Shloka 8

Acyuta/Vāsudeva Stotra: Avatāra-Salutations, Ritual Totality, Forgiveness Prayer, and Phalaśruti

Devanagari script

नमः पङ्कजनाभाय नमः क्षीरोदशायिने / नमः सहस्रशीर्षाय नमो नागाङ्गशायिने

Transliteration

namaḥ paṅkajanābhāya namaḥ kṣīrodaśāyine / namaḥ sahasraśīrṣāya namo nāgāṅgaśāyine

Translation

ขอนอบน้อมแด่พระผู้มีนาภีเป็นดอกบัว ขอนอบน้อมแด่พระองค์ผู้บรรทมเหนือเกษีรสมุทร ขอนอบน้อมแด่พระผู้มีเศียรพัน ขอนอบน้อมแด่พระองค์ผู้เอนกายบนแท่นบรรทมพญานาคเศษะ

Word by Word

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Prayojana/Salutation (नमस्कार)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; नमस्कारार्थे

• पङ्कजनाभाय: to the lotus-naveled one
• पङ्कजनाभाय: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पङ्कज + नाभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पङ्कजस्य नाभिः यस्य)

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Prayojana/Salutation (नमस्कार)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; नमस्कारार्थे

• क्षीरोदशायिने: to the one who reclines on the Ocean of Milk
• क्षीरोदशायिने: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षीर + उद + शायिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (क्षीरोदे शयिते इति)

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Prayojana/Salutation (नमस्कार)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; नमस्कारार्थे

• सहस्रशीर्षाय: to the thousand-headed one
• सहस्रशीर्षाय: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र + शीर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिवत्-प्रयोगः/तत्पुरुषः (सहस्रं शीर्षाणि यस्य)

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Prayojana/Salutation (नमस्कार)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; नमो-रूपेण प्रयोगः

• नागाङ्गशायिने: to the one who reclines on the serpent’s body
• नागाङ्गशायिने: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाग + अङ्ग + शायिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (नागस्य अङ्गे शयिते इति)

Speaker

Narrator/reciter (invocatory praise to Lord Vishnu within the Garuda Purana discourse framework)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The Lord as the cosmic ground: source of creation (lotus-navel), sustainer in yogic repose, and the all-pervading Puruṣa (sahasraśīrṣa).

Vedantic Theme: Puruṣa as viśvarūpa; māyā/creation symbolism via lotus; Īśvara’s immanence and transcendence reconciled in dhyāna.

Application: Meditate sequentially on these forms (nābhi-lotus → kṣīroda-śayana → sahasraśīrṣa) as a structured visualization to expand mind from personal devotion to cosmic awareness.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: cosmic ocean

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: cosmology and Viṣṇu’s śayana motifs; viśvarūpa/puruṣa descriptions in stotra contexts

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Kshirodaka (Ocean of Milk)
• Shesha (Naga)

FAQs

Why is Lord Vishnu praised as Paṅkajanābha in the Garuda Purana?

The epithet “Lotus-naveled” identifies Vishnu as the cosmic source and sustainer; invoking this form frames the teaching with divine protection and auspiciousness.

What does “Kṣīrodāśāyī” signify in this verse?

It refers to Vishnu reclining on the Ocean of Milk, a theological image of supreme preservation and guardianship—an apt invocation before discussing sensitive topics like death, rites, and the soul’s journey.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Use this verse as a short daily or ritual invocation to cultivate steadiness and remembrance of divine refuge, especially before śrāddha, prayer, or study of afterlife teachings.