Shloka 20

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

Devanagari script

जय सत्य जगत्साक्षिन् जय सर्वार्थसाधक / जय वेदान्तविद्वेद्य जय सर्वद माधव

Transliteration

jaya satya jagatsākṣin jaya sarvārthasādhaka / jaya vedāntavidvedya jaya sarvada mādhava

Translation

जय सत्य जगत्साक्षिन्, जय सर्वार्थसाधक। जय वेदान्तविद्वेद्य, जय सर्वदा माधव॥

Word by Word

• जय: Hail! Victory!
• जय: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: जि (धातु)
• Form: अव्यय; संबोधनार्थे जय-शब्दः (victory/‘hail!’ as vocative exclamation)

• सत्य: O Truth
• सत्य: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; संबोधन-प्रथमा (Vocative/Nominative), एकवचन

• जगत्-साक्षिन्: O Witness of the world
• जगत्-साक्षिन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक) + साक्षिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; संबोधन-प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (जगतः साक्षी)

• जय: Hail!
• जय: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: जि (धातु)
• Form: अव्यय; संबोधनार्थे

• सर्वार्थ-साधक: O accomplisher of all aims
• सर्वार्थ-साधक: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + साधक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; संबोधन-प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सर्वेषाम् अर्थानां साधकः)

• जय: Hail!
• जय: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: जि (धातु)
• Form: अव्यय; संबोधनार्थे

• वेदान्त-विद्-वेद्य: O one knowable to the knowers of Vedānta
• वेदान्त-विद्-वेद्य: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेदान्त (प्रातिपदिक) + विद् (प्रातिपदिक) + वेद्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; संबोधन-प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः (वेदान्तं वेत्ति इति वेदान्तविद्; वेदान्तविद्भिः वेद्यः = known by knowers of Vedānta)

• जय: Hail!
• जय: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: जि (धातु)
• Form: अव्यय; संबोधनार्थे

• सर्वदा: always
• सर्वदा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of time)

• माधव: O Mādhava (Viṣṇu)
• माधव: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माधव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; संबोधन-प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Garuda (Vinata-putra) offering praise to Lord Vishnu (Mādhava)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The Supreme as Satya (Truth) and jagat-sākṣin, knowable through Vedāntic insight, and as the fulfiller of puruṣārthas.

Vedantic Theme: Brahman/Īśvara as the witnessing consciousness; Vedānta as pramāṇa for realizing the Supreme; integration of worldly aims under divine sovereignty.

Application: Use the verse as a daily recollection: before action, remember the Lord as witness; align goals (artha/kāma/dharma) with truthfulness and devotion.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana (general): Vishnu-stuti sections praising Hari as witness and refuge; similar victory-formulae recur in devotional passages.

Characters & Entities

• Madhava
• Vedanta

FAQs

What is the importance of calling Vishnu 'jagat-sākṣin' in the Garuda Purana?

It affirms Vishnu as the inner Witness of all beings and events, grounding the Purana’s moral and karmic teaching in an all-seeing divine consciousness.

How does this verse connect Vedānta to devotion in the Garuda Purana?

By saying Vishnu is 'vedya'—known through Vedānta—while also praising Him with 'jaya', the verse links liberating knowledge (jñāna) with devotional surrender (bhakti).

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Treat actions as seen by the inner Witness: practice truthfulness, align goals with dharma, and combine daily devotion with reflective study of core Vedāntic teachings.