Shloka 27

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

मया न दृष्टा न नता न पूजिता त्रैविक्रमी मूर्तिरिह स्थिता भुवि / प्रभासनाथो न च भक्तिसंस्तुतो देहिन्क्वचिन्निस्तर यत्त्वया कृतम्

mayā na dṛṣṭā na natā na pūjitā traivikramī mūrtiriha sthitā bhuvi / prabhāsanātho na ca bhaktisaṃstuto dehinkvacinnistara yattvayā kṛtam

„Ich habe die Gestalt des Traivikrama, die hier auf Erden weilt, weder geschaut noch mich verneigt noch verehrt; auch Prabhāsa-nātha habe ich nicht in Bhakti gepriesen. O Verkörperter, wie könnte es irgendwo Erlösung geben, wenn dein Wandel so gewesen ist?“

मयाby me
मया:
कर्ता (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootअस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formसर्वनाम, तृतीया, एकवचन; ‘by me’
not
:
सम्बन्ध/निपात (निपात)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootन (अव्यय)
Formनिषेध-निपात
दृष्टाseen
दृष्टा:
क्रिया-विशेष्य/भाव (भावः)
TypeVerb
Rootदृश् (धातु)
Formकृदन्त; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘seen’ (agreeing with मूर्तिः)
not
:
सम्बन्ध/निपात (निपात)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootन (अव्यय)
Formनिषेध-निपात
नताbowed to
नता:
क्रिया-विशेष्य/भाव (भावः)
TypeVerb
Rootनम् (धातु)
Formकृदन्त; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘bowed to’
not
:
सम्बन्ध/निपात (निपात)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootन (अव्यय)
Formनिषेध-निपात
पूजिताworshipped
पूजिता:
क्रिया-विशेष्य/भाव (भावः)
TypeVerb
Rootपूज् (धातु)
Formकृदन्त; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘worshipped’
त्रैविक्रमीof Trivikrama (Vishnu)
त्रैविक्रमी:
विशेषण (विशेषणम्)
TypeAdjective
Rootत्रैविक्रमी (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (of मूर्तिः)
मूर्तिःthe image/form
मूर्तिः:
कर्ता (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootमूर्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
इहhere
इह:
अधिकरण (अधिकरणम्)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootइह (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; देशवाचक (adverb)
स्थिताsituated
स्थिता:
क्रिया (क्रियापदम्)
TypeVerb
Rootस्था (धातु)
Formकृदन्त; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘standing/located’
भुविon earth
भुवि:
अधिकरण (अधिकरणम्)
TypeNoun
Rootभू (प्रातिपदिक: भुव्/भू)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन
प्रभास-नाथःLord of Prabhāsa
प्रभास-नाथः:
कर्ता (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootप्रभास + नाथ (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (प्रभासस्य नाथः)
not
:
सम्बन्ध/निपात (निपात)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootन (अव्यय)
Formनिषेध-निपात
and
:
सम्बन्ध/निपात (निपात)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)
भक्ति-संस्तुतःpraised with devotion
भक्ति-संस्तुतः:
विशेषण (विशेषणम्)
TypeAdjective
Rootभक्ति + संस्तुत (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (भक्त्या संस्तुतः); ‘संस्तुत’ = क्त-कृदन्त from स्तु (धातु) with सम्-
देहिन्O embodied one
देहिन्:
सम्बोधन (सम्बोधनम्)
TypeNoun
Rootदेहिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन
क्वचित्ever
क्वचित्:
अधिकरण (अधिकरणम्)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootक्वचित् (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; adverb
निस्तरcross over
निस्तर:
क्रिया (क्रियापदम्)
TypeVerb
Rootनिस्तॄ (धातु)
Formलोट्, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद
यत्which
यत्:
सम्बन्ध (सम्बन्धः)
TypeNoun
Rootयद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; relative pronoun
त्वयाby you
त्वया:
कर्ता (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootत्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formतृतीया, एकवचन
कृतम्done
कृतम्:
क्रिया-विशेष्य/भाव (भावः)
TypeVerb
Rootकृ (धातु)
Formक्त-कृदन्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

A lamenting embodied soul (preta/dehin) reflecting on neglected devotion and worship

Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey

Concept: Neglect of Viṣṇu-darśana, namaskāra, pūjā, and bhakti-stuti is a grave spiritual omission; devotion is presented as a key means of ‘nistāra’ (deliverance).

Vedantic Theme: Īśvara-bhakti as purifier of antaḥkaraṇa; remembrance and worship of Viṣṇu as support for crossing saṃsāra, complementing karma and jñāna.

Application: Establish daily darśana (image/mental), namaskāra, and stotra/japa; visit kṣetras when possible; cultivate heartfelt praise rather than mere formality.

Primary Rasa: karuna

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Type: tirtha/kshetra

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: repeated emphasis on Viṣṇu-nāma, stuti, and bhakti as rescuing at death and in afterlife passages (broad internal thematic parallels)

T
Traivikrama (Vishnu)
P
Prabhāsa-nātha
D
Dehin (embodied soul)

FAQs

This verse frames neglect of darśana (seeing), namaskāra (bowing), and pūjā (worship) as a direct obstacle to nistara—crossing beyond suffering—implying that devotion is a key support for the soul’s post-death welfare.

By speaking as a “dehin” and questioning “how can there be deliverance anywhere,” the verse reflects the remorseful awareness that spiritual duties—especially reverent worship and devotional praise—were ignored, which in the Garuda Purana context contributes to hardship in the preta state and delays upliftment.

Maintain regular practices of darśana, respectful bowing, and sincere devotional praise; alongside ethical living, these cultivate steadiness of mind and are presented here as spiritually protective supports for one’s ultimate passage.