Shloka 3
Yuga-Dharma, Kalpa Measure, Purāṇa Definitions, and the Kali-Yuga Power of Nāma-Kīrtana
धर्मो हि भगवान्विष्णुः पूजी विष्णोस्तु तर्पणम् / होमः सन्ध्या तथा ध्यानं धारणा सकलं हरिः
dharmo hi bhagavānviṣṇuḥ pūjī viṣṇostu tarpaṇam / homaḥ sandhyā tathā dhyānaṃ dhāraṇā sakalaṃ hariḥ
धर्मो हि भगवान्विष्णुः पूजी विष्णोस्तु तर्पणम्। होमः सन्ध्या तथा ध्यानं धारणा सकलं हरिः॥
Lord Vishnu (teaching Garuda/Vinatā-putra)
Concept: Viṣṇu is identical with dharma and with the totality of worshipful acts; the means (practice) and the end (Hari) are unified.
Vedantic Theme: Antaryāmin/Īśvara as the inner essence of all dharmic action; integration of karma, upāsanā, and meditation into one God-centered reality.
Application: Perform duties with the recognition that the divine is the substance of the act, the intention, and the fruit; cultivate dhyāna and dhāraṇā alongside ritual without compartmentalizing.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Related Themes: Garuda Purana: repeated identification of Viṣṇu-nāma and Viṣṇu-smaraṇa as the essence of dharma and purifier of sins; Garuda Purana: teachings that devotion transforms rites into liberating worship
FAQs
The verse equates dharma with Lord Viṣṇu Himself, teaching that righteous living is not separate from devotion—it is a direct form of honoring Hari.
By identifying ritual acts (tarpaṇa, homa, sandhyā) and inner disciplines (dhyāna, dhāraṇā) as Hari, it frames the soul’s progress as purification through Viṣṇu-centered conduct and contemplation.
Treat ethical duty and daily practices—prayer, offerings, meditation, and focused attention—as worship of Viṣṇu, integrating devotion into both ritual and everyday conduct.