Shloka 1

रामायणकथासंक्षेपः — ब्रह्मोक्तो रामावतारवृत्तान्तः

Devanagari script

द्विचत्वारिंशदुत्तरशततमो ऽध्यायः ब्रह्मोवाच / रामायणमतो वक्ष्ये श्रुतं पापविनाशनम् / विष्णुनाभ्यब्जतो ब्रह्मा मरीचिस्तत्सुतो ऽभवत्

Transliteration

dvicatvāriṃśaduttaraśatatamo 'dhyāyaḥ brahmovāca / rāmāyaṇamato vakṣye śrutaṃ pāpavināśanam / viṣṇunābhyabjato brahmā marīcistatsuto 'bhavat

Translation

برہما نے کہا—اب میں سنا ہوا رامائن بیان کرتا ہوں جو گناہوں کو مٹانے والا ہے۔ وشنو کی ناف کے کنول سے برہما پیدا ہوئے اور ان کے پُتر مریچی ہوئے۔

Word by Word

• dvi: two
• dvi: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dvi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक-विशेषण (numeral adjective), अव्ययवत्-पूर्वपद (as first member in compound)

• catvāriṃśat: forty
• catvāriṃśat: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: catvāriṃśat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक (numeral), समासाङ्ग (compound member)

• uttara: additional; plus
• uttara: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: uttara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: विशेषण (adjective), समासाङ्ग (compound member)

• śata: hundred
• śata: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक (numeral), समासाङ्ग (compound member)

• tamaḥ: the -th (ordinal, superlative form)
• tamaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tama (प्रत्ययान्त-प्रातिपदिक; तमप्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तमप्-प्रत्यय (superlative/ordinal sense)

• adhyāyaḥ: chapter
• adhyāyaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adhyāya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• brahmā: Brahmā
• brahmā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• rāmāyaṇam: the Rāmāyaṇa
• rāmāyaṇam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāmāyaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• ataḥ: therefore; now
• ataḥ: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle/adverb): ‘therefore/now’

• vakṣye: I shall tell
• vakṣye: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• śrutam: heard; learned
• śrutam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śruta (कृदन्त; √śru)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्मणि-भाव (heard/learned)

• pāpa: sin
• pāpa: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (collective sense), समासाङ्ग (compound member)

• vināśanam: destroyer (destruction) of sin
• vināśanam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vināśana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: pāpasya vināśanam (destruction of sin)

• viṣṇu: of Viṣṇu
• viṣṇu: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-सम्बन्धे (genitival relation) as compound member

• nābhi: navel
• nābhi: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nābhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, समासाङ्ग (compound member)

• abja: lotus
• abja: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: abja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, समासाङ्ग (compound member)

• taḥ: from
• taḥ: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tas (तसिल्-प्रत्यय; तः)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb): ‘from’ (as in -taḥ)

• brahmā: Brahmā
• brahmā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• marīciḥ: Marīci
• marīciḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: marīci (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• tat: his; that
• tat: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, समासाङ्ग; ‘of him/that’ (genitival sense in compound)

• sutaḥ: son
• sutaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: suta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: tasya sutaḥ (his son)

• abhavat: became; was born
• abhavat: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Brahma

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Śravaṇa of Rāmāyaṇa as pāpa-vināśana; all creation and teaching are rooted in Viṣṇu.

Vedantic Theme: Īśvara as jagad-ādhāra; nāma-kathā as purifier (citta-śuddhi) leading toward śānti.

Application: Regular listening/recitation of Rāmāyaṇa-kathā with Viṣṇu-smaraṇa as a purificatory discipline.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Geographic Context

Type: cosmic origin locus

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana (Purvakhanda) narrative sections praising śravaṇa-kīrtana as pāpa-hara; Garuda Purana cosmology passages on Brahmā’s origin from Viṣṇu

Characters & Entities

• Brahma
• Vishnu
• Marici
• Ramayana

FAQs

What is the importance of hearing the Ramayana in the Garuda Purana?

This verse states that the Ramayana, received through sacred hearing (śruti/paramparā), is pāpa-vināśana—its recitation and listening are treated as spiritually purifying.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

Indirectly: it frames purification through dharmic narratives—hearing sacred history is presented as a means to reduce sin, supporting a cleaner karmic trajectory for the soul.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Regularly listen to or study the Ramayana with reverence, treating it as a disciplined practice for ethical alignment and karmic purification.