Shloka 36

Nīti on Friendship (Mitra), Discretion, Restraint, Health-Regimens, Prosperity (Śrī), and Family Dharma

Devanagari script

नित्यं छेदस्तृणानं धरणिविलखनं पादयोश्चापमार्ष्टिः दन्तानामप्यशौचं मलिनवसनता रूक्षता मूर्धजानाम् / द्वे सध्ये चापि निद्रा विवसनशयनं ग्रासहासातिरेकः स्वाङ्गे पीठे च वाद्यं निधनमुपनयेत्केशवस्यापि लक्ष्मीम्

Transliteration

nityaṃ chedastṛṇānaṃ dharaṇivilakhanaṃ pādayoścāpamārṣṭiḥ dantānāmapyaśaucaṃ malinavasanatā rūkṣatā mūrdhajānām / dve sadhye cāpi nidrā vivasanaśayanaṃ grāsahāsātirekaḥ svāṅge pīṭhe ca vādyaṃ nidhanamupanayetkeśavasyāpi lakṣmīm

Translation

Ständig Gras schneiden, die Erde schaben oder aufgraben, die Füße reiben; die Zähne unrein lassen, beschmutzte Kleidung tragen, das Haar trocken und rau werden lassen; an den beiden Dämmerungszeiten schlafen; nackt daliegen; beim Essen übermäßig lachen; und den eigenen Körper oder Sitz/Lager schlagen — solche Gewohnheiten führen ins Verderben und vertreiben selbst die Lakṣmī des Keśava (Wohlstand weicht sogar dem Verehrer).

Word by Word

• nityam: always
• nityam: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nitya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (always)

• chedaḥ: cutting
• chedaḥ: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: cheda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन (nominative singular)

• tṛṇānām: of grass
• tṛṇānām: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tṛṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), बहुवचन (genitive plural)

• dharaṇi-vilakhanam: scratching the ground
• dharaṇi-vilakhanam: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharaṇī (प्रातिपदिक) + vilakhana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन (neuter nom/acc sg)

• pādayoḥ: of/on the feet
• pādayoḥ: Adhikaraṇa/Sambandha (with respect to feet)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी/सप्तमी (6/7), द्विवचन (gen/loc dual)

• ca: and
• ca: Nipāta (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (and)

• apamārṣṭiḥ: wiping/cleansing
• apamārṣṭiḥ: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: apa-mārṣṭi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन (nominative singular)

• dantānām: of the teeth
• dantānām: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: danta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), बहुवचन (genitive plural)

• api: also
• api: Nipāta (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपि (also/even)

• aśaucam: uncleanliness
• aśaucam: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aśauca (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन (neuter nom/acc sg)

• malina-vasanatā: wearing dirty clothes
• malina-vasanatā: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: malina (प्रातिपदिक) + vasana (प्रातिपदिक) + tā (प्रत्यय)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन (nominative singular)

• rūkṣatā: roughness
• rūkṣatā: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rūkṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + tā (प्रत्यय)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन (nominative singular)

• mūrdhajānām: of the hair (head-born)
• mūrdhajānām: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mūrdhaja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), बहुवचन (genitive plural)

• dve: two
• dve: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dvi (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), द्विवचन; संख्याविशेषण (fem nom/acc dual)

• sadhye: twilights (dawn and dusk)
• sadhye: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sadhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), द्विवचन (nom/acc dual)

• ca: and
• ca: Nipāta (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (and)

• api: also
• api: Nipāta (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपि (also)

• nidrā: sleep
• nidrā: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nidrā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन (nominative singular)

• vivasana-śayanam: sleeping unclothed
• vivasana-śayanam: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vivasana (प्रातिपदिक) + śayana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन (neuter nom/acc sg)

• grāsa-hāsa-atirekaḥ: excess in eating and laughing
• grāsa-hāsa-atirekaḥ: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: grāsa (प्रातिपदिक) + hāsa (प्रातिपदिक) + atireka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समाहार-द्वन्द्व/तत्पुरुष-प्राय; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन (nominative singular)

• svāṅge: on one's own body
• svāṅge: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक) + aṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन (locative singular)

• pīṭhe: on a seat/bench
• pīṭhe: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pīṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन (locative singular)

• ca: and
• ca: Nipāta (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (and)

• vādyam: music/instrument-playing
• vādyam: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vādya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन (neuter nom/acc sg)

• nidhanam: destruction/ruin
• nidhanam: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nidhana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन (neuter nom/acc sg)

• upanayet: would bring about
• upanayet: Kriyā (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: upa-nī (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (optative, 3rd sg)

• keśavasya: of Keśava (Viṣṇu)
• keśavasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: keśava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन (genitive singular)

• api: even
• api: Nipāta (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपि (even)

• lakṣmīm: Lakṣmī/fortune
• lakṣmīm: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lakṣmī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन (accusative singular)

Speaker

Lord Viṣṇu (Keśava) instructing Garuḍa (Vinātā-putra), contextually within dharma/ācāra teachings

Medical Ayurveda

Dosha: Kapha

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Tamas-laden habits (uncleanliness, impropriety at sandhyā, indecorum, self-harm) drive away auspiciousness (Lakṣmī), regardless of nominal devotion.

Vedantic Theme: Sattva as the vessel of grace: external ācāra mirrors inner guṇa-balance; neglect strengthens tamas and invites decline.

Application: Keep body and clothing clean, maintain respectful conduct at dawn/dusk, avoid indecent sleeping habits, cultivate mindful eating, and refrain from self-harming gestures.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa

Geographic Context

Type: household/worksite and sleeping quarters

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.114.35 (Lakṣmī departs due to slovenliness); Garuda Purana 1.114.37 (six Lakṣmī-restoring practices); Garuda Purana 1.114.38 (flower on head to repel Alakṣmī)

Characters & Entities

• Keśava
• Lakṣmī

FAQs

What is the importance of personal cleanliness in this Garuda Purana verse?

The verse links everyday impurities—unclean teeth, dirty clothes, neglected hair, and improper habits—to inauspiciousness and the decline of prosperity (Lakṣmī), presenting cleanliness as a practical expression of dharma.

How does this verse explain the loss of Lakshmi (prosperity)?

It teaches that certain undisciplined behaviors—especially impurity, improper sleep at sandhyā, and disrespectful conduct while eating—create conditions that “drive away” Lakṣmī, meaning fortune and well-being deteriorate.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Maintain basic hygiene, wear clean clothes, avoid sleeping during dawn/dusk if possible, practice mindful eating without excessive joking, and avoid self-harming or disruptive habits—treating daily routine as a form of dharmic discipline.