Shloka 1

Kāraṇa-vyākhyā: Cosmic Agents, Rudra-Forms, Sense-Purity, and Ānanda-Tāratamya

Devanagari script

कारणनिरूपणं नाम सप्तदशो ऽध्यायः श्रीकृष्ण उवाच / अथानन्तरजान्वक्ष्ये शृणु पक्षीन्द्रसत्तम / शृणु तान्सावधानेन श्रुत्वा तानवधारय

Transliteration

kāraṇanirūpaṇaṃ nāma saptadaśo 'dhyāyaḥ śrīkṛṣṇa uvāca / athānantarajānvakṣye śṛṇu pakṣīndrasattama / śṛṇu tānsāvadhānena śrutvā tānavadhāraya

Translation

บทที่สิบเจ็ดชื่อว่า “การอธิบายเหตุปัจจัย” พระศรีกฤษณะตรัสว่า “บัดนี้เราจักกล่าวสิ่งถัดไป; จงฟังเถิด โอผู้ประเสริฐในหมู่เจ้าแห่งนก. จงฟังด้วยความตั้งใจยิ่ง; ครั้นได้ฟังแล้ว จงยึดความหมายไว้ให้มั่นในดวงใจ”

Word by Word

• कारण-निरूपणम्: exposition of causes
• कारण-निरूपणम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारण (प्रातिपदिक) + निरूपण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (कारणस्य निरूपणम्)

• नाम: named
• नाम: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: संज्ञा-निर्देशक-अव्यय (particle meaning ‘named/called’)

• सप्तदशः: seventeenth
• सप्तदशः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्तदश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (सप्त च दश च = सप्तदश) संख्यावाचक विशेषण

• अध्यायः: chapter
• अध्यायः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अध्याय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• श्री-कृष्णः: Śrī Krishna
• श्री-कृष्णः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री (प्रातिपदिक) + कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (श्रीमान् कृष्णः)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: आरम्भ/अनन्तर-अव्यय (then/now)

• अनन्तरम्: afterwards
• अनन्तरम्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अनन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: afterwards/next)

• जान्: know (you all)
• जान्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यम-पुरुष, बहुवचन; छन्दसि/आर्ष-रूप (जान् = जानीहि/जानन्तु इत्यर्थे ‘know!’)

• वक्ष्ये: I shall tell
• वक्ष्ये: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), आत्मनेपद, उत्तम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• शृणु: listen
• शृणु: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• पक्षीन्द्र-सत्तम: O best of the lord of birds (O Garuḍa)
• पक्षीन्द्र-सत्तम: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पक्षीन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक) + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (पक्षिणाम् इन्द्रः) + तत्पुरुष (श्रेष्ठः)

• शृणु: listen
• शृणु: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार, परस्मैपद, मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• तान्: those (things)
• तान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (pronoun)

• स-अवधानेन: attentively
• स-अवधानेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स (अव्यय/उपसर्गार्थ ‘with’) + अवधान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; तृतीया-एकवचनार्थे अव्ययवत् (with attention)

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Purvakala (पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund): ‘having heard’

• तान्: those
• तान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• अवधारय: retain/understand firmly
• अवधारय: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव-धा-रय् (धातु; धा + णिच्)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Śrī Kṛṣṇa (as the instructing divine speaker to Garuḍa)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Śravaṇa (attentive hearing) and dhāraṇā (firm grasping) as prerequisites for understanding causes (kāraṇa-nirūpaṇa).

Vedantic Theme: Adhikāritva: preparedness of the listener; knowledge arises through disciplined reception of śāstra-vākya.

Application: Approach teachings with focused attention; review and internalize immediately after hearing (note-taking, repetition, contemplation).

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: Pretakalpa dialogic frame (Kṛṣṇa–Garuḍa) used throughout for instruction; Garuda Purana: didactic openings that command śravaṇa and avadhāraṇa

Characters & Entities

• Garuḍa (Pakṣīndra)

FAQs

What is the importance of Kāraṇa-nirūpaṇa (explanation of causes) in the Garuḍa Purāṇa?

This verse frames the section as a focused teaching on causality—why outcomes arise—preparing the listener to understand karma and its results with clarity.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

Indirectly: it sets up the next instruction as essential knowledge to be heard carefully, implying that understanding causes (karma) is key to understanding what the soul experiences later.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Approach ethical and spiritual teachings with attentiveness and retention—listen carefully, reflect, and apply—so actions are guided by clear understanding of cause and consequence.