Shloka 28

Kālin̄dī’s Austerity; True Tapas and Prāyaścitta; Kṛṣṇa’s Grace and Marriage

Devanagari script

तदाचाहं यमुनायाश्च तीरं पार्थेन साकं मृगयां गतः खग / दृष्ट्वा च तां तत्र तपश्चरन्तीं तदाब्रुवं मत्सखायं च पार्थम्

Transliteration

tadācāhaṃ yamunāyāśca tīraṃ pārthena sākaṃ mṛgayāṃ gataḥ khaga / dṛṣṭvā ca tāṃ tatra tapaścarantīṃ tadābruvaṃ matsakhāyaṃ ca pārtham

Translation

Dann, o Vogel (Garuda), ging ich zusammen mit Pārtha zur Jagd an das Ufer der Yamunā. Als ich sie dort sah, wie sie in Askese verweilte, sprach ich zu meinem Freund Pārtha.

Word by Word

• tadā: then
• tadā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: Temporal adverb (कालवाचक-अव्यय)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चयबोधक)

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun; Nominative, Singular (प्रथमा/1, एकवचन)

• yamunāyāḥ: of Yamunā
• yamunāyāḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yamunā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Genitive, Singular (षष्ठी/6)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चयबोधक)

• tīram: bank
• tīram: Karma (कर्म/object of motion)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tīra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular (द्वितीया/2)

• pārthena: with Pārtha
• pārthena: Sahakari (सहकारी/सह-करण, companion)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pārtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (तृतीया/3), Singular

• sākam: together
• sākam: Sahakari (सहकारी)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sākam (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb/particle meaning ‘together with’ (सह-अर्थक अव्यय)

• mṛgayām: hunting
• mṛgayām: Karma (कर्म/object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mṛgayā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• gataḥ: gone
• gataḥ: Karta (कर्ता/subject predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gam (धातु)
• Form: Past active participle (क्त-प्रत्यय, क्त-कृदन्त); Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• khaga: O bird (Khaga)
• khaga: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: khaga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative (सम्बोधन/8), Singular

• dṛṣṭvā: having seen
• dṛṣṭvā: Kriya (क्रिया/auxiliary action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वा) = having seen

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction

• tām: her
• tām: Karma (कर्म/object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: Locative adverb (देशवाचक-अव्यय)

• tapaḥ-carantīm: practising austerity
• tapaḥ-carantīm: Karma (कर्म/object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक) + car (धातु)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa compound; present active participle (शतृ/वर्तमान कृदन्त) ‘carantī’; Feminine, Accusative, Singular; qualifying ‘tām’

• tadā: then
• tadā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: Temporal adverb

• abruvam: I said
• abruvam: Kriya (क्रिया/predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: brū (धातु)
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), 1st person (उत्तमपुरुष), Singular; Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

• mat-sakhāyam: my friend
• mat-sakhāyam: Karma (कर्म/object of saying)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + sakhāya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (षष्ठी) ‘my friend’; Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction

• pārtham: Pārtha (Arjuna)
• pārtham: Karma (कर्म/object of saying)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pārtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (narrating to Garuda)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Tapas and single-minded devotion draw divine attention; sacred places become catalysts for dharmic turning-points.

Vedantic Theme: Īśvara-anugraha (grace) responding to bhakti/tapas; the Lord as inner witness guiding events.

Application: Seek sādhana in sattvic environments; treat chance meetings with saints/devotees as opportunities for self-inquiry and dharmic action.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shringara

Geographic Context

Type: river tīra

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana (narrative sections where Viṣṇu/Kṛṣṇa recounts encounters leading to boons or marriages; adjacent verses 3.21.29–32)

Characters & Entities

• Yamuna
• Partha (Arjuna)
• Garuda (Khaga)

FAQs

What is the importance of tapas (austerity) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse highlights tapas as a visible marker of spiritual effort—someone engaged in austerities becomes a focal point for dharmic instruction and inquiry within the Purana’s narrative.

How does this verse connect to Garuda Purana themes like dharma and spiritual discipline?

By placing the scene at the Yamunā’s bank and emphasizing the sight of a practitioner of tapas, the text frames sacred place (tīrtha) and disciplined practice as gateways into deeper dharmic teaching.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Seek uplifting environments (tīrthas or quiet sacred spaces) and cultivate consistent self-discipline (tapas)—even small, regular vows can support ethical living and spiritual steadiness.