Shloka 22

Kāraṇānvēṣaṇam: The 32 Marks of Hari, Defects (Doṣas), Death-Omens, and Hari’s Omnipresence in Social & Household Life

Devanagari script

अलक्षणं मन्यते यद्धि तस्य दुर्लक्षणं नैव तच्चिन्तनीयम् / अष्टाविंशतिं लक्षणं वै हरस्य न भारतीवच्चिन्तनीयं खगेन्द्र

Transliteration

alakṣaṇaṃ manyate yaddhi tasya durlakṣaṇaṃ naiva taccintanīyam / aṣṭāviṃśatiṃ lakṣaṇaṃ vai harasya na bhāratīvaccintanīyaṃ khagendra

Translation

โอ้ขคเอนทระ! สิ่งใดที่ผู้คนสำคัญว่าเป็น ‘ลักษณะ’ ของพระองค์ แท้จริงย่อมเป็นความไร้ลักษณะ; เพราะฉะนั้นไม่พึงเพ่งพิจารณา ‘เครื่องหมาย’ ที่ต่ำต้อยหรือบกพร่องของพระองค์. ลักษณะทั้งยี่สิบแปดของพระหริควรใคร่ครวญ—มิใช่เพียงวาทศิลป์ (ภารตี)—แต่เป็นอารมณ์อันศักดิ์สิทธิ์แห่งสมาธิ

Word by Word

• अलक्षणम्: a non-mark/absence of characteristic
• अलक्षणम्: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अ+लक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; object of 'manyate'

• मन्यते: thinks/considers
• मन्यते: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• यत्: which
• यत्: कर्म (Object, relative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; relative pronoun referring to 'alakṣaṇam'

• हि: for/indeed
• हि: सम्बन्ध (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात/particle (for/indeed)

• तस्य: of that/of him
• तस्य: सम्बन्ध (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• दुर्लक्षणम्: a bad characteristic
• दुर्लक्षणम्: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्+लक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; coordinated object

• न: not
• न: सम्बन्ध (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध/negation

• एव: at all/indeed
• एव: सम्बन्ध (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण/particle

• तत्: that
• तत्: सम्बन्ध (Anaphoric)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; here as demonstrative for 'durlakṣaṇam'

• चिन्तनीयम्: to be considered
• चिन्तनीयम्: विशेषण (Predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चिन्त् (धातु) → चिन्तनीय (कृदन्त)
• Form: तव्यत्/अनीयर्-प्रत्यय (gerundive: 'to be thought'), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; predicate (is to be considered)

• अष्टाविंशतिम्: twenty-eight
• अष्टाविंशतिम्: कर्म (Object/measure)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्टा+विंशति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु (28), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• लक्षणम्: characteristic
• लक्षणम्: कर्म (Object, implied with 'na ... cintanīyam')
• Type: Noun
• Root: लक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• वै: indeed
• वै: सम्बन्ध (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात/particle (emphasis)

• हरस्य: of Hara (Śiva)
• हरस्य: सम्बन्ध (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: सम्बन्ध (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध/negation

• भारतीवत्: like Bhāratī
• भारतीवत्: क्रियाविशेषण (Comparative adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भारती + वत् (प्रातिपदिक/तद्धित)
• Form: उपमानवाचक अव्यय (वत् = like), adverbial comparison

• चिन्तनीयम्: to be contemplated
• चिन्तनीयम्: विशेषण (Predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चिन्त् (धातु) → चिन्तनीय (कृदन्त)
• Form: अनीयर्-प्रत्यय gerundive, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; predicate with implied 'asti'

• खगेन्द्र: O Khagendra
• खगेन्द्र: सम्बोधन (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: खग+इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष, पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (Hari) addressing Garuda

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Do not meditate on inferior/defective ‘signs’ of the Divine; contemplate Hari’s auspicious characteristics as sacred supports for devotion and meditation.

Vedantic Theme: Nirguna/saguna coordination: ultimate is ‘markless’ (beyond limiting attributes), yet saguna-lakshanas serve as valid upasana-pratika when understood properly.

Application: In worship or visualization, choose elevating, scripturally grounded attributes; avoid projecting crude or diminishing images onto the divine.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 3.22.20-21 (lakshana discourse); Garuda Purana 3.22.24 (enumeration of auspicious marks)

Characters & Entities

• Hari
• Garuda (Khagendra)

FAQs

What is the importance of contemplating Hari’s lakṣaṇas in the Garuda Purana?

This verse stresses that meditation should be grounded in authentic divine attributes (the twenty‑eight lakṣaṇas of Hari), not in imagined or defective notions—making contemplation a disciplined spiritual practice rather than mere rhetoric.

How does this verse guide the seeker’s approach to understanding God?

It warns that God is ultimately beyond limiting ‘signs’ (alakṣaṇa), so one should avoid projecting flawed characteristics and instead contemplate the traditionally affirmed qualities of Hari as a valid support for devotion and insight.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Avoid casual, speculative ideas about the divine; choose a consistent set of scriptural qualities to reflect on daily (e.g., compassion, protection, truth), letting meditation shape conduct rather than remaining only as talk.