Shloka 13

Kāraṇānvēṣaṇam: The 32 Marks of Hari, Defects (Doṣas), Death-Omens, and Hari’s Omnipresence in Social & Household Life

Devanagari script

समुन्नतं शिश्रमथो हि लक्ष्म यस्यास्ति तत् पञ्चदशं वदन्ति / सुताम्रकं पादतलं खगेन्द्र तल्लक्षणं षोडशं प्राहुरार्याः

Transliteration

samunnataṃ śiśramatho hi lakṣma yasyāsti tat pañcadaśaṃ vadanti / sutāmrakaṃ pādatalaṃ khagendra tallakṣaṇaṃ ṣoḍaśaṃ prāhurāryāḥ

Translation

ఎవరి శిశ్నం సమున్నతంగా, సుసంస్థితంగా ఉంటుందో, దానిని పదిహేనవ లక్షణమని చెబుతారు. ఓ ఖగేంద్రా (గరుడా), ఎవరి పాదతలాలు మృదువుగా తామ్రవర్ణ-ఎరుపుతో మెరుస్తాయో, దానిని ఆర్యులు పదహారవ లక్షణమని అంటారు।

Word by Word

• sam-unnatam: well-raised/elevated
• sam-unnatam: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam (उपसर्ग) + unnata (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √nam with ud)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (PPP); विशेषणं ‘śiśram’

• śiśram: penis
• śiśram: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiśra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• atho: then/also
• atho: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरार्थक/समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (then/also)

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-निपात

• lakṣma: mark
• lakṣma: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lakṣman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• yasya: whose
• yasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• asti: is
• asti: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• tat: that
• tat: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• pañcadaśam: fifteenth
• pañcadaśam: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pañcadaśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणं ‘lakṣma’

• vadanti: they say
• vadanti: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vad (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• su-tāmrakam: beautifully coppery-reddish
• su-tāmrakam: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su (अव्यय) + tāmraka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणं ‘pādatalaṃ’

• pāda-talam: sole of the foot
• pāda-talam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāda (प्रातिपदिक) + tala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘पादतलम्’ = पादस्य तलम् (sole of the foot)

• khagendra: O lord of birds
• khagendra: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: khaga (प्रातिपदिक) + indra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; ‘खगेन्द्र’ = birds’ lord (Garuda)

• tat: that
• tat: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• lakṣaṇam: mark
• lakṣaṇam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lakṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• ṣoḍaśam: sixteenth
• ṣoḍaśam: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ṣoḍaśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणं ‘lakṣaṇam’

• prāhuḥ: they declare
• prāhuḥ: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ah (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• āryāḥ: the sages
• āryāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ārya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in discourse to Garuda)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Auspicious bodily signs culminate in the sanctity of the feet—suggesting reverence for pāda-sevā and the devotional focus on the Lord’s feet as refuge.

Vedantic Theme: Śaraṇāgati motif: the ‘feet’ as symbol of ultimate refuge; external marks point inward to surrender and grace.

Application: Cultivate humility and service (sevā); in devotion, meditate on the Lord’s feet and practice respectful conduct toward teachers/elders.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 3.22 (marks 15–16; address to Khagendra)

Characters & Entities

• Garuda (Khagendra)

FAQs

What is the importance of auspicious bodily marks (lakṣaṇa) in the Garuda Purana?

In this chapter, lakṣaṇas are presented as traditional indicators of fortune and dharmic prosperity; this verse lists two such auspicious signs—well-formed generative organ and coppery-red soles.

How does this verse fit the Garuda Purana’s broader teachings?

Here the text shifts from afterlife themes to dharmic indicators in embodied life, describing classical “marks” that the learned regard as signs of auspicious destiny.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Treat it as a cultural-ethical reminder: cultivate dharma and health rather than obsessing over omens—use such passages to understand tradition, not to judge others.