Shloka 138

Ācāra-Nirṇaya: Varṇa-Āśrama Dharma, Śauca, Snāna, Sandhyā, Japa, Tarpaṇa, and Gṛhastha-Dinacaryā

Devanagari script

नमस्कारेण पुष्पाणि विन्यसेत्तु पृथक्पृथक् / सर्वदेवमयं विष्णुं भास्करं चाप्यथार्चयेत्

Transliteration

namaskāreṇa puṣpāṇi vinyasettu pṛthakpṛthak / sarvadevamayaṃ viṣṇuṃ bhāskaraṃ cāpyathārcayet

Translation

नमस्कारेण पुष्पाणि पृथक्पृथग्विन्यसेत्; ततः सर्वदेवमयं विष्णुं भास्करं चापि यथाविध्यर्चयेत्।

Word by Word

• नमस्कारेण: with salutation
• नमस्कारेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नमस्कार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन — Instrumental singular

• पुष्पाणि: flowers
• पुष्पाणि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन — Accusative plural

• विन्यसेत्: should place
• विन्यसेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-न्यस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — ‘should place/arrange’

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/विशेषार्थक-निपात (particle: ‘but/indeed’)

• पृथक्: separately
• पृथक्: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पृथक् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• पृथक्: each separately
• पृथक्: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पृथक् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरुक्ति-प्रयोग (emphatic repetition)

• सर्व-देव-मयम्: consisting of all gods
• सर्व-देव-मयम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + देव (प्रातिपदिक) + मय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Accusative singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (सर्वदेवानां मयः)

• विष्णुम्: Vishnu
• विष्णुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Accusative singular

• भास्करम्: the Sun (Bhāskara)
• भास्करम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भास्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Accusative singular

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक-निपात (particle: ‘also/even’)

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Sequencer/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनन्तरार्थक (sequencing particle: ‘then/thereafter’)

• अर्चयेत्: should worship
• अर्चयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — ‘should worship’

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in instruction to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Upacāra-bhakti: discrete offerings made with reverent salutations; Viṣṇu as the embodiment of all gods; complementary worship of the Sun.

Vedantic Theme: Antaryāmitva and sarvātmakatva (the Lord as inner ruler and all-formed).

Application: Offer with mindfulness (one-by-one), cultivate the view that devotion to the Supreme includes respect for all divine functions; include Sūrya-namaskāra or solar reverence as daily discipline.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Geographic Context

Type: altar/puja-sthana

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.213.137 (mantra streams); Garuda Purana 1.213.139 (Puruṣa Sūkta universality)

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Bhaskara (Surya)
• Devas

FAQs

What is the importance of offering flowers one by one with namaskara in the Garuda Purana?

This verse frames flower-offering as a mindful, reverential act—placing each flower separately while bowing—so the worship is done with attention, humility, and proper ritual order.

Why does the verse call Vishnu 'sarvadevamaya' (embodying all gods)?

It presents Viṣṇu as the integrative form of divinity in whom all deities are included, so worship of Viṣṇu is treated as worship offered to the entire divine order.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

When performing pūjā, offer even small acts (like a flower) deliberately—one at a time—with a bow or moment of gratitude, and include a respectful remembrance of the Sun as a daily source of life and dharma.