Shloka 38

Devanagari script

भक्ता हरेः श्रीनिवासाचले च गङ्गादिरूपेण च तत्रतत्र / तिष्ठन्ति सेवार्थमुरुक्रमस्य तेषां पूजा नैव कार्या च देवि

Transliteration

bhaktā hareḥ śrīnivāsācale ca gaṅgādirūpeṇa ca tatratatra / tiṣṭhanti sevārthamurukramasya teṣāṃ pūjā naiva kāryā ca devi

Translation

女神よ、ハリの信徒たちはシュリーニヴァーサの山（ティルマラ）に住み、また各地においてガンガーのごとき姿としても在る。彼らはウルクラム（ヴィシュヌ）に奉仕するためにそこに留まるゆえ、独立の神として別個に礼拝してはならない。

Word by Word

• bhaktāḥ: devotees
• bhaktāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhakta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Plural

• hareḥ: of Hari
• hareḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hari (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (षष्ठी/6), Singular

• śrīnivāsācale: on Śrīnivāsa hill
• śrīnivāsācale: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrīnivāsa+acala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative (सप्तमी/7), Singular; समास: śrīnivāsa-acala (कर्मधारय ‘Śrīnivāsa-mountain’)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction

• gaṅgā-ādi-rūpeṇa: in the form of Gaṅgā and others
• gaṅgā-ādi-rūpeṇa: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaṅgā+ādi+rūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental (तृतीया/3), Singular; समास: gaṅgā-ādi (तत्पुरुष ‘Gaṅgā etc.’) + rūpa (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष ‘in the form of’)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb of place (देशवाचक अव्यय)

• tatra: in various places
• tatra: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (repetition for distributive sense)

• tiṣṭhanti: stand/remain
• tiṣṭhanti: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sthā (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ-lakāra (Present), Parasmaipada, 3rd person, Plural

• sevā-artham: for service
• sevā-artham: Prayojana (प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sevā+artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular; समास: sevā-artha (तत्पुरुष ‘for the purpose of service’) used adverbially

• urukramasya: of Urukrama (Viṣṇu)
• urukramasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: urukrama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (षष्ठी/6), Singular; बहुव्रीहि epithet ‘he whose strides are vast’ (Viṣṇu)

• teṣām: of them
• teṣām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma, Masculine, Genitive (षष्ठी/6), Plural

• pūjā: worship
• pūjā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pūjā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Negation particle

• eva: indeed/at all
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Emphatic particle (अवधारण)

• kāryā: to be done/required
• kāryā: Vidheyaviśeṣaṇa (विधेयविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kārya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular; predicate adjective with pūjā; ‘to be done’

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction

• devi: O देवी
• devi: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Vocative (सम्बोधन), Singular

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (teaching in dialogue form)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Devotees and sacred manifestations exist for Hari’s service; worship should be oriented to Viṣṇu as the ultimate object, avoiding independent-deity misconstrual.

Vedantic Theme: Ekatva of worship-object (Īśvara) with proper upāsanā-bheda; honoring devotees as bhagavat-sevakas (not rivals to Īśvara).

Application: Respect saints, tīrthas, and sacred rivers as connected to Viṣṇu; avoid sectarian confusion—offer honor without displacing the central devotion to Hari.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Geographic Context

Type: tirtha-kṣetra and sacred river-sites

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 3.24.39 (how to worship with distinctions); Garuda Purana 3.24.40 (guru as Viṣṇu; honoring brāhmaṇas)

Characters & Entities

• Hari (Vishnu)
• Urukrama (Vishnu)
• Shrinivasa (Vishnu as Venkateshvara)
• Ganga
• Devi

FAQs

What is the importance of devotees and tīrthas like Gaṅgā in the Garuda Purana?

This verse presents devotees and sacred manifestations (like Gaṅgā) as existing primarily to serve Viṣṇu, highlighting their sanctity as connected to Hari rather than as independent objects of worship.

Does this verse prohibit worship of Gaṅgā or saints?

It cautions against treating them as separate, independent deities; their reverence is understood as part of devotion to Viṣṇu, since they abide for His service.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Honor saints and sacred places with humility, but keep the focus of worship on the Supreme (Hari), seeing holy persons and tīrthas as channels of divine service rather than competing centers of devotion.