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Shloka 30

Yuga-Dharma, Kalpa Measure, Purāṇa Definitions, and the Kali-Yuga Power of Nāma-Kīrtana

Devanagari script

तपस्विनोग्रामवासाः न्यासिनो ह्यर्थलोलुपाः / ह्रस्वकाया महाहाराश्चौरास्ते साधवः स्मृताः

Transliteration

tapasvinogrāmavāsāḥ nyāsino hyarthalolupāḥ / hrasvakāyā mahāhārāścaurāste sādhavaḥ smṛtāḥ

Translation

Diejenigen, die wie Asketen erscheinen, doch in Dörfern wohnen; die sich als Entsagende (nyāsin) ausgeben, aber nach Reichtum gieren; die klein von Gestalt sind und doch maßlos essen—solche Menschen sind Diebe; nur dem Ruf nach gelten sie als heilig.

Word by Word
तपस्विनःascetics
तपस्विनः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootतपस्विन् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (Masculine, Nom., Pl.)
ग्राम-वासाःvillage-dwelling
ग्राम-वासाः:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootग्राम (प्रातिपदिक) + वास (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सप्तमी/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थ (Masculine, Nom., Pl.; 'dwelling in villages')
न्यासिनःrenunciants
न्यासिनः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootन्यासिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (Masculine, Nom., Pl.)
हिindeed
हि:
Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootहि (अव्यय)
Formनिपात (particle; emphasis/causal nuance)
अर्थ-लोलुपाःgreedy for wealth
अर्थ-लोलुपाः:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootअर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + लोलुप (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (Masculine, Nom., Pl.; 'greedy for wealth')
ह्रस्व-कायाःshort-bodied
ह्रस्व-कायाः:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootह्रस्व (प्रातिपदिक) + काय (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्मधारय (Masculine, Nom., Pl.; 'short-bodied')
महा-आहाराःbig-eating, gluttonous
महा-आहाराः:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootमहा (प्रातिपदिक) + आहार (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्मधारय (Masculine, Nom., Pl.; 'great-eating')
चौराःthieves
चौराः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootचौर (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (Masculine, Nom., Pl.)
तेthey
ते:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (Pronoun, Nom., Pl.)
साधवःgood men, saints
साधवः:
Samanaadhikarana (Predicate nominative/समानााधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootसाधु (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (Masculine, Nom., Pl.)
स्मृताःare considered/called
स्मृताः:
Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootस्मृ (धातु) → स्मृत (कृदन्त)
Formभूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगार्थः (Past passive participle: 'are considered')
Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in instruction to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: External ascetic signs without inner vairāgya are theft—appropriating sanctity for gain; greed and overindulgence negate tapas.

Vedantic Theme: Bāhya-liṅga vs antaḥkaraṇa-śuddhi: liberation-oriented life requires inner dispassion, not costume; lobha is a binding vṛtti.

Application: Assess holiness by restraint, humility, and non-possessiveness; practice simple living; avoid enabling exploitative religious economies.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bibhatsa

Secondary Rasa: hasya

Geographic Context

Type: village/settlement

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: hypocrisy and vow-breaking in 1.223.29-31

Characters & Entities
V
Vishnu
G
Garuda

FAQs

This verse warns that merely wearing the marks of austerity or renunciation is not dharma; greed and indulgence make such a person a “thief” of trust and religious merit.

By highlighting deceit and craving as adharma, it implies that inner intention (greed, hypocrisy) shapes karma and thus affects the soul’s post-death consequences described in the Garuda Purana.

Evaluate teachers and oneself by conduct—simplicity, honesty, and restraint—rather than external appearance, titles, or robes.

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