Shloka 39

Explanation of the Sapiṇḍana Rite; Causes of Pretahood; Viṣṇu Worship and Preta-ghaṭa Dāna

Devanagari script

कृतघ्ना नास्तिका रौद्रास्तथा साहसिका नराः / पञ्चयज्ञविनिर्मुक्ता महादानरताश्च ये

Transliteration

kṛtaghnā nāstikā raudrāstathā sāhasikā narāḥ / pañcayajñavinirmuktā mahādānaratāśca ye

Translation

Undankbare, Nāstikas (Verneiner des Dharma), Grausame und Menschen, die tollkühn und gewalttätig handeln; ebenso jene, die die fünf täglichen heiligen Pflichten (pañca-yajña) aufgegeben haben, selbst wenn sie große Gaben lieben—sie werden hier als tadelnswert bezeichnet.

Word by Word

• कृतघ्नाः: ungrateful persons
• कृतघ्नाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृतघ्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• नास्तिकाः: atheists / deniers (of Veda)
• नास्तिकाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नास्तिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• रौद्राः: cruel / fierce
• रौद्राः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रौद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Masculine, Nominative, Plural; विशेषणम्

• तथा: also / likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• साहसिकाः: violent / rash-doers
• साहसिकाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साहसिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• नराः: men
• नराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• पञ्चयज्ञविनिर्मुक्ताः: those who have abandoned the five sacrifices
• पञ्चयज्ञविनिर्मुक्ताः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्च-यज्ञ-विनिर्मुक्त (प्रातिपदिक; पञ्च + यज्ञ + विनिर्मुक्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Masculine, Nominative, Plural; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) ‘विनिर्मुक्त’; विशेषणम्

• महादानरताः: devoted to great gifts (ostentatious charity)
• महादानरताः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा-दान-रत (प्रातिपदिक; महा + दान + रत)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Masculine, Nominative, Plural; विशेषणम्

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

• ये: those who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in discourse to Garuda/Vainateya)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Pretayoni

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Character and daily dharma matter: abandoning pañca-yajña and living with cruelty/atheism/ingratitude is blameworthy even if one performs large donations.

Vedantic Theme: Outer acts without sattvic disposition and niyama do not purify; dharma as inner alignment, not mere display.

Application: Cultivate gratitude, faith/reverence, non-violence, and steadiness; maintain consistent daily duties/service rather than occasional grand gestures.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: raudra

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: sections emphasizing śrāddha, daily rites, and the insufficiency of mere external charity without dharma (thematic internal parallel).

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Garuda
• Pañca-yajñas

FAQs

What is the importance of pañca-yajña in the Garuda Purana?

This verse stresses that neglecting the five daily sacred duties (pañca-yajña) is a serious lapse in dharma, not easily offset even by large charitable gifts.

Does the verse say that charity cannot remove sin?

It implies that charity (mahā-dāna) alone is not a substitute for basic daily obligations; dharma requires both right conduct and prescribed duties, not gifts without discipline.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Along with generosity, maintain daily ethical and spiritual disciplines—gratitude, non-cruelty, and consistent duties toward teachers, ancestors, beings, and the Divine—rather than relying on occasional grand donations.