Shloka 24

Kāraṇānvēṣaṇam: The 32 Marks of Hari, Defects (Doṣas), Death-Omens, and Hari’s Omnipresence in Social & Household Life

Devanagari script

सप्ताधिकैर्विशतिलक्षणैस्तु समायुताः स्वस्त्रियो लक्ष्मणाद्याः / षड्वविंशत्या लक्षणैश्चापि युक्ता वारुण्याद्या पञ्चविंशैश्च चन्द्रः

Transliteration

saptādhikairviśatilakṣaṇaistu samāyutāḥ svastriyo lakṣmaṇādyāḥ / ṣaḍvaviṃśatyā lakṣaṇaiścāpi yuktā vāruṇyādyā pañcaviṃśaiśca candraḥ

Translation

Wanita seperti Lakṣmaṇā dan yang lain dihuraikan sebagai memiliki lebih daripada dua puluh tanda tubuh yang bertuah. Vāruṇī dan yang lain dikatakan mempunyai dua puluh enam tanda demikian, dan Candra (Bulan) dihuraikan mempunyai dua puluh lima.

Word by Word

• sapta-adhikaiḥ: with seven additional (marks)
• sapta-adhikaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sapta (प्रातिपदिक) + adhika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Tṛtīyā (3rd/तृतीया), Bahuvacana; विशेषण—‘with seven more’ (सप्ताधिक)

• viṃśati-lakṣaṇaiḥ: with twenty marks
• viṃśati-lakṣaṇaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṃśati (प्रातिपदिक) + lakṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसकलिङ्ग, Tṛtīyā (3rd), Bahuvacana; संख्यापूर्वक-समासः—‘twenty marks’

• tu: indeed/but
• tu: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; निपातः—contrast/emphasis

• samāyutāḥ: endowed (with)
• samāyutāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam-ā-yuj (धातु) → samāyuta (कृदन्त)
• Form: Kṛdanta (PPP/क्त), Puṃliṅga, Prathamā (1st), Bahuvacana; ‘endowed/combined’

• svāḥ: their own
• svāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā (1st), Bahuvacana; विशेषण—‘own’

• striyaḥ: women
• striyaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: strī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā (1st), Bahuvacana

• lakṣmaṇa-ādyāḥ: Lakṣmaṇā and others
• lakṣmaṇa-ādyāḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lakṣmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā (1st), Bahuvacana; ‘Lakṣmaṇā and others’ (आद्य)

• ṣaḍ-viṃśatyā: with twenty-six (marks)
• ṣaḍ-viṃśatyā: Karaṇa (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṣaṭ (प्रातिपदिक) + viṃśati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Tṛtīyā (3rd), Ekavacana; संख्या—‘twenty-six’ (षड्विंशति)

• lakṣaṇaiḥ: with marks
• lakṣaṇaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lakṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसकलिङ्ग, Tṛtīyā (3rd), Bahuvacana

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; समुच्चयार्थक-निपातः (conjunction)

• api: also
• api: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; निपातः—‘also/even’

• yuktā: endowed
• yuktā: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yuj (धातु) → yukta (कृदन्त)
• Form: Kṛdanta (PPP/क्त), Strīliṅga, Prathamā (1st), Ekavacana; ‘joined/endowed’

• vāruṇī-ādyā: Vāruṇī and others
• vāruṇī-ādyā: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāruṇī (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā (1st), Ekavacana; ‘Vāruṇī and others’

• pañca-viṃśaiḥ: with twenty-five (marks)
• pañca-viṃśaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pañcan (प्रातिपदिक) + viṃśati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Tṛtīyā (3rd), Bahuvacana; संख्या—‘twenty-five’ (पञ्चविंशति)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; conjunction

• candraḥ: the Moon (Candra)
• candraḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: candra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā (1st), Ekavacana

Speaker

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

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Auspicious marks (lakshanas) are treated as indicators of fortune/merit and cosmic harmony across beings.

Vedantic Theme: Punya expresses as auspiciousness in embodied form within vyavahara; external marks are secondary signs, not ultimate reality.

Application: Use ‘auspicious marks’ discourse as a reminder to value virtues behind appearances; avoid reducing worth to physiognomy while appreciating symbolic language of auspiciousness.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 3.22.20-23 (lakshana framework and comparative theology)

Characters & Entities

• Lakshmana
• Varuni
• Chandra

FAQs

What is the importance of lakṣaṇas (auspicious marks) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse uses lakṣaṇas as a traditional measure of auspiciousness and divine/ideal characteristics, classifying beings by the number of recognized marks.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

It does not directly address the soul’s journey; instead, it belongs to a descriptive section that catalogs auspicious characteristics and classifications of beings in the Purana’s cosmological/ideal typologies.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Use it as a reminder that classical texts encode ideals through symbolic “marks”; practically, focus on cultivating auspicious qualities (satya, śauca, dayā) rather than only external signs.