Shloka 23

Devanagari script

कर्तव्यः परमो यत्नः पातकस्य विनाशने / अनेकभवसम्भूतं पातकं तु त्रिधा कृतम्

Transliteration

kartavyaḥ paramo yatnaḥ pātakasya vināśane / anekabhavasambhūtaṃ pātakaṃ tu tridhā kṛtam

Translation

One should make the utmost effort to destroy sin. Sin, accumulated across many births, is indeed classified in three ways.

Word by Word

• कर्तव्यः: to be done / should be made
• कर्तव्यः: Predicate adjective (विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कर्तव्य (कृदन्त; तव्यत्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive/obligatory)

• परमः: supreme
• परमः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• यत्नः: effort
• यत्नः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• पातकस्य: of sin
• पातकस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पातक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन

• विनाशने: in destroying / in the destruction
• विनाशने: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विनाशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• अनेक-भव-सम्भूतम्: arisen from many births
• अनेक-भव-सम्भूतम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनेक (प्रातिपदिक) + भव (प्रातिपदिक) + सम्भूत (कृदन्त; सम्+भू धातु, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (अनेकेभ्यः भवेषु सम्भूतम्)

• पातकम्: sin
• पातकम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पातक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• तु: but / indeed
• तु: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात; विरोध/अन्वयार्थ

• त्रिधा: threefold
• त्रिधा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: त्रिधा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (in three ways)

• कृतम्: made / classified
• कृतम्: Predicate adjective (विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कृत (कृदन्त; क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vainateya)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Make the highest effort to destroy sin; pāpa accumulated over many births is classified threefold, implying graded remedies and accountability.

Vedantic Theme: Karma-bandha across births; necessity of śuddhi (purification) as preparation for jñāna/bhakti; recognition of latent saṃskāras.

Application: Audit one’s actions (body/speech/mind or other triadic classification) and apply corresponding remedies: restraint, confession, restitution, charity, mantra, vrata.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: vira

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: tri-fold classifications of pāpa and corresponding prāyaścitta measures appear in dharma-oriented passages (contextual).

Characters & Entities

• Garuda

FAQs

What is the importance of destroying sin (pātaka) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse stresses that sin must be actively removed with maximum effort because it can accumulate over many lifetimes and affect one’s post-death journey and karmic outcomes.

How does this verse explain karma across multiple births?

It states that pātaka can be anekabhava-sambhūta—arising from many births—implying continuity of karmic residues that follow the jīva until purified.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Live with restraint and accountability, seek ethical correction and purification (prāyaścitta, charity, devotion, truthfulness), and treat harmful actions as long-term karmic burdens rather than “one-time” mistakes.