Shloka 9
Hari-stuti by Śrī, Brahmā, Vāyu, Sarasvatī, Śeṣa, Garuḍa, Rudra, Vāruṇī and Pārvatī
Humility, Surrender, and the Power of the Name
तन्मे हृषीकाणि पतन्त्यसत्पथे पदारविन्दे तु पतन्तु सर्वदा / लक्ष्म्या ह्यहं कोटिगुणेन हीनः स्तोतुं सामर्थ्यं नास्ति मे सुप्रसीद
tanme hṛṣīkāṇi patantyasatpathe padāravinde tu patantu sarvadā / lakṣmyā hyahaṃ koṭiguṇena hīnaḥ stotuṃ sāmarthyaṃ nāsti me suprasīda
اگر میری حِسّیات باطل راہ پر گرنے لگیں تو وہ ہمیشہ تیرے کمل جیسے قدموں پر ہی گر پڑیں۔ میں دولتِ لکشمی میں کروڑوں گنا کم نصیب ہوں؛ تیری مناسب حمد کرنے کی سکت مجھ میں نہیں۔ مجھ پر مہربان ہو۔
Garuda (Vinata-putra), addressing Lord Vishnu
Concept: Redirecting the senses from asat (untrue, transient) to sat (the Lord’s feet); acknowledging one’s incapacity and relying on divine grace.
Vedantic Theme: Indriyas as vectors of bondage when turned outward; bhakti as reorientation (parāṅmukhatā → antarmukhatā); grace compensating for personal inadequacy.
Application: When tempted, consciously ‘drop’ attention onto a devotional anchor: nāma-japa, visualization of lotus-feet, or a brief prayer; build habits that channel senses toward sāttvika inputs.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Related Themes: Garuda Purana: bhakti as protection; repeated motif of pāda-sevā and helpless dependence
FAQs
This verse presents refuge at the Lord’s lotus-feet as the corrective for senses that stray to the asat-patha (false path), emphasizing surrender as a practical means of inner discipline.
By identifying the senses as the drivers toward the ‘wrong path,’ the verse implies that ethical living and a safe spiritual trajectory begin with redirecting desire and attention toward the Divine rather than harmful impulses.
Use daily practices—japa, prayer, and mindful restraint—to redirect sensory habits away from harmful choices and toward sattvic actions, humility, and devotion.