Shloka 4

Mṛtyvaṣṭaka of Mārkaṇḍeya: Refuge in Viṣṇu and the Withdrawal of Death

Devanagari script

पुरुषं पुष्करक्षेत्रबीजं पुण्यं जगत्पतिम् / लोकनाथं प्रपन्नो ऽस्मि किन्नो मृत्युः करिष्यति

Transliteration

puruṣaṃ puṣkarakṣetrabījaṃ puṇyaṃ jagatpatim / lokanāthaṃ prapanno 'smi kinno mṛtyuḥ kariṣyati

Translation

పవిత్రుడైన, జగత్పతియైన, పుష్కరక్షేత్రానికి బీజస్వరూపుడైన, లోకనాథుడైన పరమపురుషుని నేను శరణు పొందితిని—మృత్యువు నాకు ఏమి చేయగలదు?

Word by Word

• पुरुषम्: the Person (Supreme)
• पुरुषम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• पुष्करक्षेत्रबीजम्: seed/source of Puṣkara-kṣetra
• पुष्करक्षेत्रबीजम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्कर + क्षेत्र + बीज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); तत्पुरुष-समासः (पुष्कर-क्षेत्रस्य बीजम्)

• पुण्यम्: holy, meritorious
• पुण्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषणम् (qualifier of the deity)

• जगत्पतिम्: lord of the world
• जगत्पतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् + पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (जगतः पतिः)

• लोकनाथम्: protector of the worlds
• लोकनाथम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक + नाथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (लोकस्य नाथः)

• प्रपन्नः: surrendered
• प्रपन्नः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + पद् (धातु) → प्रपन्न (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past Passive Participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• अस्मि: I am
• अस्मि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); प्रश्नार्थक

• नः: of us / to us
• नः: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural); एन्क्लिटिक

• मृत्युः: death
• मृत्युः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत्यु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• करिष्यति: will do
• करिष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (teaching Garuda/Vinata-putra in the Garuda Purana dialogue framework)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The Supreme Person is the holy source of sacred places and the Lord of worlds; surrender to him nullifies death’s threat.

Vedantic Theme: Bhagavān as jagat-kāraṇa (seed/source) and loka-nātha; tīrtha sanctity derives from the divine, not merely geography—outer pilgrimage points to inner refuge.

Application: Combine tīrtha-smaraṇa with devotion: when visiting Puṣkara (or any tīrtha), center practice on surrender to the Lord; in daily life, treat sacredness as rooted in divine presence and ethical purity.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Geographic Context

Type: tirtha/kṣetra

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: tīrtha-mahātmyas and Viṣṇu as purifier (general internal resonance)

Characters & Entities

• Mrityu (Death)
• Vishnu (implied as Purusha)
• Pushkara Kshetra

FAQs

What is the importance of surrender (prapatti) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse presents prapatti—taking refuge in the Lord of the worlds—as a direct antidote to fear, declaring that Death loses its power over one who is truly surrendered to the Supreme.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

By centering the soul’s safety in devotion and refuge in the Supreme Person, it implies that spiritual alignment (bhakti/prapatti) is more decisive than fear of Yama or mortality in determining inner protection and right passage.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Regularly cultivate refuge through prayer, remembrance of Vishnu, and ethical living; when facing illness, loss, or anxiety about death, use this verse as a contemplative affirmation of surrender over fear.