Shloka 39

Viṣṇv-ekapūjya-nirṇaya; Gaṅgā-Viṣṇupadī-māhātmya; Kali-yuga doṣa; Puṣkara-dharma of Viṣṇu-smaraṇa

Devanagari script

तुलसीवन्दनं कुर्याच्छ्रीविष्णुं संस्मरेत्खग / विण्मूत्रोत्सर्गकाले च ह्यपानात्मककेशवम्

Transliteration

tulasīvandanaṃ kuryācchrīviṣṇuṃ saṃsmaretkhaga / viṇmūtrotsargakāle ca hyapānātmakakeśavam

Translation

Wahai Burung (Garuda), hendaklah melakukan penghormatan kepada Tulasī dan mengingati Śrī Viṣṇu. Dan ketika membuang air besar dan kecil, hendaklah mengingati Keśava sebagai wujud yang memerintah apāna, tenaga hayat yang bergerak ke bawah.

Word by Word

• तुलसीवन्दनम्: worship/salutation of Tulasī
• तुलसीवन्दनम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तुलसी + वन्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (तुलस्याः वन्दनम्)

• कुर्यात्: should do
• कुर्यात्: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• श्रीविष्णुम्: Śrī Viṣṇu
• श्रीविष्णुम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री + विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (श्रीमान् विष्णुः)

• संस्मरेत्: should remember
• संस्मरेत्: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-स्मृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• खग: O bird (Garuda)
• खग: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: खग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• विण्मूत्रोत्सर्गकाले: at the time of excreting feces and urine
• विण्मूत्रोत्सर्गकाले: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विट् + मूत्र + उत्सर्ग + काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (विण्मूत्रयोः उत्सर्गस्य कालः)

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

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic particle: indeed)

• अपानात्मककेशवम्: Keśava as the Apāna-soul (associated with apāna)
• अपानात्मककेशवम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपान + आत्मन् + केशव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (अपानः आत्मा यस्य सः केशवः/अपानात्मा केशवः)

Speaker

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

Medical Ayurveda

Dosha: Vata

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Remembrance of Viṣṇu is to be maintained across pure and impure contexts; Keśava is contemplated as presiding over apāna, linking devotion with prāṇa-dynamics.

Vedantic Theme: Sarva-kāla-smaraṇa (remembrance at all times) and sacralization of embodied life; the body as a field where divine order (prāṇa) operates.

Application: Offer Tulasī reverence daily; maintain mindful, non-distracted elimination; silently remember Keśava to cultivate humility and continuity of practice.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 3.29.38–40 (sequence of remembrance tied to daily acts); Garuda Purana bhakti passages on Tulasī as dear to Viṣṇu (general parallel)

Characters & Entities

• Tulasī
• Śrī Viṣṇu
• Garuda (Khaga)
• Keśava
• Apāna

FAQs

What is the importance of Tulasī-vandana in the Garuda Purana?

This verse treats reverence to Tulasī as a practical daily devotion that supports constant remembrance of Śrī Viṣṇu, turning ordinary routine into dharmic practice.

Why does the verse mention remembering Keśava during evacuation (viṇ-mūtra-utsarga)?

It links bodily elimination to apāna (the downward vital current) and teaches that even impure-seeming moments can be sanctified by remembering Viṣṇu as Keśava presiding over that function.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Maintain mindful devotion: offer a simple salutation to Tulasī (or a devotional remembrance) and practice quiet Viṣṇu-smaraṇa even during routine acts, cultivating steadiness, humility, and purity of intent.