Garuda Purana — Moksha Sadhana Prakarana, Shloka 73

Means to Liberation: Supremacy of Hari, Proper Salutations, and Purāṇic Authority

Devanagari script

नदीषु गङ्गा जलजेषु पद्ममच्छिन्नभक्तेषु तथैव वायुः / तथा पुराणेषु च गारुडं च मुख्यं तदाहुर्हरितत्त्वदर्शने

Transliteration

nadīṣu gaṅgā jalajeṣu padmamacchinnabhakteṣu tathaiva vāyuḥ / tathā purāṇeṣu ca gāruḍaṃ ca mukhyaṃ tadāhurharitattvadarśane

Translation

Trong các dòng sông, Gaṅgā là bậc nhất; trong các loài sinh từ nước, hoa sen là bậc nhất; trong những người mộ đạo kiên định, Vāyu cũng là bậc nhất. Cũng vậy, giữa các Purāṇa, Garuḍa Purāṇa được tôn xưng là đứng đầu để thấu đạt chân lý của Hari (Viṣṇu).

Word by Word

• नदीषु: among rivers
• नदीषु: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/सप्तमी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nadī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th), बहुवचन

• गङ्गा: Gaṅgā
• गङ्गा: Karta (कर्ता/उद्देश्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaṅgā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन

• जलजेषु: among water-born things
• जलजेषु: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/सप्तमी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jalaja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी, बहुवचन; समास: तत्पुरुष (जले जातम्)

• पद्मम्: lotus
• पद्मम्: Karta (कर्ता/उद्देश्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: padma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अच्छिन्नभक्तेषु: among unbroken/steadfast devotees
• अच्छिन्नभक्तेषु: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/सप्तमी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: a-chinna + bhakta (प्रातिपदिक; chinna is कृदन्त from √chid; bhakta from √bhaj)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी, बहुवचन; समास: कर्मधारय (अच्छिन्नाः भक्ताः)

• तथा: so/thus
• तथा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण

• वायुः: Vāyu (Wind-god)
• वायुः: Karta (कर्ता/उद्देश्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāyu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक

• पुराणेषु: among the Purāṇas
• पुराणेषु: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/सप्तमी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: purāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• गारुडम्: the Gāruḍa (Purāṇa)
• गारुडम्: Karma (कर्म/उद्देश्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gāruḍa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; here as “Gāruḍa (Purāṇa)”

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• मुख्यम्: chief
• मुख्यम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mukhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (“chief/primary”)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• आहुः: they say
• आहुः: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ah (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन

• हरितत्त्वदर्शने: in the exposition/vision of Hari’s truth
• हरितत्त्वदर्शने: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/सप्तमी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hari-tattva-darśana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी, एकवचन; समास: तत्पुरुष (हरितत्त्वस्य दर्शनम्)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (Hari) speaking to Garuda (Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Hari-tattva-darśana (seeing/understanding the truth of Hari) is best served by the Gāruḍa Purāṇa, analogized to the foremost among sacred exemplars.

Vedantic Theme: Tattva-jñāna oriented toward Bhagavān; śuddhi (purification) as supportive of knowledge and devotion.

Application: Study and contemplate Hari-tattva through the Gāruḍa Purāṇa; pair learning with purificatory practices (sat-saṅga, mantra, tīrtha-smaraṇa).

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: river

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 3.1.71 (Gāruḍa as foremost); Garuda Purana 3.1.74 (Hari as pratipādya and goal)

Characters & Entities

• Ganga
• Padma (Lotus)
• Vayu
• Hari (Vishnu)
• Garuda Purana

FAQs

What is the importance of the Garuda Purana in Hari-tattva (Vishnu truth) understanding?

This verse explicitly ranks the Gāruḍa Purāṇa as foremost among Purāṇas for realizing Hari-tattva—presenting it as a primary scripture for Viṣṇu-centered doctrine and devotion.

How does this verse establish spiritual authority using comparisons (Gaṅgā, lotus, Vāyu)?

By listing universally recognized “best among” examples, the verse frames a hierarchy of excellence and then applies the same logic to scriptures, declaring the Gāruḍa Purāṇa the chief text for understanding Hari.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Prioritize steady (acchinna) devotion and study of Vaiṣṇava teachings—using the Garuḍa Purāṇa as a guiding text for dharma, devotion, and clarity about Viṣṇu’s nature.