Shloka 17

Nāma-mahātmya: Liberation through Salutation, Chanting, and the Mantra “Namo Nārāyaṇāya”

Devanagari script

पाथेयं पुण्डरीकाक्षनामसंकीर्तनं हरेः / संसारसर्पसंदष्टविषचेष्टैकभेषजम् / कृष्णेति वैष्णवं क्षान्तं जप्त्वा मुक्तो भवेन्नरः

Transliteration

pātheyaṃ puṇḍarīkākṣanāmasaṃkīrtanaṃ hareḥ / saṃsārasarpasaṃdaṣṭaviṣaceṣṭaikabheṣajam / kṛṣṇeti vaiṣṇavaṃ kṣāntaṃ japtvā mukto bhavennaraḥ

Translation

为此旅程，齐声称诵哈利之名——“莲眼者”（Puṇḍarīkākṣa）——便是真正的资粮。它是唯一的良药，能止息因轮回之蛇噬咬而起的毒扰。若有人以忍耐之心持诵毗湿奴派圣名“克里希纳”（Kṛṣṇa），便得解脱。

Word by Word

• pātheyam: provision for the journey
• pātheyam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pātheya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• puṇḍarīka-akṣa-nāma-saṃkīrtanam: the chanting of the name of Puṇḍarīkākṣa
• puṇḍarīka-akṣa-nāma-saṃkīrtanam: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puṇḍarīka (प्रातिपदिक) + akṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + nāman (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃkīrtana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः: ‘पुण्डरीकाक्षस्य नाम्नः संकीर्तनम्’

• hareḥ: of Hari
• hareḥ: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hari (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• saṃsāra-sarpa-saṃdaṣṭa-viṣa-ceṣṭā-eka-bheṣajam: the sole remedy for the poison-effects of the saṃsāra-serpent’s bite
• saṃsāra-sarpa-saṃdaṣṭa-viṣa-ceṣṭā-eka-bheṣajam: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃsāra (प्रातिपदिक) + sarpa (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃdaṣṭa (प्रातिपदिक; √daṃś क्त) + viṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + ceṣṭā (प्रातिपदिक) + eka (प्रातिपदिक) + bheṣaja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः: ‘संसाररूप-सर्पेण संदष्टस्य विषचेष्टायाः एकं भेषजम्’ (the sole remedy for the poison-effects of being bitten by the serpent of saṃsāra)

• kṛṣṇa: Kṛṣṇa
• kṛṣṇa: Karma (Quoted word/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛṣṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; नाम (उक्त्यंश)

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: उक्त्यर्थक अव्यय

• vaiṣṇavam: Vaiṣṇava (sacred to Viṣṇu)
• vaiṣṇavam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vaiṣṇava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (japa-viṣaya)

• kṣāntam: patiently/enduringly (as a practiced vow)
• kṣāntam: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṣānta (प्रातिपदिक; √kṣam क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (mantra/japa)

• japtvā: having recited
• japtvā: Purvakala (Absolutive/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jap (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/absolutive), ‘having recited’

• muktaḥ: liberated
• muktaḥ: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mukta (प्रातिपदिक; √muc क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तृविशेषण

• bhavet: would become
• bhavet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधिलिङ्), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• naraḥ: a man/person
• naraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (teaching Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Hari-nāma is the sole remedy for saṃsāra’s poison; japa of 'Puṇḍarīkākṣa' and 'Kṛṣṇa' with kṣānti leads to mukti.

Vedantic Theme: Saṃsāra as viṣa (poison) born of avidyā; nāma as upāya that purifies and fixes the mind in Bhagavān, culminating in liberation.

Application: Keep nāma-japa as constant 'travel-provision'—especially in illness, fear, and end-of-life; cultivate kṣānti (forbearance) to stabilize practice.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Geographic Context

Type: road/path

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: nāma as protection on the post-mortem path; imagery of journey provisions and fear-removal (contextual parallels in Pretakalpa)

Characters & Entities

• Hari (Vishnu)
• Pundarikaksha
• Krishna

FAQs

What is the importance of chanting Hari’s names in the Garuda Purana?

This verse presents Hari’s name—especially ‘Puṇḍarīkākṣa’ and ‘Kṛṣṇa’—as the essential spiritual ‘provision’ and the sole remedy that calms the suffering produced by saṃsāra, leading to liberation.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

By framing the divine name as ‘pātheya’ (travel-provision), it implies that remembrance and repetition of Viṣṇu’s names support the jīva through the perilous journey of worldly bondage and toward release (mokṣa).

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Maintain steady japa/kīrtana of ‘Kṛṣṇa’ or Hari’s names with patience and self-control, using it as daily spiritual medicine against anxiety, attachment, and habitual suffering.