Shloka 4

Devanagari script

महामुद्रा हि सर्वेषां कराङ्गन्यासमाचरेत् / तालहस्तेन पृष्ठं च अस्त्रमन्त्रेण शोधयेत्

Transliteration

mahāmudrā hi sarveṣāṃ karāṅganyāsamācaret / tālahastena pṛṣṭhaṃ ca astramantreṇa śodhayet

Translation

Воистину, для всех обрядов следует совершать ньясу рук и членов тела вместе с Махамудрой; и, коснувшись ладонью спины, очистить её посредством Астра-мантры.

Word by Word

• महामुद्रा: the great mudrā
• महामुद्रा: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (पूर्वपद) + मुद्रा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (महती मुद्रा)

• हि: indeed, for
• हि: सम्बन्ध (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic/causal particle)

• सर्वेषाम्: of all
• सर्वेषाम्: सम्बन्ध (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन; सर्व-विशेषण

• कराङ्गन्यासम्: hand-and-limb nyāsa (placement)
• कराङ्गन्यासम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर (प्रातिपदिक) + अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + न्यास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (करयोः अङ्गेषु न्यासः / कर-अङ्ग-न्यासः)

• आचरेत्: should perform
• आचरेत्: क्रिया (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + चर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तालहस्तेन: with the tāla-hand (flat palm)
• तालहस्तेन: करण (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ताल (प्रातिपदिक) + हस्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (ताल-सदृशः हस्तः / तालहस्तः)

• पृष्ठम्: the back
• पृष्ठम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: सम्बन्ध (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• अस्त्रमन्त्रेण: with the astra-mantra
• अस्त्रमन्त्रेण: करण (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक) + मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (अस्त्रस्य मन्त्रः)

• शोधयेत्: should purify
• शोधयेत्: क्रिया (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शुध्/शोधय् (धातु; शुध् causative)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; णिच् (causative)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in instruction to Garuda)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Embodied worship: gestures (mudrā) and nyāsa make the body an instrument of divine service; astra-mantra removes obstacles.

Vedantic Theme: Sādhana as antaḥkaraṇa-śuddhi (inner purification) expressed through bodily discipline.

Application: Before puja/japa, perform brief nyāsa and a protective ‘astra’ sweep (symbolic cleansing) to stabilize attention and reduce distraction.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: vira

Geographic Context

Type: ritual space (body-temple)

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.22.3 (mantra placement); Garuda Purana 1.22.5-7 (lotus-worship, offerings, fire-rite)

FAQs

What is the importance of Mahāmudrā and nyāsa in the Garuda Purana?

This verse presents Mahāmudrā and kara-aṅga nyāsa as foundational acts used across rites, establishing ritual protection and mantra-empowered sanctification of the practitioner’s body.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

Indirectly: it emphasizes purification and protective mantra-practice, which the Garuda Purana treats as supportive disciplines for spiritual steadiness and correct ritual conduct, rather than a direct afterlife description in this specific line.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Approach any sacred practice with intentional preparation—centering the body and mind (nyāsa) and using protective remembrance (Astra-mantra) to cultivate focus, purity, and disciplined action.