Shloka 4

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

Devanagari script

तस्मा दाहुर्लक्ष्मणेत्येव सर्वे तल्लक्षणं शृणु चादौ खगेन्द्र / नारायणे पूर्णगुणे रमेशे द्वात्रिंशत्संख्यानि सुलक्षणानि

Transliteration

tasmā dāhurlakṣmaṇetyeva sarve tallakṣaṇaṃ śṛṇu cādau khagendra / nārāyaṇe pūrṇaguṇe rameśe dvātriṃśatsaṃkhyāni sulakṣaṇāni

Translation

Vì thế, tất cả đều gọi chúng là “lakṣaṇa” (các tướng). Hỡi Chúa Tể loài chim (Garuḍa), trước hết hãy nghe về những đặc tướng ấy: nơi Nārāyaṇa—Đấng viên mãn mọi đức hạnh, Chúa của Ramā (Lakṣmī)—có ba mươi hai tướng cát tường.

Word by Word

• tasmāt: therefore/from that
• tasmāt: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Ablative (5th/पञ्चमी), Singular; pronoun used adverbially = 'therefore/from that'

• āhuḥ: they said/called
• āhuḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ah (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd Person (प्रथमपुरुष), Plural (बहुवचन)

• lakṣmaṇa: O Lakṣmaṇa
• lakṣmaṇa: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lakṣmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative (8th/सम्बोधन), Singular

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: Quotative particle (उद्धरण-निपात)

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

• sarve: all (of them)
• sarve: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural

• tat: that
• tat: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; demonstrative qualifying 'lakṣaṇam'

• lakṣaṇam: mark/characteristic
• lakṣaṇam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lakṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular

• śṛṇu: hear/listen
• śṛṇu: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śru (धातु)
• Form: Imperative (लोट्), 2nd Person (मध्यमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

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

• ādau: in the beginning/first
• ādau: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular; adverbial locative = 'at first'

• khaga-indra: O lord of birds (Garuda)
• khaga-indra: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: khaga (प्रातिपदिक) + indra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative (8th/सम्बोधन), Singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: 'khagānām indraḥ'

• nārāyaṇe: in/with respect to Nārāyaṇa
• nārāyaṇe: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nārāyaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular

• pūrṇa-guṇe: in the one full of qualities
• pūrṇa-guṇe: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pūrṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + guṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular; adjective to 'nārāyaṇe'; कर्मधारय: 'pūrṇāḥ guṇāḥ yasmin' (elliptic)

• rameśe: in Rameśa (lord of Lakṣmī)
• rameśe: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rameśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular; epithet of Viṣṇu = 'lord of Ramā (Lakṣmī)'

• dvātriṃśat: thirty-two
• dvātriṃśat: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dvātriṃśat (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Numeral (संख्या), indeclinable-like in many uses; here qualifying 'saṃkhyāni' = 'thirty-two'

• saṃkhyāni: numbers/enumerations
• saṃkhyāni: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃkhyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural

• su-lakṣaṇāni: excellent marks
• su-lakṣaṇāni: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: su (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + lakṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural; कर्मधारय: 'sundarāṇi lakṣaṇāni'

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (Narayana) speaking to Garuda (Khagendra/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Nārāyaṇa is pūrṇa-guṇa (complete in virtues) and possesses thirty-two auspicious marks; contemplation of these marks supports recognition and devotion.

Vedantic Theme: Saguna-brahman contemplation as an aid to steadiness of mind; divine attributes as upāsanā-lakṣaṇa.

Application: Use the thirty-two marks as a structured contemplative checklist in pūjā/dhyāna; align inner virtues with the ideal of pūrṇa-guṇa.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 3.22: immediate continuation likely enumerating the dvātriṃśat-sulakṣaṇāni of Nārāyaṇa; Garuda Purana: Vishnu-bhakti sections that use nāma-rūpa and attributes for upāsanā

Characters & Entities

• Garuda
• Narayana
• Rama (Lakshmi)

FAQs

What is the importance of the thirty-two lakṣaṇas in the Garuda Purana?

This verse introduces that Nārāyaṇa possesses thirty-two auspicious marks, framing them as authoritative identifiers of divine perfection and a basis for devotional contemplation.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

Indirectly: by establishing Nārāyaṇa as pūrṇa-guṇa (complete in virtues), it sets the theological ground that remembrance and devotion to the Supreme becomes a refuge and guiding principle in the broader Purāṇic teaching on liberation.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Use it as a prompt for daily dhyāna: contemplate the divine qualities and auspicious marks of Nārāyaṇa to cultivate steadiness, virtue, and devotion in conduct.