Shloka 15

Vaiṣṇava-kavaca: Vishnu’s Protective Armor Against Fear, Disease, Poison, and Hostile Forces

Devanagari script

शेषो मे निर्मलं ज्ञानं करोत्वज्ञाननाशनम् / वडवामुखो नाशयतां कल्मषं यत्कृतं मया

Transliteration

śeṣo me nirmalaṃ jñānaṃ karotvajñānanāśanam / vaḍavāmukho nāśayatāṃ kalmaṣaṃ yatkṛtaṃ mayā

Translation

ขอพระเศษะประทานญาณอันบริสุทธิ์ไร้มลทินแก่ข้าพเจ้า เพื่อทำลายอวิชชา และขอวฑวามุขะทรงเผาผลาญมลทินที่ข้าพเจ้าได้กระทำให้สิ้นไป

Word by Word

• शेषः: Śeṣa
• शेषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• मे: my
• मे: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• निर्मलम्: pure
• निर्मलम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्मल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (ज्ञानम् इति विशेष्यस्य)

• ज्ञानम्: knowledge
• ज्ञानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• करोतु: may (he) make
• करोतु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative/आज्ञार्थ), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• अज्ञान-नाशनम्: destroying ignorance
• अज्ञान-नाशनम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक) + नाशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अज्ञानस्य नाशनम्); विशेषणम् (ज्ञानम् इति)

• वडवा-मुखः: Vaḍavāmukha (submarine-fire deity)
• वडवा-मुखः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वडवा (प्रातिपदिक) + मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (वडवायाः मुखम् इव मुखं यस्य)

• नाशयताम्: may (he) destroy
• नाशयताम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नश् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative/आज्ञार्थ), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

• कल्मषम्: stain, sin
• कल्मषम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कल्मष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• यत्: which
• यत्: Sambandha (Relative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• कृतम्: done, committed
• कृतम्: Karma (Predicate to object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्तः—क्त (past passive participle/भूतकर्मणि), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; (कल्मषम् इति विशेष्यस्य)

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (Agent-instrumental/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

Speaker

Narrator/reciter within the Garuda Purana (a prayer-verse; exact speaker not explicitly marked in the provided excerpt)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Jñāna (pure knowledge) destroys ajñāna; residual defilement is burned by purifying divine power.

Vedantic Theme: Ajñāna-nivṛtti through jñāna; antaḥkaraṇa-śuddhi as the ground for liberation; cosmic principles (Śeṣa, fire) as symbols of inner transformation.

Application: Adopt disciplined study and meditation for ‘nirmala-jñāna’; practice repentance and resolve, visualizing impurities offered into a purifying inner fire (agni-bhāvanā).

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Geographic Context

Type: cosmic oceanic phenomenon

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.194 (purification and protection invocations)

Characters & Entities

• Shesha (Ananta)
• Vadavamukha

FAQs

What is the importance of pure knowledge (nirmala jñāna) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse treats pure knowledge as a direct antidote to ignorance, implying that inner clarity is a primary means of cleansing karmic and mental impurity.

How does this verse relate to sin and its removal (kalmaṣa-nāśa)?

It frames sin/defilement as something that can be destroyed through divine aid—Śeṣa bestows ignorance-destroying knowledge, while Vaḍavāmukha symbolizes a consuming fire that burns away impurity.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Use it as a daily purification intention: seek disciplined study and self-inquiry (jñāna) while sincerely repenting harmful actions and committing to ethical conduct that prevents new kalmaṣa.