Shloka 1

Śālagrāma-lakṣaṇa: Viṣṇu Stotra, Vyūha/Avatāra Identification, and Temple-Fruition

Devanagari script

नाम चतुश्चत्वारिंशो ऽध्यायः हरिरुवाच / प्रसंगात्कथयिष्यामि शालग्रामस्य लक्षणम् / शालग्रामशिलास्पर्शात्कोटिजन्माघनाशनम्

Transliteration

nāma catuścatvāriṃśo 'dhyāyaḥ hariruvāca / prasaṃgātkathayiṣyāmi śālagrāmasya lakṣaṇam / śālagrāmaśilāsparśātkoṭijanmāghanāśanam

Translation

ହରି କହିଲେ—ଏହା ପଞ୍ଚଚାଳିଶତମ ଅଧ୍ୟାୟ। ପ୍ରସଙ୍ଗ ଆସିଥିବାରୁ ମୁଁ ଶାଳଗ୍ରାମର ଲକ୍ଷଣ କହିବି। ଶାଳଗ୍ରାମ-ଶିଳାକୁ ମାତ୍ର ସ୍ପର୍ଶ କଲେ କୋଟି ଜନ୍ମର ପାପ ନଶିଯାଏ।

Word by Word

• nāma: (entitled)
• nāma: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nāman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (पदपूरण/हेतु-निर्देशक), here: 'namely/entitled' (indeclinable particle)

• catuḥcatvāriṃśaḥ: forty-fourth
• catuḥcatvāriṃśaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: catuḥ + catvāriṃśat (प्रातिपदिक; संख्याशब्द)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; संख्यावाचक विशेषण (ordinal sense: 'forty-fourth')

• adhyāyaḥ: chapter
• adhyāyaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adhyāya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• hariḥ: Hari (Vishnu)
• hariḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hari (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriyā (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• prasaṅgāt: from the occasion; incidentally
• prasaṅgāt: Hetu/Apādāna (Cause/Source/हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prasaṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन; हेतौ/निमित्ते (ablative of cause/occasion)

• kathayiṣyāmi: I will narrate
• kathayiṣyāmi: Kriyā (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kathaya (कथय; णिजन्त from kath/कथ्) (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• śālagrāmasya: of the Śālagrāma
• śālagrāmasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śālagrāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• lakṣaṇam: characteristic; mark
• lakṣaṇam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lakṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• śālagrāmaśilāsparśāt: from the touch of the Śālagrāma stone
• śālagrāmaśilāsparśāt: Hetu/Apādāna (Cause/Source/हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śālagrāma + śilā + sparśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन; समास: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (śālagrāmasya śilāyāḥ sparśaḥ)

• koṭi: crore (ten million)
• koṭi: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: koṭi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, (समासपूर्वपद; अव्ययीभाव/तत्पुरुष-पूर्वाङ्ग), here used as numeral 'crore' in compound

• janma: birth
• janma: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: janman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, (समासपूर्वपद), here 'birth' in compound

• agha: sin
• agha: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: agha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, (समासपूर्वपद), here 'sin' in compound

• nāśanam: destruction (of sins)
• nāśanam: Karta/Predicative (Predicate noun/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāśana (प्रातिपदिक; from √naś/नश्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समास: तत्पुरुष (koṭi-janma-agha-nāśanam = 'destroyer of sins of crores of births')

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (Hari)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Śālagrāma-sparśa as a direct purifier destroying accumulated pāpa across innumerable births.

Vedantic Theme: Īśvara-anugraha and nāma-rūpa as a sanctioned upāsanā-support; grace superseding karmic accretions through devotion.

Application: Keep Śālagrāma with purity; perform respectful darśana/sparśa with ācamana and mantra; cultivate daily Viṣṇu-smaraṇa as a sin-cleansing discipline.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: tirtha/riverine sacred landscape

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: Śālagrāma-māhātmya and Viṣṇu-upāsanā sections (chapter context: 45); Garuda Purana: general pāpa-nāśa claims tied to Viṣṇu-bhakti and tīrtha-sevā (elsewhere in Purāṇa)

Characters & Entities

• Hari
• Śālagrāma
• Śālagrāma-śilā

FAQs

What is the importance of Śālagrāma in the Garuda Purana?

This verse elevates Śālagrāma as a highly purifying sacred form connected with Hari, stating that even its touch destroys vast accumulations of sin, and introduces a chapter devoted to its identifying characteristics.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul in Garuda Purana terms?

Rather than detailing post-death travel, the verse emphasizes purification of agha (sin) through Viṣṇu-centered devotion; such purification is presented as spiritually consequential across many births, supporting liberation-oriented living.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Approach sacred worship with reverence: if one keeps or visits a Śālagrāma for pūjā, handle it respectfully as a devotional discipline and as a reminder to reduce harmful actions (agha) through dharmic conduct.