Shloka 37

Vṛṣotsarga (Bull-Release Gift): Procedure, Merit, and Narratives on Dharma, Karma, and Liberation

Devanagari script

सन्दिहानं द्विजं निन्युः पुरुषा राजसन्निधिम् / सतद्ददर्श विप्रस्तु स्वर्णप्रासादमन्दिरे

Transliteration

sandihānaṃ dvijaṃ ninyuḥ puruṣā rājasannidhim / sataddadarśa viprastu svarṇaprāsādamandire

Translation

Die Männer führten den zweifelnden Brāhmaṇa in die Gegenwart des Königs; und dort, in einem goldenen Palast-Tempel, erblickte der Brāhmaṇa jene königliche Versammlung.

Word by Word

• सन्दिहानम्: doubting, hesitating
• सन्दिहानम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + दिह्/देह् (धातु: सन्देह) → सन्दिहान (कृदन्त)
• Form: शतृ/शानच्-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (present participle; masculine, accusative singular)

• द्विजम्: a Brahmin (twice-born)
• द्विजम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (masculine, accusative singular)

• निन्युः: led, took
• निन्युः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नी (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन (perfect, 3rd person plural)

• पुरुषाः: men
• पुरुषाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (masculine, nominative plural)

• राज: of the king
• राज: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन (masculine, genitive singular)

• सन्निधिम्: presence, vicinity
• सन्निधिम्: Gati/Karma (Goal/Object/गति/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सन्निधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (masculine, accusative singular)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (pronoun; masculine, nominative singular)

• तत्: that (thing/place)
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (pronoun; neuter, accusative singular)

• ददर्श: saw
• ददर्श: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (perfect, 3rd person singular)

• विप्रः: the Brahmin
• विप्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (masculine, nominative singular)

• तु: but, indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/विशेषार्थक (indeclinable particle; 'but/indeed')

• स्वर्ण: gold
• स्वर्ण: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter, nominative/accusative, singular)

• प्रासाद: in the palace
• प्रासाद: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रासाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (masculine, locative singular)

• मन्दिरे: in the temple/house
• मन्दिरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्दिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (neuter, locative singular)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (narrating to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Dharma is ultimately adjudicated by higher order; doubt is resolved by approaching rightful authority and witnessing the seat of judgment.

Vedantic Theme: Cosmic order (ṛta/dharma) governs outcomes; individual opinion yields to law-like moral causality.

Application: When morally uncertain, seek reliable guidance (śāstra, wise counsel) and accept accountability; cultivate integrity as if always before the ‘court’ of conscience.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: vira

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Geographic Context

Type: royal court/temple-palace

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: Yama-sabhā/kingly court motifs where souls are brought for accounting (contextual parallel)

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa (Dvija)
• King (Rāja)
• Royal attendants (Puruṣāḥ)

FAQs

What is the importance of doubt (sandihāna) in this Garuda Purana verse?

The verse highlights a seeker’s uncertainty being brought before authority for clarification—symbolically pointing to how doubt about dharma is confronted by direct “seeing” or experiential revelation in the Purana’s narrative.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul in the Garuda Purana context?

By depicting escorting figures leading the person to a royal presence and a luminous hall, it mirrors the Purana’s broader motif of being taken to a court-like setting where truth, conduct, and destiny are disclosed.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

When confused about right conduct, seek clear guidance from reliable sources and align actions with dharma—so that one’s “account” (inner and outer) remains clean when faced with scrutiny.