Shloka 1

Dharma-sāra: Dāna-mahātmyam, Karma-vāda, and the Conquest of Grief and Greed

Devanagari script

ऽध्यायः ब्रहामोवाच / धर्मसारमहं वक्ष्ये संक्षेपाच्छुणु शङ्कर / भुक्तिमुक्तिप्रदं सूक्ष्मं सर्वपापविनाशनम्

Transliteration

'dhyāyaḥ brahāmovāca / dharmasāramahaṃ vakṣye saṃkṣepācchuṇu śaṅkara / bhuktimuktipradaṃ sūkṣmaṃ sarvapāpavināśanam

Translation

Brahmā said: I shall declare the essence of Dharma—listen, O Śaṅkara—briefly. It is subtle, bestows both worldly enjoyment and liberation, and destroys all sins.

Word by Word

• अध्यायः: chapter
• अध्यायः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अध्याय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• ब्रह्मा: Brahmā
• ब्रह्मा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन्/ब्रह्मा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• धर्म-सारम्: the essence of dharma
• धर्म-सारम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + सार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः (essence of dharma)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• वक्ष्ये: I will speak
• वक्ष्ये: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), आत्मनेपद, उत्तम-पुरुष (1st person), एकवचन

• संक्षेपात्: briefly, in summary
• संक्षेपात्: Kriya-vishesana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संक्षेप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; हेतौ/प्रकारे (briefly)

• शृणु: listen
• शृणु: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन

• शङ्कर: O Śaṅkara
• शङ्कर: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शङ्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• भुक्ति-मुक्ति-प्रदम्: granting enjoyment and liberation
• भुक्ति-मुक्ति-प्रदम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + मुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषसमासः; विशेषण (of धर्मसारम्)

• सूक्ष्मम्: subtle
• सूक्ष्मम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सूक्ष्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• सर्व-पाप-विनाशनम्: destroying all sins
• सर्व-पाप-विनाशनम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + पाप (प्रातिपदिक) + विनाशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः; विशेषण

Speaker

Brahma

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: There exists a subtle essence of dharma that grants both worldly well-being and liberation and destroys sin.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma as purifier leading to citta-śuddhi, enabling jñāna/bhakti and culminating in mokṣa; integration of pravṛtti (bhukti) and nivṛtti (mukti).

Application: Seek dharma not as mere rule-following but as a refined discipline: adopt daily ethical conduct, worship, charity, and remembrance practices that purify and orient life toward liberation.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: cosmic-dialogue/teaching-assembly

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana sections that summarize dharma, prayāścitta, and bhakti as sin-destroying and mokṣa-supporting (general continuation from 1.221 onward)

Characters & Entities

• Brahma
• Shankara (Shiva)

FAQs

What is the importance of Dharma-sāra (essence of dharma) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse frames the teaching as the distilled core of dharma—subtle yet powerful—capable of giving both prosperity (bhukti) and liberation (mukti), and of removing sin.

How does this verse relate to liberation (mukti) in the Garuda Purana?

It explicitly states that the dharma being taught is mukti-prada (liberation-giving), indicating that correct dharmic understanding and practice is presented as a direct support for spiritual release.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Treat dharma as a refined daily discipline—truthfulness, restraint, compassion, and duty—because the text presents such subtle ethical living as both spiritually liberating and purifying of wrongdoing.