Shloka 28

Āhnika-Dharma: Dawn Purification, Sandhyā-Upāsanā, Tarpana, Pañca-Mahāyajñas, and Aśauca Rules

Devanagari script

कुर्वीत प्रणतिं भूमौ मूर्धानमभिमन्त्रितः / ॐ खखोल्काय शान्ताय कारणत्रयहेतवे

Transliteration

kurvīta praṇatiṃ bhūmau mūrdhānamabhimantritaḥ / oṃ khakholkāya śāntāya kāraṇatrayahetave

Translation

เมื่อทำศีรษะให้ศักดิ์สิทธิ์ด้วยมนตร์แล้ว พึงกราบลงกับพื้นแบบทัณฑวัต และกล่าวว่า “โอม ขคโขลกาย ศานตาย การณตรยเหตุเว”

Word by Word

• कुर्वीत: should do / should perform
• कुर्वीत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• प्रणतिम्: prostration, bow
• प्रणतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रणति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• भूमौ: on the ground
• भूमौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूमि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• मूर्धानम्: head
• मूर्धानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूर्धन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अभिमन्त्रितः: having been consecrated/enchanted (by mantra)
• अभिमन्त्रितः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभि- मन्त्र् (धातु) + क्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण (कर्ता-विशेषण)

• ॐ: Oṃ
• ॐ: Mantra marker (मन्त्राङ्ग)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ॐ (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रणव; मन्त्र-बीज (sacred syllable)

• खखोल्काय: to Khakholka (a mantra-epithet)
• खखोल्काय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: खखोल्क (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (सम्प्रदान), एकवचन; मन्त्र-नाम

• शान्ताय: to the peaceful one
• शान्ताय: Sampradana (Recipient-qualifier/सम्प्रदान-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शान्त (प्रातिपदिक; शम् धातोः क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (खखोल्काय/देवतायै)

• कारणत्रयहेतवे: to the cause of the three causes
• कारणत्रयहेतवे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारण + त्रय + हेतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (कारणत्रयस्य हेतुः)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in instruction to Garuda/Vinata-putra, ritual teaching context)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The deity addressed as the peaceful source behind the triad of causes (often read as the three guṇas or threefold causal chain), approached through humility and mantra.

Vedantic Theme: From nāma-rūpa worship to contemplation of kāraṇa (cause) and śānti; movement toward recognizing a single causal reality behind multiplicity.

Application: Include a moment of full prostration (or deep bow) after mantra-japa to dissolve pride; reflect briefly on the one cause behind body-mind-world processes.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Geographic Context

Type: ritual posture/prostration space

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.50.29-30 (explicit Brahman-identification and Sūrya-hṛdaya)

FAQs

What is the importance of prostration (praṇati) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse presents praṇati as a mantra-supported act of surrender and ritual alignment—done after consecrating the head—aimed at invoking śānti (peace) and higher causality.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

Indirectly, it emphasizes ritual purification and invoking peace through mantra—practices the Garuda Purana often links with protection, merit (puṇya), and smoother transitions in liminal states.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Before prayer or solemn rites, perform a mindful bow/prostration with a calming mantra, treating it as an intentional act of humility and inner steadiness (śānti).