṣu matiṃ ca mā kuru na ca śṛṇu tvaṃ phalguvākyaṃ tathaiva
अरे मूढा, परदैवत नारायणाचे भजन कर; तो तारक आहे व सर्व दुःखांतून सोडवणारा आहे. क्षुद्र देवांत मन लावू नकोस, आणि निष्फळ पोकळ वचने ऐकू नकोस।
Lord Vishnu (teaching Garuda/Vinata-putra in the Preta Kanda discourse)
Concept: Nārāyaṇa alone is tāraka (the one who carries across) and sarva-duḥkha-hara; avoid fixation on minor deities and empty counsel.
Vedantic Theme: Ekatva of the supreme refuge (parameśvara); bhakti as the direct means of deliverance within Īśvara’s grace.
Application: Adopt a single-pointed devotional practice: nāma-japa, stotra, pūjā; reduce distraction from conflicting ‘quick’ spiritual claims and ungrounded advice.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: vira
Related Themes: Garuda Purana: recurring ‘Nārāyaṇa is tāraka’ motif in mokṣa-oriented passages; immediate continuation in 3.28.144–145 on rejecting hypocrisy and adopting Viṣṇu-mudrā
FAQs
This verse presents Nārāyaṇa as the tāraka—one who delivers beings from all sorrow—implying that sincere devotion is a direct spiritual refuge beyond fear, suffering, and post-death anxiety.
By calling Nārāyaṇa the deliverer from all दुःख (sorrow), the verse points to liberation-oriented devotion as the safest course for the jīva, rather than dependence on minor deities or misleading assurances.
Prioritize steady devotion, ethical living, and discernment—avoid being swayed by superficial promises or hollow spiritual talk, and keep one’s mind anchored in the highest ideal (Nārāyaṇa).