Shloka 4

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

Devanagari script

तस्मा दाहुर्लक्ष्मणेत्येव सर्वे तल्लक्षणं शृणु चादौ खगेन्द्र / नारायणे पूर्णगुणे रमेशे द्वात्रिंशत्संख्यानि सुलक्षणानि

Transliteration

tasmā dāhurlakṣmaṇetyeva sarve tallakṣaṇaṃ śṛṇu cādau khagendra / nārāyaṇe pūrṇaguṇe rameśe dvātriṃśatsaṃkhyāni sulakṣaṇāni

Translation

เพราะเหตุนั้นทุกคนจึงเรียกว่า “ลักษณะ” โอ้ขคเอนทระ จงฟังลักษณะเหล่านั้นก่อน: ในนารายณ์ ผู้เป็นรเมศะและทรงบริบูรณ์ด้วยคุณทั้งปวง มีลักษณะมงคลนับได้สามสิบสองประการ

Word by Word

• tasmāt: therefore/from that
• tasmāt: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Ablative (5th/पञ्चमी), Singular; pronoun used adverbially = 'therefore/from that'

• āhuḥ: they said/called
• āhuḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ah (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd Person (प्रथमपुरुष), Plural (बहुवचन)

• lakṣmaṇa: O Lakṣmaṇa
• lakṣmaṇa: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lakṣmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative (8th/सम्बोधन), Singular

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: Quotative particle (उद्धरण-निपात)

• eva: indeed/only
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Emphatic particle (अवधारण-निपात)

• sarve: all (of them)
• sarve: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural

• tat: that
• tat: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; demonstrative qualifying 'lakṣaṇam'

• lakṣaṇam: mark/characteristic
• lakṣaṇam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lakṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular

• śṛṇu: hear/listen
• śṛṇu: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śru (धातु)
• Form: Imperative (लोट्), 2nd Person (मध्यमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चय-निपात)

• ādau: in the beginning/first
• ādau: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular; adverbial locative = 'at first'

• khaga-indra: O lord of birds (Garuda)
• khaga-indra: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: khaga (प्रातिपदिक) + indra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative (8th/सम्बोधन), Singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: 'khagānām indraḥ'

• nārāyaṇe: in/with respect to Nārāyaṇa
• nārāyaṇe: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nārāyaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular

• pūrṇa-guṇe: in the one full of qualities
• pūrṇa-guṇe: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pūrṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + guṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular; adjective to 'nārāyaṇe'; कर्मधारय: 'pūrṇāḥ guṇāḥ yasmin' (elliptic)

• rameśe: in Rameśa (lord of Lakṣmī)
• rameśe: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rameśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular; epithet of Viṣṇu = 'lord of Ramā (Lakṣmī)'

• dvātriṃśat: thirty-two
• dvātriṃśat: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dvātriṃśat (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Numeral (संख्या), indeclinable-like in many uses; here qualifying 'saṃkhyāni' = 'thirty-two'

• saṃkhyāni: numbers/enumerations
• saṃkhyāni: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃkhyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural

• su-lakṣaṇāni: excellent marks
• su-lakṣaṇāni: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: su (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + lakṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural; कर्मधारय: 'sundarāṇi lakṣaṇāni'

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (Narayana) speaking to Garuda (Khagendra/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Nārāyaṇa is pūrṇa-guṇa (complete in virtues) and possesses thirty-two auspicious marks; contemplation of these marks supports recognition and devotion.

Vedantic Theme: Saguna-brahman contemplation as an aid to steadiness of mind; divine attributes as upāsanā-lakṣaṇa.

Application: Use the thirty-two marks as a structured contemplative checklist in pūjā/dhyāna; align inner virtues with the ideal of pūrṇa-guṇa.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 3.22: immediate continuation likely enumerating the dvātriṃśat-sulakṣaṇāni of Nārāyaṇa; Garuda Purana: Vishnu-bhakti sections that use nāma-rūpa and attributes for upāsanā

Characters & Entities

• Garuda
• Narayana
• Rama (Lakshmi)

FAQs

What is the importance of the thirty-two lakṣaṇas in the Garuda Purana?

This verse introduces that Nārāyaṇa possesses thirty-two auspicious marks, framing them as authoritative identifiers of divine perfection and a basis for devotional contemplation.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

Indirectly: by establishing Nārāyaṇa as pūrṇa-guṇa (complete in virtues), it sets the theological ground that remembrance and devotion to the Supreme becomes a refuge and guiding principle in the broader Purāṇic teaching on liberation.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Use it as a prompt for daily dhyāna: contemplate the divine qualities and auspicious marks of Nārāyaṇa to cultivate steadiness, virtue, and devotion in conduct.