Garuda Purana — Preta Kalpa, Shloka 66

Svapnādhāya (Dream-Chapter): Causes, Forms, Nourishment, and Liberation of Pretas

Devanagari script

इष्ट्वा वै वाश्वमेधादीन्दद्याद्दानानि यो नरः / आरामोद्यानवाप्यादेः प्रपायाश्चैव कारकः

Transliteration

iṣṭvā vai vāśvamedhādīndadyāddānāni yo naraḥ / ārāmodyānavāpyādeḥ prapāyāścaiva kārakaḥ

Translation

Aquel hombre que ha realizado grandes sacrificios como el Aśvamedha, que otorga dádivas en caridad, y que además establece obras públicas—jardines, arboledas de recreo, estanques y similares, así como puestos de agua potable—es alabado por tales méritos.

Word by Word

• इष्ट्वा: having performed sacrifice
• इष्ट्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √यज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्तः (gerund), पूर्वक्रिया (having sacrificed)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Nipata (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपातः (emphatic particle)

• वाश्वमेधादीन्: (such as) the Aśvamedha and others
• वाश्वमेधादीन्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वा + अश्वमेध-आदि (प्रातिपदिक; अश्वमेध + आदि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; ‘आदि’-तत्पुरुषः (अश्वमेधादयः); ‘वा’ निपातः (either/also)

• दद्याद्: should give
• दद्याद्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकारः (optative), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्

• दानानि: gifts, donations
• दानानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (relative pronoun)

• नरः: man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• आरामोद्यानवाप्यादेः: of parks, gardens, ponds, etc.
• आरामोद्यानवाप्यादेः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आराम-उद्यान-वापी-आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; समाहार-द्वन्द्वः + ‘आदि’ (gardens, groves, tanks, etc.)

• प्रपायाः: water-sheds, drinking-water stations
• प्रपायाः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रपा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्ययम्

• एव: indeed, certainly
• एव: Avadharana (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्ययम् (emphasis/only)

• कारकः: a maker/establisher (of)
• कारकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारक (प्रातिपदिक; √कृ + ण्वुल्/अक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; कर्तृवाचक-नाम (maker/doer)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Great yajñas, dāna, and public welfare works generate powerful merit.

Vedantic Theme: Karma-yoga orientation: selfless acts (yajna/dana) purify and elevate destiny.

Application: Support community infrastructure (water access, green spaces) and practice generosity; align wealth and power with lokasaṅgraha.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: vira

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: public works

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: dana-mahatmya and lokopakara passages (contextual parallel)

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Garuda
• Aśvamedha

FAQs

What is the importance of charity and public works in the Garuda Purana?

This verse highlights dāna and public-benefit acts—like creating ponds and water stations—as major sources of puṇya, praised alongside great yajñas, implying they strongly support dharmic merit.

How does this verse relate to the soul’s journey after death in the Garuda Purana?

In the Preta Kanda context, accumulated puṇya from sacrifices, gifts, and welfare works is presented as spiritually significant, helping counterbalance suffering and shaping post-death outcomes described in the text.

What is a practical application of this teaching today?

Support dharmic charity and accessible public resources—clean drinking water, community ponds, tree-planting/gardens—while also practicing regular giving, treating these as living forms of service (seva) and merit (puṇya).