Shloka 25

Devanagari script

एवं मार्गे गच्छमानस्तृषार्तः श्रमपीडितः / महिषीरथ (दुग्ध) दानाच्च सुखी भवति निश्चितम्

Transliteration

evaṃ mārge gacchamānastṛṣārtaḥ śramapīḍitaḥ / mahiṣīratha (dugdha) dānācca sukhī bhavati niścitam

Translation

Thus, while travelling along the path—afflicted by thirst and oppressed by fatigue—one becomes happy indeed, certainly, through the gift of a she-buffalo and a cart (and through the donation of milk).

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of manner)

• मार्गे: on the path
• मार्गे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; अधिकरणम्

• गच्छमानः: going, proceeding
• गच्छमानः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गम् (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (जीवस्य/सः)

• तृषार्तः: afflicted by thirst
• तृषार्तः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तृषा + आर्त (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम्; ‘तृषया आर्तः’ (afflicted by thirst)

• श्रमपीडितः: tormented by fatigue
• श्रमपीडितः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रम + पीडित (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (पीडित); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम्; ‘श्रमेन पीडितः’

• महिषीरथ: buffalo-cart (or cart with buffalo)
• महिषीरथ: Sambandha/Upapada (Contextual)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महिषी + रथ (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (पाठभेद/सन्दर्भानुसार); समासः ‘महिष्याः रथः’ (buffalo-cart)

• दुग्ध: milk
• दुग्ध: Sambandha/Upapada (Contextual)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुग्ध (प्रातिपदिक; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘milk’ (milked) — कोष्ठकस्थ-पाठान्तर

• दानात्: from giving
• दानात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन; हेतौ/कारणे (from/because of giving)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Particle (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय

• सुखी: happy, comfortable
• सुखी: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुखिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (सः)

• भवति: becomes
• भवति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• निश्चितम्: certainly
• निश्चितम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: निश्चित (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण नपुंसक-एकवचन (adverbial accusative): ‘certainly/definitely’

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (narrating to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey

Shraddha Ritual

Beneficiary: Pitr

Timing: Contextual post-death dāna performed alongside śrāddha period observances

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Dāna that alleviates thirst and exhaustion (milk, conveyance, productive livestock) yields direct post-mortem comfort and happiness.

Vedantic Theme: Ethics of compassion: relieving duḥkha generates sukha across lifetimes; karmic correspondence between gift and experienced benefit.

Application: Give sustenance and mobility-supporting charity (food, water, transport aid, livelihood assets) especially in memory of the departed.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: karuna

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: road/path

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: dānas mapped to specific hardships on the yamamārga (thirst, heat, fatigue); Garuda Purana: cow/buffalo gifts and their fruits in afterlife contexts

Characters & Entities

• Garuda
• Preta

FAQs

What is the importance of dugdha-dāna (donation of milk) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse states that donating milk (and related gifts like a she-buffalo/vehicle) yields assured comfort and happiness for the being afflicted by thirst and exhaustion on the post-death journey.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul after death?

It portrays the traveller on the preta-mārga as suffering thirst and fatigue, and teaches that prescribed acts of dāna performed by the living generate relief and well-being for the departed.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Perform charity in the name of the departed—especially food/drink-related giving such as milk—along with other traditional dānas, cultivating compassion and merit while supporting śrāddha-oriented observances.