Garuda Purana — Preta Kalpa, Shloka 50

Praise of Vṛṣotsarga (Bull-release), Worthy Dāna, and the Procedure for Kṣayāha & Ūrdhva-daihika Rites

Devanagari script

यथा पूज्यतमा लोके यतयो ब्रह्मचारिणः / तथैव प्रतिपूज्यन्ते लोके सर्वे च नित्यशः

Transliteration

yathā pūjyatamā loke yatayo brahmacāriṇaḥ / tathaiva pratipūjyante loke sarve ca nityaśaḥ

Translation

De même que, dans le monde, les renonçants et les étudiants gardant le brahmacarya sont tenus pour les plus dignes d’honneur, ainsi tous les êtres vertueux sont continuellement vénérés et respectés comme il se doit en ce monde, à jamais.

Word by Word

• यथा: just as
• यथा: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमान/तुलना-प्रदर्शक (comparative particle: “as/just as”)

• पूज्यतमाः: most venerable
• पूज्यतमाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pūjya (कृदन्त; √pūj पूज्) + tama (प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; अतिशय-तुल्यतम (superlative: “most worthy of worship”)

• लोके: in the world
• लोके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: loka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; अधिकरण (locative: “in the world”)

• यतयः: ascetics
• यतयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• ब्रह्मचारिणः: brahmacārins (celibate students)
• ब्रह्मचारिणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahmacārin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; यतयः इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषण-रूपेण (as apposition/qualifier)

• तथा: so
• तथा: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तदनुरूप-प्रदर्शक (correlative: “so/thus”)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphatic particle: “indeed/just”)

• प्रतिपूज्यन्ते: are duly honored
• प्रतिपूज्यन्ते: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: prati-√pūj (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive: “are honored”)

• लोके: in the world
• लोके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: loka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; अधिकरण

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; यतयः/ब्रह्मचारिणः इत्यस्य विशेषण (qualifier: “all”)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction: “and”)

• नित्यशः: always
• नित्यशः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nityaśas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: “always/constantly”)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Satkāra (honoring) of tapasvins as a sustaining pillar of dharmic society.

Vedantic Theme: Sattva-śuddhi through saṅga with and reverence toward the sādhus; honoring the jñāna/tapas ideal.

Application: Offer respectful hospitality, speech, and support to renunciants and sincere students; cultivate humility and restraint in daily conduct.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: vira

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 2.14 (context: merit of honoring virtuous persons and ritual-dharma around pitṛ/śrāddha themes)

Characters & Entities

• Yatis
• Brahmacharis

FAQs

What is the importance of honoring yatis and brahmacharis in the Garuda Purana?

This verse presents reverence toward renunciants and brahmacārins as a key marker of dharma, indicating that such respect is itself a sustained virtue (punya-producing conduct) in worldly life.

How does this verse relate to the Garuda Purana’s broader teachings on the soul and afterlife?

In the Preta Kanda, conduct (dharma/adharma) shapes post-death outcomes; the verse highlights daily ethical reverence for spiritually disciplined persons as part of merit-building behavior that supports a favorable journey after death.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Cultivate respectful conduct toward sincere spiritual practitioners, support learning and self-discipline, and practice humility—treating dharmic people with consistent honor rather than occasional formality.