Shloka 20

Hari in the Primeval Waters: Prakṛti as Veil, the ‘Sleep’ Metaphor, and Brahmā’s Lotus-Channel Inquiry

Devanagari script

अनन्तसूर्यवच्चैव प्रकाशकरमीरितम् / चिदानन्दमयो विष्णुस्तस्माद्भिन्नो न संशयः

Transliteration

anantasūryavaccaiva prakāśakaramīritam / cidānandamayo viṣṇustasmādbhinno na saṃśayaḥ

Translation

ਉਹ ਅਨੰਤ ਸੂਰਜਾਂ ਵਾਂਗ ਪ੍ਰਕਾਸ਼ ਕਰਨ ਵਾਲਾ ‘ਪ੍ਰਕਾਸ਼ਕਰਤਾ’ ਕਿਹਾ ਗਿਆ ਹੈ। ਵਿਸ਼ਨੂ ਚਿੱਤ-ਆਨੰਦਮਯ ਹੈ; ਉਹ ਉਸ ਪਰਮ ਤੱਤ ਤੋਂ ਭਿੰਨ ਨਹੀਂ—ਇਸ ਵਿੱਚ ਸੰਦੇਹ ਨਹੀਂ।

Word by Word

• अनन्त-सूर्य-वत्: like infinite suns
• अनन्त-सूर्य-वत्: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनन्त (प्रातिपदिक) + सूर्य (प्रातिपदिक) + वत् (तद्धित-प्रत्यय)
• Form: उपमानवाचक (comparative: 'like'); अव्ययवत्-प्रयोग (indeclinable-like usage of -वत्); क्रियाविशेषणतया (adverbial qualifier)

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: निपात (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• प्रकाश-करम्: light-producing
• प्रकाश-करम्: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रकाश (प्रातिपदिक) + कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उपपद-तत्पुरुष (agentive: 'making light'); प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्ग; ईरितम्-विशेषण

• ईरितम्: said/declared
• ईरितम्: विधेय (Predicative/descriptor)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ईर्/ईरय् (धातु) → ईरित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय (past passive participle); प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्ग

• चित्-आनन्द-मयः: consisting of consciousness and bliss
• चित्-आनन्द-मयः: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चित् (प्रातिपदिक) + आनन्द (प्रातिपदिक) + मय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (content/consisting of: 'made of consciousness and bliss'); प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग; विष्णु-विशेषण

• विष्णुः: Viṣṇu
• विष्णुः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग

• तस्मात्: from that/from him
• तस्मात्: अपादान (Source/ablative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/अपादान), एकवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (contextual)

• भिन्नः: separate/different
• भिन्नः: विधेय (Predicative complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भिद् (धातु) → भिन्न (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय (PPP); प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग; विष्णु-विधेय

• न: not
• न: निषेध (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation)

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: कर्ता (Subject of implied 'asti')
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग; वाक्ये 'न संशयः' इति नास्त्यर्थे

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in discourse to Garuda)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Viṣṇu as the Light-maker, of the nature of Consciousness and Bliss; explicit non-difference (abheda) from the Supreme Reality.

Vedantic Theme: Brahman-Ātman/Īśvara abheda; sat-cit-ānanda ontology; self-luminous consciousness (svayaṃ-prakāśa) as ultimate.

Application: Meditate on the self-luminous awareness underlying experience; use Viṣṇu-dhyāna and nāma-smaraṇa to stabilize the mind in cit-ānanda; cultivate non-dual discernment in daily life.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana (general): Viṣṇu-tattva and mokṣa teachings identifying the Lord with the Supreme; nāma and dhyāna as supports

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Brahman

FAQs

What is the importance of describing Vishnu as 'like countless suns' in the Garuda Purana?

It emphasizes Viṣṇu as the supreme illuminator—self-luminous consciousness that reveals all, surpassing ordinary physical light.

How does this verse express non-duality (Advaita) in the Garuda Purana?

By stating that Viṣṇu is 'cidānandamaya' and 'not different from That,' it identifies Viṣṇu with the ultimate Brahman rather than as a separate, limited deity.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Cultivate remembrance that the divine is the inner awareness itself; practice ethical living and devotion grounded in the view that all beings share the same conscious reality.