Shloka 15

Vaiṣṇava-kavaca: Vishnu’s Protective Armor Against Fear, Disease, Poison, and Hostile Forces

Devanagari script

शेषो मे निर्मलं ज्ञानं करोत्वज्ञाननाशनम् / वडवामुखो नाशयतां कल्मषं यत्कृतं मया

Transliteration

śeṣo me nirmalaṃ jñānaṃ karotvajñānanāśanam / vaḍavāmukho nāśayatāṃ kalmaṣaṃ yatkṛtaṃ mayā

Translation

شیش ناگ مجھے بے داغ، پاکیزہ علم عطا کرے جو جہالت کو مٹا دے۔ اور وڈوامُکھ میرے کیے ہوئے کلمش کو جلا کر نابود کر دے۔

Word by Word

• शेषः: Śeṣa
• शेषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• मे: my
• मे: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• निर्मलम्: pure
• निर्मलम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्मल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (ज्ञानम् इति विशेष्यस्य)

• ज्ञानम्: knowledge
• ज्ञानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• करोतु: may (he) make
• करोतु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative/आज्ञार्थ), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• अज्ञान-नाशनम्: destroying ignorance
• अज्ञान-नाशनम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक) + नाशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अज्ञानस्य नाशनम्); विशेषणम् (ज्ञानम् इति)

• वडवा-मुखः: Vaḍavāmukha (submarine-fire deity)
• वडवा-मुखः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वडवा (प्रातिपदिक) + मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (वडवायाः मुखम् इव मुखं यस्य)

• नाशयताम्: may (he) destroy
• नाशयताम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नश् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative/आज्ञार्थ), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

• कल्मषम्: stain, sin
• कल्मषम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कल्मष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• यत्: which
• यत्: Sambandha (Relative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• कृतम्: done, committed
• कृतम्: Karma (Predicate to object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्तः—क्त (past passive participle/भूतकर्मणि), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; (कल्मषम् इति विशेष्यस्य)

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (Agent-instrumental/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

Speaker

Narrator/reciter within the Garuda Purana (a prayer-verse; exact speaker not explicitly marked in the provided excerpt)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Jñāna (pure knowledge) destroys ajñāna; residual defilement is burned by purifying divine power.

Vedantic Theme: Ajñāna-nivṛtti through jñāna; antaḥkaraṇa-śuddhi as the ground for liberation; cosmic principles (Śeṣa, fire) as symbols of inner transformation.

Application: Adopt disciplined study and meditation for ‘nirmala-jñāna’; practice repentance and resolve, visualizing impurities offered into a purifying inner fire (agni-bhāvanā).

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Geographic Context

Type: cosmic oceanic phenomenon

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.194 (purification and protection invocations)

Characters & Entities

• Shesha (Ananta)
• Vadavamukha

FAQs

What is the importance of pure knowledge (nirmala jñāna) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse treats pure knowledge as a direct antidote to ignorance, implying that inner clarity is a primary means of cleansing karmic and mental impurity.

How does this verse relate to sin and its removal (kalmaṣa-nāśa)?

It frames sin/defilement as something that can be destroyed through divine aid—Śeṣa bestows ignorance-destroying knowledge, while Vaḍavāmukha symbolizes a consuming fire that burns away impurity.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Use it as a daily purification intention: seek disciplined study and self-inquiry (jñāna) while sincerely repenting harmful actions and committing to ethical conduct that prevents new kalmaṣa.