Home›Garuda Purana›Brahma Khanda›Adhyaya 223›Shloka 30
←Previous Verse
Next Verse→

Shloka 30

Yuga-Dharma, Kalpa Measure, Purāṇa Definitions, and the Kali-Yuga Power of Nāma-Kīrtana

Devanagari script

तपस्विनोग्रामवासाः न्यासिनो ह्यर्थलोलुपाः / ह्रस्वकाया महाहाराश्चौरास्ते साधवः स्मृताः

Transliteration

tapasvinogrāmavāsāḥ nyāsino hyarthalolupāḥ / hrasvakāyā mahāhārāścaurāste sādhavaḥ smṛtāḥ

Translation

Those who appear to be ascetics yet live in villages, who pose as renunciants (nyāsin) while craving wealth, who are small in stature yet eat excessively—such people are thieves; they are (only) reputed to be holy.

Word by Word
तपस्विनःascetics
तपस्विनः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootतपस्विन् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (Masculine, Nom., Pl.)
ग्राम-वासाःvillage-dwelling
ग्राम-वासाः:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootग्राम (प्रातिपदिक) + वास (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सप्तमी/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थ (Masculine, Nom., Pl.; 'dwelling in villages')
न्यासिनःrenunciants
न्यासिनः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootन्यासिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (Masculine, Nom., Pl.)
हिindeed
हि:
Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootहि (अव्यय)
Formनिपात (particle; emphasis/causal nuance)
अर्थ-लोलुपाःgreedy for wealth
अर्थ-लोलुपाः:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootअर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + लोलुप (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (Masculine, Nom., Pl.; 'greedy for wealth')
ह्रस्व-कायाःshort-bodied
ह्रस्व-कायाः:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootह्रस्व (प्रातिपदिक) + काय (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्मधारय (Masculine, Nom., Pl.; 'short-bodied')
महा-आहाराःbig-eating, gluttonous
महा-आहाराः:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootमहा (प्रातिपदिक) + आहार (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्मधारय (Masculine, Nom., Pl.; 'great-eating')
चौराःthieves
चौराः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootचौर (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (Masculine, Nom., Pl.)
तेthey
ते:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (Pronoun, Nom., Pl.)
साधवःgood men, saints
साधवः:
Samanaadhikarana (Predicate nominative/समानााधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootसाधु (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (Masculine, Nom., Pl.)
स्मृताःare considered/called
स्मृताः:
Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootस्मृ (धातु) → स्मृत (कृदन्त)
Formभूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगार्थः (Past passive participle: 'are considered')
Speaker

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

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: External ascetic signs without inner vairāgya are theft—appropriating sanctity for gain; greed and overindulgence negate tapas.

Vedantic Theme: Bāhya-liṅga vs antaḥkaraṇa-śuddhi: liberation-oriented life requires inner dispassion, not costume; lobha is a binding vṛtti.

Application: Assess holiness by restraint, humility, and non-possessiveness; practice simple living; avoid enabling exploitative religious economies.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bibhatsa

Secondary Rasa: hasya

Geographic Context

Type: village/settlement

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: hypocrisy and vow-breaking in 1.223.29-31

Characters & Entities
V
Vishnu
G
Garuda

FAQs

This verse warns that merely wearing the marks of austerity or renunciation is not dharma; greed and indulgence make such a person a “thief” of trust and religious merit.

By highlighting deceit and craving as adharma, it implies that inner intention (greed, hypocrisy) shapes karma and thus affects the soul’s post-death consequences described in the Garuda Purana.

Evaluate teachers and oneself by conduct—simplicity, honesty, and restraint—rather than external appearance, titles, or robes.

←Previous Verse
Next Verse→