Shloka 17

Hymns to Nārāyaṇa: Humility, Bhakti, Yoga, and the Guṇas

Devanagari script

एवं स्तुत्त्वा महाभागो विष्वक्से नो महाप्रभो / तूष्णीं बभूव गरुड प्राञ्जलिर्नम्रकन्धरः / मित्रादहं न्यून एव नात्र कार्या विचारणा

Transliteration

evaṃ stuttvā mahābhāgo viṣvakse no mahāprabho / tūṣṇīṃ babhūva garuḍa prāñjalirnamrakandharaḥ / mitrādahaṃ nyūna eva nātra kāryā vicāraṇā

Translation

Sau khi tán dương Đại Chúa Tể Viṣvaksena như vậy, Garuḍa cao quý liền lặng thinh—chắp tay cung kính, cúi cổ khiêm nhu—và tự nghĩ: “So với người bạn của ta (Đức Chúa), ta quả thật kém hèn; việc này chẳng cần bàn luận nữa.”

Word by Word

• evam: thus
• evam: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (thus)

• stutvā: having praised
• stutvā: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: stu (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive)

• mahā-bhāgaḥ: very fortunate / illustrious
• mahā-bhāgaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + bhāga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (mahān bhāgaḥ yasya/yaḥ)

• viṣvaksenaḥ: Viṣvaksena
• viṣvaksenaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣvaksena (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• naḥ: our
• naḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive) बहुवचन; सर्वनाम (enclitic)

• mahā-prabho: O great lord
• mahā-prabho: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + prabhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय

• tūṣṇīm: silently
• tūṣṇīm: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tūṣṇīm (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (silently)

• babhūva: became / remained
• babhūva: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• garuḍa: O Garuḍa
• garuḍa: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: garuḍa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• prāñjaliḥ: with folded hands
• prāñjaliḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prāñjali (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (हस्तौ अञ्जलिं कृत्वा)

• namra-kandharaḥ: with bowed neck
• namra-kandharaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: namra (प्रातिपदिक) + kandhara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (namrā kandharā yasya)

• mitrāt: than a friend
• mitrāt: Apādāna (अपादान/Comparison-basis)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mitra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• nyūnaḥ: inferior / lesser
• nyūnaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nyūna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (अहम् इति विशेष्येण सह)

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

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध

• atra: here / in this matter
• atra: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (here/in this matter)

• kāryā: to be done / necessary
• kāryā: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kārya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (to be done/necessary)

• vicāraṇā: consideration / deliberation
• vicāraṇā: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vicāraṇā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (describing Garuda’s response after praising Lord Vishnu/Viṣvaksena)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Humility (vinaya) and surrender (śaraṇāgati) as the natural culmination of praise; recognizing one’s smallness before the Lord and His foremost attendants.

Vedantic Theme: Dāsya-bhāva and ego-softening as a prerequisite for grace; the finite jīva’s limitation before the Infinite.

Application: After prayer or success, pause into silence, bow inwardly, and consciously relinquish comparison/ego; cultivate reverence toward the Lord and His devotees/servants.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana (dialogue portions praising Vishnu and His attendants; stuti leading to upadeśa)

Characters & Entities

• Garuda
• Vishvaksena

FAQs

What is the importance of humility (namra-kandhara, prāñjali) in Garuda Purana?

This verse portrays Garuḍa’s reverent posture after praise—silence, folded hands, and bowed neck—showing that true devotion culminates in humility and surrender rather than argument or self-assertion.

Who is Viṣvaksena mentioned in this verse?

Viṣvaksena is a revered Vaishnava figure associated with the Lord’s divine retinue/command, invoked here as an epithet of supreme authority; Garuḍa praises him as “mahāprabhu,” emphasizing the Lord’s sovereignty.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Adopt the attitude modeled by Garuḍa—offer praise sincerely, remain calm and receptive, and let humility guide decisions instead of ego-driven debate.