Shloka 57

Kāraṇa-vyākhyā: Cosmic Agents, Rudra-Forms, Sense-Purity, and Ānanda-Tāratamya

Devanagari script

स्तूद्दैव चौर्वो विष्णुपादारविदं स्मृत्वास्मृत्वा रुद्धकण्ठो बभूव / ते पापिष्ठाः पापरूपान्भजन्तो दिनेदिने दुर्विषयान्कदिन्द्रियैः

Transliteration

stūddaiva caurvo viṣṇupādāravidaṃ smṛtvāsmṛtvā ruddhakaṇṭho babhūva / te pāpiṣṭhāḥ pāparūpānbhajanto dinedine durviṣayānkadindriyaiḥ

Translation

ਤਦ ਚੋਰ ਜਿਵੇਂ ਦੈਵ ਦੀ ਸਿਫ਼ਤ ਕਰਦਾ ਹੋਵੇ, ਵਿਸ਼ਨੂ ਦੇ ਚਰਨ-ਕਮਲਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਮੁੜ ਮੁੜ ਯਾਦ ਕਰਨ ਲੱਗਾ; ਯਾਦ ਕਰਦਿਆਂ ਉਸ ਦਾ ਗਲਾ ਭਾਵ ਨਾਲ ਰੁਕ ਗਿਆ। ਪਰ ਉਹ ਮਹਾਂ ਪਾਪੀ, ਆਪਣੇ ਪਾਪਾਂ ਅਨੁਸਾਰ ਰੂਪ ਧਾਰ ਕੇ, ਦਿਨੋਂਦਿਨ ਨੀਚ ਇੰਦ੍ਰੀਆਂ ਨਾਲ ਹਾਨਿਕਾਰਕ ਵਿਸ਼ਿਆਂ ਦੇ ਪਿੱਛੇ ਦੌੜਦੇ ਹਨ।

Word by Word

• स्तुत्: having praised / praised
• स्तुत्: क्रियाविशेषण (manner)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्तु (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle) नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग प्रथमा एकवचन; here used adverbially with 'दैव' (textual: स्तूद्दैव)

• दैव: the divine (deity)
• दैव: कर्म/सम्बन्ध (contextual)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; here as 'the deity/divine' (textual sandhi)

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

• और्वः: Aurva
• और्वः: कर्ता
• Type: Noun
• Root: और्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• विष्णु-पाद-अरविन्दम्: the lotus-feet of Viṣṇu
• विष्णु-पाद-अरविन्दम्: कर्म (object of स्मृत्वा)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक) + पाद (प्रातिपदिक) + अरविन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative: 'lotus of Viṣṇu's feet'); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• स्मृत्वा: having remembered
• स्मृत्वा: पूर्वकाल
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund)

• स्मृत्वा: having remembered again and again
• स्मृत्वा: पूर्वकाल
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund) (repetition for emphasis)

• रुद्ध-कण्ठः: with choked throat
• रुद्ध-कण्ठः: विशेषण (of Aurva)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रुद्ध (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, रुध् धातु) + कण्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (descriptive: 'choked-throated'); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• बभूव: became
• बभूव: क्रिया
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ते: they
• ते: कर्ता
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• पापिष्ठाः: most sinful
• पापिष्ठाः: विशेषण (of ते)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पापिष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक; superlative of पाप)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• पाप-रूपान्: sinful forms
• पाप-रूपान्: कर्म (object of भजन्तः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (determinative: 'sin-forms'); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन

• भजन्तः: indulging in, resorting to
• भजन्तः: कर्ता (agent participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भज् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• दिने: in a day
• दिने: अधिकरण (time-locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• दिने: day by day
• दिने: अधिकरण (time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन (repetition: day by day)

• दुर्विषयान्: evil sense-objects
• दुर्विषयान्: कर्म (object of implied 'pursue')
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर् (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + विषय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; 'दुर्-' as prefix meaning bad/difficult

• कद्-इन्द्रियैः: with wretched senses
• कद्-इन्द्रियैः: करण (instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कद् (अव्यय/उपसर्गार्थ) + इन्द्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (determinative: 'wretched senses'); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (narrating to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Smaraṇa of Viṣṇu’s lotus-feet transforms the heart; sin (pāpa) externalizes as degraded tendencies/forms, driving repeated harmful viṣaya-seeking.

Vedantic Theme: Māyā-driven identification with pāpa-vāsanā; bhakti-smṛti as purifying counter-current leading toward sattva and liberation-readiness.

Application: Practice nāma-smaraṇa and pāda-sevā-bhāva (reverent remembrance of the Lord’s feet) when cravings surge; replace harmful habits with devotional routines.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: karuna

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: Viṣṇu-smaraṇa as purifier and protector (common refrain across devotional sections); Continuation of māyā/viṣaya critique culminating in 3.18.59-60

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu

FAQs

What is the importance of remembering Vishnu’s lotus feet in the Garuda Purana?

This verse presents remembrance of Viṣṇu’s lotus-feet as a powerful inner turning—so intense it chokes the voice—signaling repentance and spiritual recollection even in a sinful person.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul after wrongdoing?

It states that the gravely sinful “assume forms shaped by sin” and repeatedly chase harmful sense-objects, indicating continued bondage to karmic tendencies rather than liberation.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Cultivate daily remembrance of the divine (nāma/smaraṇa) and restrain harmful sense-indulgence; otherwise, habits harden into karmic patterns that keep pulling the mind toward destructive objects.