Shloka 70

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

Devanagari script

लक्षणालक्षणैश्चैव क्रमेणोक्ता न संशयः / लक्षणैः सप्तविंशत्यालक्षणैः संयुताः खग

Transliteration

lakṣaṇālakṣaṇaiścaiva krameṇoktā na saṃśayaḥ / lakṣaṇaiḥ saptaviṃśatyālakṣaṇaiḥ saṃyutāḥ khaga

Translation

اے خَگ (گرُڑ)! علامات اور بےعلامتیاں ترتیب سے بیان کی گئی ہیں؛ اس میں کوئی شک نہیں۔ یہ ستائیس علامات اور اُن کے مخالف بےعلامتیوں کے ساتھ موصوف کی گئی ہیں۔

Word by Word

• lakṣaṇa-alakṣaṇaiḥ: by marks and non-marks
• lakṣaṇa-alakṣaṇaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण/instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lakṣaṇa + alakṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental (तृतीया) Plural; द्वन्द्व-समास: lakṣaṇaiḥ ca alakṣaṇaiḥ ca

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

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

• krameṇa: in order/stepwise
• krameṇa: Prakāra (प्रकार/manner)
• Type: Noun
• Root: krama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (तृतीया) Singular; adverbial use

• uktāḥ: have been stated
• uktāḥ: Karta (कर्ता/predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु) + kta (कृदन्त)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त); Masculine, Nominative (प्रथमा) Plural; 'said/declared' (agreeing with implied subject)

• na: no/not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/negation scope)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Negation particle (निषेध-अव्यय)

• saṃśayaḥ: doubt
• saṃśayaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/existential subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃśaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (प्रथमा) Singular

• lakṣaṇaiḥ: with marks
• lakṣaṇaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण/instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lakṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental (तृतीया) Plural

• saptaviṃśati-alakṣaṇaiḥ: with twenty-seven non-marks
• saptaviṃśati-alakṣaṇaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण/instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saptaviṃśati (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + alakṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental (तृतीया) Plural; द्विगु-समास: saptaviṃśati-alakṣaṇāni = twenty-seven non-marks

• saṃyutāḥ: endowed
• saṃyutāḥ: Karta (कर्ता/predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-yuj (धातु) + kta (कृदन्त)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त); Masculine, Nominative (प्रथमा) Plural; 'endowed/combined'

• khaga: O bird
• khaga: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: khaga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative (सम्बोधन) Singular

Speaker

Lord Vishnu

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Pramāṇa-by-lakṣaṇa: knowing a category through stated distinguishing marks and their negations, taught in ordered sequence.

Vedantic Theme: Vyavahāra-level discernment (viveka) through definitions; reliance on śāstra-pramāṇa for classification.

Application: When judging persons/omens/eligibility, use the full traditional criteria (marks and counter-marks) in the prescribed order; avoid partial inference.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 3.22 (context: lakṣaṇa/alakṣaṇa enumeration)

Characters & Entities

• Garuda

FAQs

What is the importance of lakṣaṇa and alakṣaṇa in the Garuda Purana?

This verse emphasizes that the Purana presents an ordered, reliable framework of “signs” and “non-signs,” used to classify or recognize conditions described in the Preta-kanda context.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul after death?

Rather than narrating a specific stage of travel, it signals that the text has already laid out a systematic set of indicators—useful for understanding states of the departed (preta) and related outcomes described in surrounding verses.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Approach death-ritual discussions and afterlife descriptions with method: learn the defined terms and categories first (lakṣaṇa/alakṣaṇa), then apply them carefully when interpreting ritual duties and ethical consequences.