Shloka 1

Devanagari script

षट्त्रिंशो ऽध्यायः हरिरुवाच / गायत्त्री परमा देवी भुक्तिमुक्तिप्रदा च ताम् / यो जपेत्तस्य पापानिविनश्यन्ति महान्त्यपि

Transliteration

ṣaṭtriṃśo 'dhyāyaḥ hariruvāca / gāyattrī paramā devī bhuktimuktipradā ca tām / yo japettasya pāpānivinaśyanti mahāntyapi

Translation

Hari said: “Gāyatrī is the supreme Goddess, bestower of both bhukti (worldly enjoyment) and mukti (liberation). For one who repeats her in japa, even great sins are destroyed.”

Word by Word

• षट्त्रिंशः: thirty-sixth
• षट्त्रिंशः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षट्त्रिंश (प्रातिपदिक; षट् + त्रिंशत्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; संख्यावाचक-विशेषण (36th)

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

• हरिः: Hari
• हरिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; वक्ता (speaker)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• गायत्त्री: Gāyatrī
• गायत्त्री: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गायत्री/गायत्त्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्ता/विधेय-नाम

• परमा: supreme
• परमा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (superlative sense: supreme)

• देवी: goddess
• देवी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विधेय-नाम

• भुक्तिमुक्तिप्रदा: giver of enjoyment and liberation
• भुक्तिमुक्तिप्रदा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + मुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रदा (प्रातिपदिक; √दा (धातु) से ‘प्रदा’ = giver)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण—‘भुक्तिं च मुक्तिं च प्रददाति’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (and)

• ताम्: her
• ताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम; कर्म (object of japet)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम

• जपेत्: should recite
• जपेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √जप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध (genitive)

• पापानि: sins
• पापानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; कर्ता (of vinaśyanti)

• विनश्यन्ति: perish
• विनश्यन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √नश् (धातु) + वि (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• महान्ति: great
• महान्ति: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषण (of pāpāni)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अवधारण-अव्यय (even)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (Hari)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Gāyatrī-japa destroys even great sins and grants both enjoyment and liberation; mantra as a direct salvific means under divine sanction.

Vedantic Theme: Upāsanā leading to citta-śuddhi and eventual moksha; grace-mediated purification.

Application: Adopt steady Gāyatrī japa with faith and ethical support; use it for purification, clarity, and as a daily anchor for spiritual progress.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: scriptural discourse setting

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.36.18 (chandas/devatā identification); Garuda Purana 1.37.2 (japa counts and procedure)

Characters & Entities

• Gayatri

FAQs

What is the importance of Gayatri in the Garuda Purana?

This verse presents Gāyatrī as the supreme divine power and states that her japa grants both bhukti (worldly well-being) and mukti (liberation).

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

It emphasizes inner purification: by destroying even major sins through Gāyatrī-japa, one removes karmic obstacles that hinder spiritual progress toward liberation.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Maintain a disciplined daily japa practice of Gāyatrī with sincerity and ethical living, using mantra-recitation as a tool for self-purification and steady spiritual focus.