Shloka 7

Cāturmāsya Observances—Commencement, Austerities, and Fruits

Devanagari script

एकरात्रोपवासाच्च देवो वैमानिको भवेत् / श्वेतद्वीपं त्रिरात्रात्तु व्रजेत्षष्ठान्नकृन्नरः

Transliteration

ekarātropavāsācca devo vaimāniko bhavet / śvetadvīpaṃ trirātrāttu vrajetṣaṣṭhānnakṛnnaraḥ

Translation

Par le jeûne d’une seule nuit, on devient un être céleste se mouvant en vimāna. Mais celui qui jeûne trois nuits—ne prenant nourriture qu’au sixième temps prescrit—se rend à Śvetadvīpa.

Word by Word

• एक: one
• एक: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याविशेषणम्; (समासाङ्ग)

• रात्र: night
• रात्र: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रात्रि/रात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (समासाङ्ग)

• उपवासात्: from a one-night fast
• उपवासात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source/हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपवास (प्रातिपदिक; उप + √वस् (धातु) + घञ्/अच्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन; समासः: एक-रात्र-उपवासात् (‘एकरात्रस्य उपवासात्’)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• देवः: a god
• देवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• वैमानिकः: celestial (moving in aerial cars)
• वैमानिकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वैमानिक (प्रातिपदिक; विमान + ठक्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; देवस्य विशेषणम्

• भवेत्: would become
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• श्वेत: white
• श्वेत: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्वेत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: (समासाङ्ग)

• द्वीपम्: Śvetadvīpa
• द्वीपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वीप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः: श्वेत-द्वीपम् (‘श्वेतः द्वीपः’)

• त्रि: three
• त्रि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्याविशेषणम् (समासाङ्ग)

• रात्रात्: from (observing) three nights
• रात्रात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source/हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रात्रि/रात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन; समासः: त्रि-रात्रात् (‘त्रिरात्रस्य (उपवासात्/व्रतात्)’)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषबोधक-निपात (particle: but/indeed)

• व्रजेत्: would go/attain
• व्रजेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √व्रज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• षष्ठ: sixth
• षष्ठ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रमसंख्याविशेषणम् (समासाङ्ग)

• अन्न: food
• अन्न: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (समासाङ्ग)

• कृत्: one who eats on the sixth day (observer of the sixth-day food vow)
• कृत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √कृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त) → कृत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्तान्त कृदन्त; समासः: षष्ठ-अन्न-कृत् (‘षष्ठेऽह्नि अन्नं कृतवान्/भुक्तवान्’—षष्ठान्नव्रतकर्ता)

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Measured fasting yields graded results: one-night upavāsa grants deva-like status with vimāna; a stricter three-night regimen leads to Śvetadvīpa.

Vedantic Theme: Karma-phala gradation: intensified tapas refines the mind and elevates gati; higher purity corresponds to higher loka.

Application: Begin with manageable fasting (one-night) and progress to structured multi-day observances under health and dharma considerations; pair fasting with japa and sattvic conduct.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: sacred island/realm

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: vrata-phala catalogues linking upavāsa to loka-attainment; Garuda Purana: descriptions of higher realms associated with Viṣṇu devotion

Characters & Entities

• Devas
• Vimana
• Śvetadvīpa

FAQs

What is the importance of fasting (upavāsa) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse presents upavāsa as a karma-purifying vrata that produces specific spiritual results (vrata-phala), ranging from celestial status (vaimānika deva) to reaching higher divine realms like Śvetadvīpa.

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

It links disciplined observances performed in life (fasting with regulated eating times) to post-death destinations, indicating that punya accrued through vrata shapes the soul’s experiential realm after death.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Undertake fasting with clear intention, self-restraint, and ethical conduct; treat it as a discipline for purifying habits and cultivating steadiness rather than as a mere diet practice.