Shloka 37

Nārāyaṇa-Smaraṇa as the Supreme Dharma, Expiation, and Yogic Purifier

सूत उवाच / विष्णुभक्तिर्यस्य चित्ते कं वा जीवो नमेत्सदा / स तारयति चात्मानं तदैव दुरितार्णवात्

sūta uvāca / viṣṇubhaktiryasya citte kaṃ vā jīvo nametsadā / sa tārayati cātmānaṃ tadaiva duritārṇavāt

สูตกล่าวว่า—ผู้ใดมีภักติแด่พระวิษณุสถิตในดวงใจ ชีวิตนั้นจะกราบไหว้ผู้ใดอื่นเล่า? เขาย่อมข้ามพ้นมหาสมุทรแห่งบาปและทุกข์ได้ในทันที

सूतःSūta
सूतः:
Karta (speaker)
TypeNoun
Rootसूत (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
उवाचsaid
उवाच:
Kriya
TypeVerb
Root√वच् (वच् धातु)
Formलिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद
विष्णु-भक्तिःdevotion to Viṣṇu
विष्णु-भक्तिः:
Karta (subject)
TypeNoun
Rootविष्णु (प्रातिपदिक) + भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—'विष्णोः भक्ति:'
यस्यwhose
यस्य:
Sambandha (of whom)
TypeNoun
Rootयद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक-सर्वनाम
चित्तेin the mind
चित्ते:
Adhikarana (locus)
TypeNoun
Rootचित्त (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन
कम्whom
कम्:
Karma (object of namet)
TypeNoun
Rootक (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक
वाor
वा:
Sambandha-bodhaka
TypeIndeclinable
Rootवा (अव्यय)
Formविकल्प-निपात (disjunctive particle 'or/indeed')
जीवःa living being
जीवः:
Karta (subject)
TypeNoun
Rootजीव (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
नमेत्would bow
नमेत्:
Kriya
TypeVerb
Root√नम् (नम् धातु)
Formविधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद
सदाalways
सदा:
Kriya-visheshaṇa
TypeIndeclinable
Rootसदा (अव्यय)
Formकालवाचक-अव्यय
सःhe
सः:
Karta (subject)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; संकेत-सर्वनाम
तारयतिcauses to cross/saves
तारयति:
Kriya
TypeVerb
Root√तॄ (तॄ धातु; causative √तॄ→तारय)
Formलट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; णिच्-प्रत्यय (causative)
and
:
Samuccaya (connector)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चय-निपात (conjunction)
आत्मानम्himself
आत्मानम्:
Karma (object)
TypeNoun
Rootआत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन
तदाthen
तदा:
Kriya-visheshaṇa
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतदा (अव्यय)
Formकालवाचक-अव्यय
एवindeed/at once
एव:
Avadharana
TypeIndeclinable
Rootएव (अव्यय)
Formअवधारण-निपात
दुरित-अर्णवात्from the ocean of sin
दुरित-अर्णवात्:
Apadana (from which one is saved)
TypeNoun
Rootदुरित (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्णव (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—'दुरितस्य अर्णवः' (ocean of sin)

Sūta

Concept: Exclusive devotion to Viṣṇu (ananya-namatā) grants swift self-deliverance from accumulated demerit and existential suffering.

Vedantic Theme: Śaraṇāgati and bhakti as direct means to pāpa-kṣaya and saṃsāra-taraṇa; grace aligned with steadfast devotion.

Application: Cultivate daily acts of bowing (namaskāra), remembrance, and exclusive reliance on Viṣṇu during crises; treat devotion as the primary ‘rescue practice’.

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Type: symbolic landscape (ocean crossing)

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: frequent ‘tāraṇa’ language—Viṣṇu as deliverer in death/afterlife contexts

V
Vishnu
J
Jiva

FAQs

This verse states that devotion to Viṣṇu lodged in the heart is a direct means to cross beyond the ‘ocean of sin’ (duritārṇava), emphasizing bhakti as a powerful purifier and liberator.

It presents the jīva’s inner orientation—continuous reverence rooted in Viṣṇu-bhakti—as the decisive factor that enables self-deliverance from accumulated demerit and suffering.

Cultivate steady devotion—daily remembrance, ethical living aligned with dharma, and sincere prayer—so the mind remains anchored in what purifies actions and reduces harmful karmic tendencies.