Shloka 39

The Explanation of Various Gifts (Dāna) and the Soul’s Entry into Another Body

Devanagari script

राग-द्वेषसमाकीर्णं तृष्णादुर्गसुदुस्तरम् / लोभजालसमायुक्तं पुरं पुरुषसंज्ञितम्

Transliteration

rāga-dveṣasamākīrṇaṃ tṛṣṇādurgasudustaram / lobhajālasamāyuktaṃ puraṃ puruṣasaṃjñitam

Translation

Erfüllt von Anhaftung und Abneigung, zu einer Festung des Verlangens gemacht, die schwer zu überwinden ist, und gebunden durch das Netz der Gier – diese „Stadt“ ist als die Person bekannt.

Word by Word

• रागद्वेषसमाकीर्णम्: filled with passion and hatred
• रागद्वेषसमाकीर्णम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: राग + द्वेष + समाकीर्ण (कृदन्त; √कॄ/कीर् धातु with सम्-आ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्यय; समास: (राग-द्वेष) द्वन्द्व + समाकीर्ण = filled with attachment and aversion

• तृष्णादुर्गसुदुस्तरम्: a fortress of craving, very hard to cross
• तृष्णादुर्गसुदुस्तरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तृष्णा + दुर्ग + सु + दुस्तर (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त-adj)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; समास: तृष्णा-दुर्ग (genitive tatpurusha: fortress of craving) + सु-दुस्तर (very hard to cross)

• लोभजालसमायुक्तम्: endowed with the net of greed
• लोभजालसमायुक्तम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लोभ + जाल + समायुक्त (कृदन्त; √युज् धातु with सम्-आ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्यय; समास: लोभ-जाल (net of greed) + समायुक्त (endowed with)

• पुरम्: city; fortress
• पुरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

• पुरुषसंज्ञितम्: named ‘Puruṣa’
• पुरुषसंज्ञितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुरुष + संज्ञित (कृदन्त; √ज्ञा धातु with सम्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्यय; समास: पुरुष-संज्ञितम् = called ‘puruṣa’

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Rāga-dveṣa, tṛṣṇā, and lobha entangle the embodied being, driving karmic accumulation and continued saṃsāra.

Vedantic Theme: Kleśas/vasanās as bondage; need for vairāgya and viveka to cross the ‘fortress’.

Application: Identify attachment/aversion patterns; practice generosity to counter lobha; cultivate contentment and devotion to weaken tṛṣṇā.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa

Geographic Context

Type: symbolic fortress/city

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 2.31.38 (kāma-krodha) and 2.31.40 (microcosm of worlds/deities) frame this allegory

Characters & Entities

• Purusha (the embodied being)

FAQs

What is the importance of rāga-dveṣa (attachment and aversion) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse presents rāga and dveṣa as the primary inner forces that “fill” the embodied condition, driving karma and keeping the jīva trapped in repetitive reactions rather than clear discernment.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

By describing the person as a ‘city’ fortified by craving and ensnared by greed, it implies that liberation of the soul requires crossing these inner defenses—otherwise the soul remains bound to karmic consequences that unfold after death.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Reduce craving and greed through restraint, charity, and mindful detachment; weaken attachment-aversion cycles by cultivating equanimity—this directly supports dharmic living and prepares the mind for a better end-of-life transition.