Shloka 16
Hymns to Nārāyaṇa: Humility, Bhakti, Yoga, and the Guṇas
तुलस्यादिषु जीवेषु यदि स्यात्प्रीतिरण्डज / संस्मृतिश्च तदा नाशी भूयादेव न संशयः
tulasyādiṣu jīveṣu yadi syātprītiraṇḍaja / saṃsmṛtiśca tadā nāśī bhūyādeva na saṃśayaḥ
O Eiergeborener (Garuda), wenn liebevolle Hingabe zu lebenden Wesen wie Tulasi und dergleichen besteht und das Gedenken (an den Herrn und an das Dharma) gegenwärtig ist, dann erhebt sich gewiss der Vernichter der Sünde—ohne Zweifel.
Lord Vishnu
Concept: Prīti (loving regard) toward sacred life-forms like Tulasī, together with smṛti (remembrance), invokes the ‘nāśī’—the sin-destroying power—certainly.
Vedantic Theme: Bhakti expressed as ahiṃsā/karuṇā and smaraṇa; inner purification (citta-śuddhi) enabling higher realization.
Application: Keep a daily practice of caring for Tulasī or a sacred plant, cultivate compassion toward beings, and pair it with consistent remembrance/recitation to reduce harmful habits and guilt patterns.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: sacred grove/household shrine context (implied)
Related Themes: Garuda Purana 3.8.14 (bhakti as aparokṣa-sādhana); Garuda Purana 3.8.15 (niṣkapaṭa devotion and proper reverence)
FAQs
This verse links reverent love toward Tulasi and other sacred living beings with sin-destroying merit, implying that such devotion supports spiritual protection and purification.
In the Preta Kanda context, remembrance (saṃsmṛti) and devotional merit are presented as forces that destroy sin, which helps the departed avoid fearsome consequences associated with Yama’s realm and post-death suffering.
Cultivate reverence for sacred life (e.g., caring for Tulasi), practice daily remembrance of the Divine, and live compassionately—these habits are taught here as simple means to weaken sin and strengthen dharma.