Shloka 24

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

Devanagari script

गृहात् प्रचलितस्तीर्थं मरणे समुपस्थिते / पदेपदे तु गोदानं यदि हिंसा न जायते

Transliteration

gṛhāt pracalitastīrthaṃ maraṇe samupasthite / padepade tu godānaṃ yadi hiṃsā na jāyate

Translation

Wenn der Tod nahe herangekommen ist, erlangt derjenige, der von zu Hause aufbricht und zu einem Tīrtha zieht, das Verdienst einer Pilgerfahrt; und bei jedem Schritt wird gleichsam das Verdienst einer Kuhspende gewonnen—sofern dabei kein Schaden und keine Gewalt entsteht.

Word by Word

• gṛhāt: from (one’s) house
• gṛhāt: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gṛha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Ablative (5th/पञ्चमी), Singular

• pracalitaḥ: having set out / departed
• pracalitaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-cal (धा॒तु)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; from √cal with prefix pra-

• tīrtham: to a pilgrimage place
• tīrtham: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular

• maraṇe: at death / at the time of dying
• maraṇe: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular

• samupasthite: when it has arrived / when it is imminent
• samupasthite: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-upa-sthā (धा॒तु)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Neuter, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular; agreeing with maraṇe; from √sthā with prefixes sam-upa-

• pade: at each step
• pade: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular; used in repetition

• pade: at every step
• pade: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular; reduplication (pade pade)

• tu: indeed/but
• tu: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (अवधारण/विरोधार्थक)

• go-dānam: gift of a cow
• go-dānam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: go (प्रातिपदिक) + dāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (goḥ dānam)

• yadi: if
• yadi: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadi (अव्यय)
• Form: Conditional particle (शर्तार्थक अव्यय)

• hiṃsā: harm/violence
• hiṃsā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hiṃsā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Negation particle (निषेधार्थक अव्यय)

• jāyate: arises/occurs
• jāyate: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jan (धा॒तु)
• Form: Present tense (लट्), Ātmanepada, 3rd Person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in discourse to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: At life’s end, purposeful movement toward the sacred yields great merit, but must be free from causing harm.

Vedantic Theme: Ahiṃsā as sattva-enhancing discipline; intentionality (saṅkalpa) and purity of means shape karmic fruit.

Application: In urgent transitions, keep ethics intact: pursue spiritual goals without harming others; make the journey itself a mindful practice.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: vira

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: pilgrimage-route

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 2.36.23 (fortune of attaining tīrtha at death); Garuda Purana 2.36.25 (purification by tīrtha; warning against sin there)

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Garuda

FAQs

What is the importance of pilgrimage (tīrtha-yātrā) in the Garuda Purana when death is near?

This verse says that setting out from home toward a tīrtha at the approach of death grants pilgrimage-merit, emphasizing sincere movement toward sacredness even in one’s final phase.

How does this verse describe merit (puṇya) gained step by step?

It states that each step taken toward a tīrtha is credited like performing go-dāna repeatedly, portraying the journey itself as a continuous act of religious merit.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Make end-of-life actions dharmic: move toward prayer, sacred remembrance, and charity, but ensure ahimsa—do not create harm to people, animals, or others while pursuing religious acts.