Shloka 8

Acyuta/Vāsudeva Stotra: Avatāra-Salutations, Ritual Totality, Forgiveness Prayer, and Phalaśruti

Devanagari script

नमः पङ्कजनाभाय नमः क्षीरोदशायिने / नमः सहस्रशीर्षाय नमो नागाङ्गशायिने

Transliteration

namaḥ paṅkajanābhāya namaḥ kṣīrodaśāyine / namaḥ sahasraśīrṣāya namo nāgāṅgaśāyine

Translation

کنول ناف والے پروردگار کو نمسکار؛ دودھ کے سمندر پر آرام فرمانے والے کو نمسکار۔ ہزار سروں والے کو نمسکار؛ شیش ناگ کی سیج پر شایان کو نمسکار۔

Word by Word

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Prayojana/Salutation (नमस्कार)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; नमस्कारार्थे

• पङ्कजनाभाय: to the lotus-naveled one
• पङ्कजनाभाय: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पङ्कज + नाभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पङ्कजस्य नाभिः यस्य)

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Prayojana/Salutation (नमस्कार)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; नमस्कारार्थे

• क्षीरोदशायिने: to the one who reclines on the Ocean of Milk
• क्षीरोदशायिने: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षीर + उद + शायिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (क्षीरोदे शयिते इति)

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Prayojana/Salutation (नमस्कार)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; नमस्कारार्थे

• सहस्रशीर्षाय: to the thousand-headed one
• सहस्रशीर्षाय: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र + शीर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिवत्-प्रयोगः/तत्पुरुषः (सहस्रं शीर्षाणि यस्य)

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Prayojana/Salutation (नमस्कार)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; नमो-रूपेण प्रयोगः

• नागाङ्गशायिने: to the one who reclines on the serpent’s body
• नागाङ्गशायिने: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाग + अङ्ग + शायिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (नागस्य अङ्गे शयिते इति)

Speaker

Narrator/reciter (invocatory praise to Lord Vishnu within the Garuda Purana discourse framework)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The Lord as the cosmic ground: source of creation (lotus-navel), sustainer in yogic repose, and the all-pervading Puruṣa (sahasraśīrṣa).

Vedantic Theme: Puruṣa as viśvarūpa; māyā/creation symbolism via lotus; Īśvara’s immanence and transcendence reconciled in dhyāna.

Application: Meditate sequentially on these forms (nābhi-lotus → kṣīroda-śayana → sahasraśīrṣa) as a structured visualization to expand mind from personal devotion to cosmic awareness.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: cosmic ocean

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: cosmology and Viṣṇu’s śayana motifs; viśvarūpa/puruṣa descriptions in stotra contexts

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Kshirodaka (Ocean of Milk)
• Shesha (Naga)

FAQs

Why is Lord Vishnu praised as Paṅkajanābha in the Garuda Purana?

The epithet “Lotus-naveled” identifies Vishnu as the cosmic source and sustainer; invoking this form frames the teaching with divine protection and auspiciousness.

What does “Kṣīrodāśāyī” signify in this verse?

It refers to Vishnu reclining on the Ocean of Milk, a theological image of supreme preservation and guardianship—an apt invocation before discussing sensitive topics like death, rites, and the soul’s journey.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Use this verse as a short daily or ritual invocation to cultivate steadiness and remembrance of divine refuge, especially before śrāddha, prayer, or study of afterlife teachings.