Shloka 35

Gradations of Bliss and Knowledge; Lakṣmī’s Special Insight; The Rarity of Bhakti in Kali-yuga; Nīlā’s Vow and Śrīnivāsa Darśana

Devanagari script

भर्तास्ते हरिभक्ता यदि स्युरासां स्त्रीणां जन्मसाफल्यमेव / अनेकजन्मार्जितपुण्यसंचयैस्तद्भर्तारो हरिभक्ता भवेयुः

Transliteration

bhartāste haribhaktā yadi syurāsāṃ strīṇāṃ janmasāphalyameva / anekajanmārjitapuṇyasaṃcayaistadbhartāro haribhaktā bhaveyuḥ

Translation

إن كان أزواجُ أولئك النساء من عُبّادِ هَري (المتعبّدين له)، فقد اكتمل حقًّا معنى حياتهنّ. بل إنّما بفضل رصيدِ البرّ المتراكم عبر ولاداتٍ كثيرة يصيرُ أولئك الأزواجُ عُبّادًا لهَري.

Word by Word

• bhartāraḥ: husbands
• bhartāraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhartṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• te: those
• te: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural; demonstrative pronoun agreeing with bhartāraḥ

• hari-bhaktāḥ: devotees of Hari
• hari-bhaktāḥ: Pradhāna-nāma (predicate)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hari (प्रातिपदिक) + bhakta (कृदन्त from √bhaj)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural; tatpuruṣa: hareḥ bhaktāḥ (devotees of Hari)

• yadi: if
• yadi: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadi (अव्यय)
• Form: Conditional particle (शर्त/if)

• syuḥ: should be/would be
• syuḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √as (अस् धातु)
• Form: Optative (विधिलिङ्), Parasmaipada, 3rd person, Plural

• āsām: of these (women)
• āsām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध; possession)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (इदम् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Plural

• strīṇām: of women
• strīṇām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: strī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Genitive, Plural

• janma-sāphalyam: fulfilment of (their) birth
• janma-sāphalyam: Karta (कर्ता; subject of implied asti)
• Type: Noun
• Root: janma (प्रातिपदिक) + sāphalya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular; tatpuruṣa: janmanaḥ sāphalyam (fruitfulness of birth)

• eva: indeed/only
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (अवधारण)

• aneka-janma-arjita-puṇya-saṃcayaiḥ: by accumulations of merit earned over many births
• aneka-janma-arjita-puṇya-saṃcayaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aneka (प्रातिपदिक) + janma (प्रातिपदिक) + arjita (कृदन्त from √arj) + puṇya (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃcaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural; multi-member tatpuruṣa: anekajanmabhiḥ arjitaḥ puṇyasaṃcayaḥ; instrumental of cause/means

• tad-bhartāraḥ: their husbands
• tad-bhartāraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + bhartṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural; tatpuruṣa: tāsāṃ bhartāraḥ (their husbands)

• hari-bhaktāḥ: devotees of Hari
• hari-bhaktāḥ: Pradhāna-nāma (predicate)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hari (प्रातिपदिक) + bhakta (कृदन्त from √bhaj)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• bhaveyuḥ: would become
• bhaveyuḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhū (भू धातु)
• Form: Optative (विधिलिङ्), Parasmaipada, 3rd person, Plural

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Association with a Hari-bhakta spouse is a fruition of many-births’ merit; such bhakti makes life ‘fulfilled’.

Vedantic Theme: Saṃskāra and puṇya as preparatory causes; bhakti as the culminating grace-fruit (bhagavat-kṛpā mediated through puṇya and saṅga).

Application: Value and seek sat-saṅga; support devotional practice within family life; interpret fortunate spiritual influences as a call to deepen bhakti.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: recurring motif that sat-saṅga and Viṣṇu-bhakti arise from accumulated puṇya

Characters & Entities

• Hari
• Vishnu
• Garuda
• Stri (women)

FAQs

What is the importance of Hari-bhakti in the Garuda Purana according to this verse?

This verse treats devotion to Hari as a decisive spiritual blessing within household life, implying that association with a Hari-bhakta (here, a husband) makes one’s life meaningful and oriented toward liberation-supporting dharma.

How does this verse explain the role of past-life merit (puṇya) in devotion?

It states that becoming a devotee of Hari is not random; it is supported by a store of virtue accumulated across many births, which ripens into bhakti in the present life.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Cultivate devotional practices (nāma-japa, pūjā, satsanga) and ethical living in family life, recognizing that sustained good conduct and devotion reinforce each other over time.