Shloka 1

Mṛtyuñjaya/Amṛteśvara Upāsanā: Three-Syllable Mantra, Kavaca, Japa-Phala, and Pūjā-Aṅgas

Devanagari script

सप्तदशो ऽध्यायः सूत उवाच / गरुडोक्तं कश्यपाय वक्ष्ये मृत्युञ्जयार्चनम् / उद्धारपूर्वकं पुण्यं सर्वदेवमयं मतम्

Transliteration

saptadaśo 'dhyāyaḥ sūta uvāca / garuḍoktaṃ kaśyapāya vakṣye mṛtyuñjayārcanam / uddhārapūrvakaṃ puṇyaṃ sarvadevamayaṃ matam

Translation

Disse Sūta: Descreverei a adoração de Mṛtyuñjaya, o Conquistador da Morte, tal como Garuḍa a ensinou a Kaśyapa—um rito auspicioso, precedido por atos de libertação (uddhāra), tido como de mérito supremo e entendido como contendo todos os deuses.

Word by Word

• सप्तदशः: seventeenth
• सप्तदशः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्तदश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; द्विगु-समास (सप्त + दश) — ‘seventeenth’

• अध्यायः: chapter
• अध्यायः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अध्याय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• सूतः: Sūta
• सूतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्

• गरुडोक्तम्: spoken by Garuḍa
• गरुडोक्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गरुड (प्रातिपदिक) + उक्त (कृदन्त, √वच्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त) — ‘गरुडेन उक्तम्’

• कश्यपाय: to Kaśyapa
• कश्यपाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कश्यप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्तिः (सम्प्रदान), एकवचनम्

• वक्ष्ये: I will tell
• वक्ष्ये: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), आत्मनेपदम्, उत्तमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्

• मृत्युञ्जयार्चनम्: worship of Mṛtyuñjaya
• मृत्युञ्जयार्चनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत्युञ्जय (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्चन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः — ‘मृत्युञ्जयस्य अर्चनम्’

• उद्धारपूर्वकम्: preceded by deliverance/raising
• उद्धारपूर्वकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उद्धार (प्रातिपदिक) + पूर्वक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; अव्ययार्थे ‘पूर्वक’ — ‘उद्धारपूर्वक’ = ‘preceded by deliverance/raising’

• पुण्यम्: meritorious
• पुण्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• सर्वदेवमयम्: composed of all deities
• सर्वदेवमयम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + देव (प्रातिपदिक) + मय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; ‘सर्वदेवमय’ = ‘consisting of all gods’

• मतम्: considered/held (to be)
• मतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मत (कृदन्त, √मन्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त) — ‘considered/held as’

Speaker

Sūta

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Mṛtyuñjaya-arcana, taught in a revered lineage, is a puṇya rite preceded by ‘uddhāra’ (acts of rescue/raising up), and is considered to contain the essence of all deities.

Vedantic Theme: Īśvara as the one reality approached through many devatā-forms; upāsanā as a means to protection and inner steadiness.

Application: Undertake Mṛtyuñjaya worship with preparatory ‘uddhāra’ acts (purificatory/charitable/rescue-oriented preliminaries), treating the rite as comprehensive devotion rather than sectarian limitation.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: narrative setting (purāṇic discourse)

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: Mṛtyuñjaya/mahāmṛtyuñjaya-oriented protective rites in ācāra/mantra contexts; Garuda Purana: uddhāra as a preliminary motif in merit-producing observances

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Garuḍa
• Kaśyapa
• Mṛtyuñjaya (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the importance of Mṛtyuñjaya worship in the Garuda Purana?

This verse frames Mṛtyuñjaya-arcana as a highly meritorious, protective practice connected with overcoming death and supported by a traditional teaching line (Garuḍa to Kaśyapa).

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

Indirectly, it points to a remedy-oriented approach: before detailing after-death realities, the text introduces a liberative worship (with “uddhāra” preliminaries) meant to safeguard and uplift the practitioner.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Adopt disciplined devotional practice centered on Mṛtyuñjaya (with ethical living and protective prayers) as a way to cultivate steadiness in the face of mortality and support spiritual well-being.