Garuda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 4

Acyuta/Vāsudeva Stotra: Avatāra-Salutations, Ritual Totality, Forgiveness Prayer, and Phalaśruti

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मोवाच / मुने स्तोत्रं प्रवक्ष्यामिः वासुदेवस्य मुक्तिदम् / शृणु येन स्तुतः सम्यक् पूजाकाले प्रसीदति

Transliteration

brahmovāca / mune stotraṃ pravakṣyāmiḥ vāsudevasya muktidam / śṛṇu yena stutaḥ samyak pūjākāle prasīdati

Translation

Brahmā disse: “Ó sábio, proclamarei um hino a Vāsudeva, doador da libertação. Ouve: quando Ele é devidamente louvado por meio dele no tempo do culto, Ele se compraz.”

Word by Word

• ब्रह्मा: Brahmā
• ब्रह्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• मुने: O sage
• मुने: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• स्तोत्रम्: hymn
• स्तोत्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्तोत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• प्रवक्ष्यामि: I will expound
• प्रवक्ष्यामि: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-वच् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्; पाठान्तर-रूपे ‘प्रवक्ष्यामिः’ इति विसर्ग-युक्तं दृश्यते, अर्थतः ‘प्रवक्ष्यामि’

• वासुदेवस्य: of Vāsudeva
• वासुदेवस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वासुदेव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• मुक्ति-दम्: granting liberation
• मुक्ति-दम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (मुक्तिं ददाति इति); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (स्तोत्रम्)

• शृणु: listen
• शृणु: Kriya (Imperative/आज्ञा)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• येन: by which
• येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun)

• स्तुतः: (when he is) praised
• स्तुतः: Kriya (Participial predicate/कृदन्त-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्तु (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; (सः) वासुदेवः इति अध्याहारः

• सम्यक्: properly, duly
• सम्यक्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्यक् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (adverb)

• पूजा-काले: at the time of worship
• पूजा-काले: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूजा (प्रातिपदिक) + काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष-समास (पूजायाः कालः); पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• प्रसीदति: becomes pleased
• प्रसीदति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-सद् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Brahma

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: A hymn to Vāsudeva, when properly recited at worship, pleases Him and grants liberation.

Vedantic Theme: Grace (prasāda) as decisive in liberation; bhakti-stuti as an upāya that culminates in mukti through the Lord’s favor.

Application: During daily pūjā, recite the stotra with correctness (śuddha-ucchāra), attention (ekāgratā), and ethical alignment; treat the act as communion rather than mere formality.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Geographic Context

Type: ritual time-space (temple/home altar)

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: emphasis on Viṣṇu-prasāda and stotra as mokṣa-sādhana (general motif)

Characters & Entities

• Brahma
• Vasudeva

FAQs

What is the importance of a Vāsudeva stotra in the Garuda Purana?

This verse presents the hymn as “muktidam” (liberation-giving) and says proper praise of Vāsudeva brings His grace during worship.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

It points to devotion and right worship (stuti at pūjā-kāla) as a means of divine favor, implying liberation is attained through Vāsudeva’s grace rather than mere ritual alone.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Recite and understand a Vāsudeva hymn with sincerity and correctness during daily pūjā, focusing on devotion and ethical living aligned with seeking moksha.