Shloka 26

Karma, Varṇa-Dharma, and Dāna as the Soul’s True Companion on the Path to Yama

Devanagari script

सोमग्रहे सूर्यसमागमेपि वा न सेवितं तीर्थवरिष्ठमुत्तमम् / कोशं स्वकीयं मलमूत्रपूरितं देहिन्क्वचिन्निस्तर यत्त्वया कृतम्

Transliteration

somagrahe sūryasamāgamepi vā na sevitaṃ tīrthavariṣṭhamuttamam / kośaṃ svakīyaṃ malamūtrapūritaṃ dehinkvacinnistara yattvayā kṛtam

Translation

Selbst bei einer Mondfinsternis oder bei der glückverheißenden Begegnung der Sonne hast du nicht das höchste, vortrefflichste Tīrtha aufgesucht. O Verkörperter, welche Erlösung hast du je bewirkt, wenn deine eigene Hülle (der Leib) voller Unrat und Urin ist?

Word by Word

• सोमग्रहे: at the lunar eclipse
• सोमग्रहे: अधिकरण (अधिकरणम्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोमग्रह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सोमस्य ग्रहः)

• सूर्य-समागमे: at the solar conjunction/eclipsing time
• सूर्य-समागमे: अधिकरण (अधिकरणम्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूर्यसमागम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सूर्यस्य समागमः)

• अपि: even
• अपि: सम्बन्ध/निपात (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle), अर्थः ‘even/also’

• वा: or
• वा: सम्बन्ध/निपात (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक-निपात (disjunctive particle)

• न: not
• न: सम्बन्ध/निपात (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात (negation)

• सेवितम्: visited/served
• सेवितम्: कर्म (कर्मपदम्)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सेव् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि/भूतकृत (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘served/visited’

• तीर्थ-वरिष्ठम्: the best pilgrimage place
• तीर्थ-वरिष्ठम्: कर्म (कर्मपदम्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ + वरिष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः ‘वरिष्ठं तीर्थम्’

• उत्तमम्: supreme
• उत्तमम्: विशेषण (विशेषणम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifier)

• कोशम्: a bag/sack
• कोशम्: कर्म (कर्मपदम्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• स्वकीयम्: one’s own
• स्वकीयम्: विशेषण (विशेषणम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वकीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• मल-मूत्र-पूरितम्: filled with feces and urine
• मल-मूत्र-पूरितम्: विशेषण (विशेषणम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मल + मूत्र + पूरित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः द्वन्द्वपूर्वक-तत्पुरुषः (मलमूत्रेण पूरितः); ‘पूरित’ = कृदन्त (क्त) from पूर्/पॄ (धातु)

• देहिन्: O embodied one
• देहिन्: सम्बोधन (सम्बोधनम्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देहिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• क्वचित्: ever/at any time
• क्वचित्: अधिकरण (अधिकरणम्)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्वचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देश/कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb)

• निस्तर: cross over (be saved)
• निस्तर: क्रिया (क्रियापदम्)
• Type: Verb
• Root: निस्तॄ (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; ‘cross over/escape’

• यत्: which/that
• यत्: सम्बन्ध (सम्बन्धः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक-यत् (relative pronoun)

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: कर्ता (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (सर्वनाम), तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करण/कर्तृ-निर्देश (by you)

• कृतम्: done
• कृतम्: क्रिया-विशेष्य/भाव (भावः)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘done’

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in instruction to Garuda about the fate of the departed)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Auspicious times (eclipse/conjunction) and tīrtha are meant for purification and turning toward liberation; neglecting them while clinging to the impure body yields no true crossing (nistāra).

Vedantic Theme: Śarīra as kośa (sheath) is inherently impure and impermanent; liberation requires viveka and sādhana beyond bodily obsession.

Application: Use calendrical sacred times for introspection, vows, charity, japa, and bathing/cleanliness with inner resolve; reduce body-centrism through disciplined practice.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bibhatsa

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Geographic Context

Type: sacred ford/pilgrimage site

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: tīrtha-mahātmyas and pretakalpa admonitions that mere bodily life without dharma/sādhana yields suffering (thematic parallels)

Characters & Entities

• Surya
• Soma

FAQs

What is the importance of tīrtha-sevā (visiting sacred places/rites) during eclipse times in the Garuda Purana?

This verse implies that grahaṇa and other celestial junctures are potent opportunities for purification and merit; neglecting tīrtha-related acts at such times is portrayed as a missed chance for nistāra (spiritual crossing-over).

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

By stressing neglected purification and merit-making acts, it frames the after-death condition as shaped by one’s choices while embodied; lacking such dharmic effort, the soul has little “crossing-over” merit to rely upon in the post-mortem journey.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Use auspicious times (like eclipses) for ethical restraint, prayer, charity, and purification practices; more broadly, do not postpone inner and outer cleanliness and dharmic living, since embodied life is the field where spiritual progress is made.