Garuda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 1

Śālagrāma–Sudarśana-Vyūha Nirūpaṇa, Tīrtha-Saṅgraha, Samvatsara-Nāma, and Mantra-Rakṣā

Devanagari script

स्त्रीनरलक्षणं नाम पञ्चषष्टितमो ऽध्यायः हरिरुवाच / निर्लक्षणा शुभा स्याच्च चक्राङ्कितशिलार्चनात् / आदौ सुदर्शनो मूर्तिर्लक्ष्मीनारायणः परः

Transliteration

strīnaralakṣaṇaṃ nāma pañcaṣaṣṭitamo 'dhyāyaḥ hariruvāca / nirlakṣaṇā śubhā syācca cakrāṅkitaśilārcanāt / ādau sudarśano mūrtirlakṣmīnārāyaṇaḥ paraḥ

Translation

Hari phán: Dẫu người không có tướng lành, vẫn được phúc cát tường nhờ thờ phụng thánh thạch mang dấu Luân xa. Trước hết và tối thượng là hình tướng Sudarśana—chính Đấng Lakṣmī-Nārāyaṇa chí tôn.

Word by Word

• स्त्रीनरलक्षणम्: (chapter on) characteristics of women and men
• स्त्रीनरलक्षणम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्री (प्रातिपदिक) + नर (प्रातिपदिक) + लक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; द्वन्द्व (स्त्री-नर) + तत्पुरुष (लक्षण)

• नाम: named
• नाम: Sambandha (Apposition marker/नाम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle; naming/iti-artha)

• पञ्चषष्टितमः: sixty-fifth
• पञ्चषष्टितमः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्च (प्रातिपदिक) + षष्टि (प्रातिपदिक) + तम (प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; क्रमवाचक (ordinal) विशेषण (of अध्यायः)

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

• हरिः: Hari
• हरिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

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

• निर्लक्षणा: without (bad) marks/defects
• निर्लक्षणा: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर् (उपसर्ग) + लक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (of implied स्त्री)

• शुभा: auspicious
• शुभा: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• स्यात्: would be/should be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• चक्राङ्कितशिलार्चनात्: from worship of a stone marked with a discus
• चक्राङ्कितशिलार्चनात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चक्र (प्रातिपदिक) + अङ्कित (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक) + शिला (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्चन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; कारणहेतु (from/by worship of...)

• आदौ: in the beginning
• आदौ: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb; 'at first/in the beginning')

• सुदर्शनः: Sudarśana
• सुदर्शनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुदर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• मूर्तिः: form/icon
• मूर्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूर्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• लक्ष्मीनारायणः: Lakṣmī-Nārāyaṇa
• लक्ष्मीनारायणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लक्ष्मी (प्रातिपदिक) + नारायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; द्वन्द्व (लक्ष्मी-नारायण)

• परः: supreme
• परः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (of लक्ष्मीनारायणः)

Speaker

Hari (Lord Vishnu)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Bhagavat-bhakti—worship of Sudarśana-marked sacred stone—can confer auspiciousness even where external ‘marks’ are absent.

Vedantic Theme: Īśvara-anugraha (divine grace) overriding limitations of birth/appearance; devotion as purifier.

Application: Establish regular Viṣṇu/Śālagrāma worship with reverence, purity, and ethical living; seek inner auspiciousness over mere external signs.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: tirtha/household shrine

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: Śālagrāma-māhātmya and Viṣṇu-bhakti passages (where present); Garuda Purana: Sudarśana as protective aspect of Viṣṇu

Characters & Entities

• Hari (Vishnu)
• Sudarśana
• Lakṣmī-Nārāyaṇa

FAQs

What is the importance of worshipping a chakra-marked sacred stone in the Garuda Purana?

This verse states that worship of a discus-marked sacred stone (cakrāṅkita-śilā) can make even a person lacking auspicious signs become fortunate, emphasizing the purifying and auspicious power of Viṣṇu-centered worship.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

Indirectly, it points to divine grace as a transforming force: devotion to Lakṣmī-Nārāyaṇa (especially in the Sudarśana form) can overturn inauspicious conditions, aligning one toward auspicious destiny and spiritual upliftment.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Maintain regular Viṣṇu worship (e.g., śālagrāma/Viṣṇu pūjā with reverence), focusing on inner conduct and devotion rather than anxiety over external “signs,” cultivating auspiciousness through sāttvika practice.