Shloka 1

Pādukā-Vandana and the Ananta Padmāsana: Mantra-Body of Śiva-Śakti

Devanagari script

नम् चतुर्विशो ऽध्यायः सूत उवाच / ऐं क्रीं श्रीं स्फें क्षैं अनन्तशक्तिपादुकां पूजयामि नमः

Transliteration

nam caturviśo 'dhyāyaḥ sūta uvāca / aiṃ krīṃ śrīṃ spheṃ kṣaiṃ anantaśaktipādukāṃ pūjayāmi namaḥ

Translation

సూతుడు పలికెను—“ఐం క్రీం శ్రీం స్ఫేం క్షైం”—నమః! నేను అనంతశక్తి పాదుకలను పూజిస్తున్నాను।

Word by Word

• नम्: bow/salute
• नम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नम् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्; (पाठभेदे ‘नमः’ इत्यपि)

• चतुर्विंशः: twenty-fourth
• चतुर्विंशः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् + विंश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (द्विगुः: चतुर्विंशतिः), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• अध्यायः: chapter
• अध्यायः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अध्याय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• सूतः: Sūta
• सूतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said/spoke
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• ऐं: aiṃ (seed syllable)
• ऐं: Sambandha (Mantra element/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ऐं (बीजमन्त्र-अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, मन्त्रबीज (mantric seed syllable)

• क्रीं: krīṃ (seed syllable)
• क्रीं: Sambandha (Mantra element/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्रीं (बीजमन्त्र-अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, मन्त्रबीज (mantric seed syllable)

• श्रीं: śrīṃ (seed syllable)
• श्रीं: Sambandha (Mantra element/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: श्रीं (बीजमन्त्र-अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, मन्त्रबीज (mantric seed syllable)

• स्फें: spheṃ (seed syllable)
• स्फें: Sambandha (Mantra element/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्फें (बीजमन्त्र-अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, मन्त्रबीज (mantric seed syllable)

• क्षैं: kṣaiṃ (seed syllable)
• क्षैं: Sambandha (Mantra element/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्षैं (बीजमन्त्र-अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, मन्त्रबीज (mantric seed syllable)

• अनन्तशक्तिपादुकाम्: the sandals/footwear of Ananta-Śakti
• अनन्तशक्तिपादुकाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनन्त + शक्ति + पादुका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (तत्पुरुषः: अनन्ता शक्तिः यस्याः सा/अनन्त-शक्ति; तस्याः पादुका), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• पूजयामि: I worship
• पूजयामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक; अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोगः)
• Form: अव्यय, नमस्कारार्थक (salutatory particle)

Speaker

Sūta

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Mantra as condensed divinity; honoring the ‘pādukā’ symbolizes submission to the source/lineage of śakti and the path.

Vedantic Theme: Śakti as ananta (limitless) ground of manifestation; surrender (praṇipāta) as a purifier of ego.

Application: Begin practices with salutations and lineage remembrance; keep mantra recitation precise (śuddha-ucchāraṇa) and ethically grounded.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: textual threshold (adhyāya-ārambha) / ritual seat (pādukā-sthāna)

Cross References

Related Themes: Chapter transition marker: ‘caturviṃśo ’dhyāyaḥ’ indicates a new ritual/mantra section; links back to Tripurā-sādhana framing in 1.24

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Ananta-Śakti

FAQs

What is the importance of bīja mantras in the Garuda Purana?

This verse functions as a protective and auspicious invocation; the bīja syllables are used to sanctify the recitation and focus the mind before the chapter’s teaching begins.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

It does not describe the soul’s journey directly; it serves as a ritual preface, establishing devotional and protective intent before the narrative/teaching that follows.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Begin serious study or ritual reading with a brief invocation and respectful salutations, cultivating attention, humility, and steadiness before engaging with the text.