Shloka 1

Vow-Fasting (Anaśana), Sannyāsa, Tīrtha-Death, and the Ethics of Dāna

Devanagari script

(३५।४६) सपिण्डनशवविध्योर्निरूपणं नाम पञ्चत्रिंशो ऽध्यायः तार्क्ष्यौवाच / कस्मादनशनं पुण्यमक्षय्यगतिदायकम् / स्वगृहन्तु परित्यज्य तीर्थे वै म्रियते यदि

Transliteration

(35.46) sapiṇḍanaśavavidhyornirūpaṇaṃ nāma pañcatriṃśo 'dhyāyaḥ tārkṣyauvāca / kasmādanaśanaṃ puṇyamakṣayyagatidāyakam / svagṛhantu parityajya tīrthe vai mriyate yadi

Translation

Tārkṣya (Garuda) sprach: „Aus welchem Grund gilt Fasten als verdienstvoll und als Spender eines unvergänglichen Heilsweges? Und welches Ergebnis hat es, wenn jemand sein eigenes Haus verlässt und wahrlich an einem heiligen Tīrtha stirbt?“

Word by Word

• सपिण्डनशवविध्योः: of sapiṇḍana and the rite for a corpse
• सपिण्डनशवविध्योः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सपिण्डन (प्रातिपदिक) + शवविधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी/सप्तमी-द्विवचनरूप (विध्योः = षष्ठी द्विवचन); द्वन्द्व-समास (सपिण्डनश्च शवविधिश्च)

• निरूपणम्: exposition, description
• निरूपणम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निरूपण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• नाम: named
• नाम: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: संज्ञा-सूचक अव्यय (quotative/label marker)

• पञ्चत्रिंशः: thirty-fifth
• पञ्चत्रिंशः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्चत्रिंशत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (पञ्च च त्रिंशच्च) → ‘35th’

• अध्यायः: chapter
• अध्यायः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अध्याय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तार्क्ष्यः: Tārkṣya (Garuda)
• तार्क्ष्यः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तार्क्ष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• कस्मात्: from what? why?
• कस्मात्: Apadana/Hetu (अपादान/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (अपादान), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• अनशनम्: fasting
• अनशनम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पुण्यम्: meritorious
• पुण्यम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘अनशनम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• अक्षय्यगतिदायकम्: giving imperishable attainment
• अक्षय्यगतिदायकम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अक्षय्य (प्रातिपदिक) + गति (प्रातिपदिक) + दायक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष: (अक्षय्या गतिः) तस्याः दायकम्; ‘अनशनम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• स्वगृहम्: one’s own house
• स्वगृहम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (स्वं गृहं)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अवधारण-अव्यय (particle: but/indeed)

• परित्यज्य: having abandoned
• परित्यज्य: Purvakala (पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परि + त्यज् (धातु) → परित्यज्य (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund)

• तीर्थे: at a sacred place
• तीर्थे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• म्रियते: dies
• म्रियते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्त-अव्यय (conditional conjunction)

Speaker

Garuda (Tārkṣya, Vinatā-putra)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Fasting and tīrtha-maraṇa are questioned as causes of akṣaya-gati (imperishable attainment).

Vedantic Theme: Antaḥkaraṇa-śuddhi as a support for higher gati; the role of saṃskāra and saṅkalpa at life’s end.

Application: Cultivate disciplined fasting with right intention; plan pilgrimages and end-of-life spiritual supports without neglecting inner purity.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: sacred ford / household

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: tīrtha-māhātmya and śrāddha discussions around sapīṇḍana/ekoddiṣṭa contexts (chapter heading indicates sapīṇḍana-śava-vidhi); Garuda Purana: teachings on death at sacred places and merit of vrata/upavāsa in dharma sections

Characters & Entities

• Garuda (Tārkṣya)
• Tirtha (sacred place)

FAQs

What is the importance of fasting (anaśana) in the Garuda Purana?

In this verse Garuda frames fasting as a practice believed to generate puṇya (merit) and to support “akṣayya-gati” (an imperishable spiritual outcome), prompting an explanation of its spiritual rationale.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul after death?

The verse introduces a key inquiry: whether dying at a tīrtha (sacred place) changes one’s post-death trajectory. It sets up the doctrinal discussion on how end-of-life choices influence gati (the soul’s onward course).

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Treat fasting as a disciplined, dharmic observance (done with purity and intention), and approach pilgrimage or end-of-life spiritual planning with reverence—prioritizing ethical living and remembrance of the sacred over mere location.