Shloka 23

Śravaṇa-Mahātmya: The Śravaṇas, Cosmic Testimony, and the Paths of the Puruṣārthas

Devanagari script

संभोज्य ब्राह्मणान् भक्त्या त्वेकादश शुभाञ्छुचीन् / द्वादशं सकलत्रं च मम प्रीत्यै प्रपूजयेत्

Transliteration

saṃbhojya brāhmaṇān bhaktyā tvekādaśa śubhāñchucīn / dvādaśaṃ sakalatraṃ ca mama prītyai prapūjayet

Translation

Nachdem man in Hingabe elf glückverheißende, reine Brahmanen ehrerbietig gespeist hat, soll man auch einen zwölften Brahmanen samt seinem ganzen Hausstand ehren, um Mich zu erfreuen.

Word by Word

• संभोज्य: having fed (after feeding)
• संभोज्य: Kriya (पूर्वकर्म/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-भुज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वक्रिया (prior action), समासर्गः सम्-; अर्थः ‘भोजयित्वा/भुक्त्वा’

• ब्राह्मणान्: Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणान्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विरोध/विशेषार्थ

• एकादश: eleven
• एकादश: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एकादश (संख्याशब्द)
• Form: संख्याविशेषण, द्विगुसमास (एक + दश), द्वितीया बहुवचनस्य विशेषणम् (qualifies ब्राह्मणान्)

• शुभान्: auspicious/virtuous
• शुभान्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; ब्राह्मणान् इति विशेषणम्

• शुचीन्: pure
• शुचीन्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुचि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; ब्राह्मणान् इति विशेषणम्

• द्वादशम्: twelve (as the twelfth)
• द्वादशम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वादश (संख्याशब्द)
• Form: संख्याविशेषण, द्विगुसमास (द्वि + दश), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; (सकलत्रम् इति विशेषणम्)

• सकलत्रम्: together with (his) wife
• सकलत्रम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स-कलत्र (प्रातिपदिक; कलत्र = पत्नी/पत्नीसमेतः)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (सह + कलत्र), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; (ब्राह्मणम्/ब्राह्मणं—अध्याहृतम्) इति विशेषणम्

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (conjunction)

• मम: of me/my
• मम: Sambandha (Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• प्रीत्यै: for (my) pleasure
• प्रीत्यै: Sampradana (Recipient/Purpose)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रीति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; प्रयोजन (purpose)

• प्रपूजयेत्: should worship/honor
• प्रपूजयेत्: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-पूज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; उपसर्गः प्र-

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda)

Shraddha Ritual

Ritual Type: Parvana

Beneficiary: Pitr

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Brāhmaṇa-bhojana and honoring guests as a devotional act that pleases the Lord.

Vedantic Theme: Īśvara-prītyarthaṃ karma (action offered for the Lord’s pleasure) purifies the doer.

Application: Perform charitable feeding with purity, devotion, and proper honor; include support for the recipient’s household to make the gift complete.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Geographic Context

Type: household/ritual space

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 2.17 (श्रवण-माहात्म्य and ritual merit context); Garuda Purana Pretakalpa sections on śrāddha/दान as merit-generators (general)

Characters & Entities

• Brahmanas
• Lord Vishnu

FAQs

What is the importance of feeding Brāhmaṇas in Garuda Purana death rituals?

This verse presents brāhmaṇa-bhojana as a key śrāddha-related act: feeding qualified, pure Brāhmaṇas with devotion is treated as a meritorious offering that pleases Lord Vishnu and supports the rite’s spiritual efficacy.

How does this verse relate to the soul’s journey after death in the Garuda Purana?

In the Preta-kāṇḍa context, such prescribed rites (including honoring Brāhmaṇas) are part of the post-death observances meant to generate punya and ritual support for the departed, aligning the family’s actions with dharma and divine approval.

What is a practical application of this teaching today?

Perform remembrance rites with sincerity: offer food or charity to genuinely learned and ethical recipients (or support dharmic service) with devotion, keeping purity of intent and respectful conduct central rather than mere formality.