Shloka 31

Śālagrāma-lakṣaṇa: Viṣṇu Stotra, Vyūha/Avatāra Identification, and Temple-Fruition

Devanagari script

विष्णोर्मूर्तिमयं स्तोत्रं यः पठेत्स दिवं व्रजेत् / (ब्रह्मा) चतुर्मुखो दण्डी कमण्डलुयुगान्वितः

Transliteration

viṣṇormūrtimayaṃ stotraṃ yaḥ paṭhetsa divaṃ vrajet / (brahmā) caturmukho daṇḍī kamaṇḍaluyugānvitaḥ

Translation

विष्णोर्मूर्तिमयं स्तोत्रं यः पठेत् स दिवं व्रजेत्। ब्रह्मा चतुर्मुखो दण्डी कमण्डलुयुगान्वितः॥

Word by Word

• विष्णोः: of Viṣṇu
• विष्णोः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन

• मूर्तिमयम्: consisting of forms (embodied as forms)
• मूर्तिमयम्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मूर्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + मय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)

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

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• पठेत्: should recite
• पठेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पठ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष? (actually 3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; अन्वादेश (correlative pronoun)

• दिवम्: to heaven
• दिवम्: Gati-Karma (Goal as object/गत्यर्थकर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिव्/द्यौ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (द्यौः), द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• व्रजेत्: should go
• व्रजेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्रज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

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

• चतुर्मुखः: four-faced
• चतुर्मुखः: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् (प्रातिपदिक) + मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विशेषण

• दण्डी: bearing a staff
• दण्डी: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दण्डिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विशेषण (मतुप्/इन्-प्रत्ययान्त)

• कमण्डलुयुगान्वितः: endowed with a pair of water-pots (kamaṇḍalus)
• कमण्डलुयुगान्वितः: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कमण्डलु (प्रातिपदिक) + युग (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्वित (कृदन्त; √इ/अन्वि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त), विशेषण

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (teaching Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Stotra-japa/recitation as a meritorious act leading to higher lokas; Vishnu as the archetype whose manifested forms pervade sacred hymn and worship.

Vedantic Theme: Saguna-brahman upasana: approaching the Supreme through name/form (nama-rupa) and stuti; karma (recitation) transmuted into punya by devotion.

Application: Daily recitation of Vishnu-stotra with faith and purity of intent; use iconographic contemplation (dhyana) of deities to steady the mind during worship.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: realm/ritual-space

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana (Uttara/Preta sections) frequently praise Vishnu-nama/stotra as protective and merit-giving; adjacent chapter context lists deity-forms for worship

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Brahma

FAQs

What is the importance of reciting a Vishnu stotra in the Garuda Purana?

This verse presents a phala-śruti: recitation of a hymn embodying Viṣṇu’s forms is said to yield the merit that leads to attainment of the heavenly realm.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

It links devotional practice (stotra-paṭhana) with post-death destiny, indicating that dharmic merit gained through Viṣṇu-centered praise supports an auspicious afterlife trajectory toward svarga.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Maintain regular, attentive recitation of Viṣṇu hymns as a disciplined devotional practice, treating it as a merit-building, mind-purifying act aligned with dharma.