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Garuda Purana — Preta Kalpa, Shloka 43

Karma, Varṇa-Dharma, and Dāna as the Soul’s True Companion on the Path to Yama

Devanagari script

वर्षाशनं वेदविदे च दत्तं कन्याविवाहस्त्वृणमोचनं द्विजे / भूमिः सुकृष्टापि तृषार्तिहेतोस्तदेवमेतं सुकृतत् समस्तम्

Transliteration

varṣāśanaṃ vedavide ca dattaṃ kanyāvivāhastvṛṇamocanaṃ dvije / bhūmiḥ sukṛṣṭāpi tṛṣārtihetostadevametaṃ sukṛtat samastam

Translation

雨季にヴェーダを知る者へ食を施すこと、乙女の婚礼を整えること、そしてブラーフマナの負債を解き放つこと——また、よく耕された土地でさえ渇きによって苦の因となり得るように——これらすべては、正しく相応の時と場において行われるなら、全き功徳（スクリタ）として理解されるべきである。

Word by Word
varṣa-āśanamfood provision (for the rainy season/year)
varṣa-āśanam:
Karma (कर्म/Object; thing given)
TypeNoun
Rootvarṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + āśana (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (‘varṣe āśanam’ = food during rainy season / annual provision)
veda-videto a knower of the Veda
veda-vide:
Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान/Recipient)
TypeNoun
Rootveda (प्रातिपदिक) + vid (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (‘vedasya vid’ = knower of Veda)
caand
ca:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootca (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)
dattamgiven
dattam:
Kriyā (क्रिया/Predicate)
TypeVerb
Root√dā (दा धातु) + kta (कृदन्त)
Formभूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘given’
kanyā-vivāhaḥmarriage of a daughter
kanyā-vivāhaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता/Subject; item in list)
TypeNoun
Rootkanyā (प्रातिपदिक) + vivāha (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (‘kanyāyāḥ vivāhaḥ’ = marriage of a maiden)
tuindeed
tu:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Roottu (अव्यय)
Formविरोध/विशेष-अव्यय (particle: ‘but/indeed’)
ṛṇa-mocanamrelease from debt
ṛṇa-mocanam:
Karta (कर्ता/Subject; item in list)
TypeNoun
Rootṛṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + mocana (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (‘ṛṇasya mocanam’ = release from debt)
dvijefor/in the case of a twice-born (brāhmaṇa)
dvije:
Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Context)
TypeNoun
Rootdvija (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative) एकवचन (or चतुर्थी dative in some readings); here: ‘in/for a brāhmaṇa’ contextually recipient/beneficiary
bhūmiḥland
bhūmiḥ:
Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootbhūmi (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
su-kṛṣṭāwell-cultivated
su-kṛṣṭā:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण of ‘bhūmiḥ’)
TypeAdjective
Rootsu (उपसर्ग/अव्ययार्थ) + kṛṣṭa (कृदन्त; √kṛṣ/कृष्)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (kta) used adjectivally; ‘well-ploughed/cultivated’
apieven though
api:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootapi (अव्यय)
Formअपि-अव्यय (concessive: ‘even though’)
tṛṣā-ārti-hetoḥbecause of the cause of thirst-distress
tṛṣā-ārti-hetoḥ:
Hetu (हेतु/Cause)
TypeNoun
Roottṛṣā (प्रातिपदिक) + ārti (प्रातिपदिक) + hetu (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (‘tṛṣāyāḥ ārtiḥ’ + ‘ārtaye hetuḥ’ = cause of suffering from thirst)
tadthat
tad:
Viśeṣya (विशेष्य; points to the foregoing)
TypeNoun
Roottad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम
evaindeed
eva:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Emphasis)
TypeIndeclinable
Rooteva (अव्यय)
Formनिश्चय-अव्यय (emphasis)
etadthis
etad:
Viśeṣya (विशेष्य; apposition)
TypeNoun
Rootetad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम
sukṛtammerit, good deed
sukṛtam:
Viśeṣya (विशेष्य/Predicate noun)
TypeNoun
Rootsu (उपसर्ग) + √kṛ (कृ धातु) + kta (कृदन्त)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्त-कृदन्त used substantively: ‘good deed/merit’
samastamentire, complete
samastam:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण of ‘sukṛtam’)
TypeAdjective
Rootsamasta (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण ‘entire/complete’
Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in dialogue with Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Sukṛta is not only the act but its appropriateness: feeding in varṣā to a vedavid, arranging kanyā-vivāha, freeing a dvija from debt; and the warning that resources without right provisioning (water) can still cause distress.

Vedantic Theme: Karma as intelligent compassion (viveka-yukta dāna): right time, right recipient, right need; dharma aligned with ṛta (order) and loka-saṅgraha.

Application: Give seasonally and need-based; support education/learning communities, women’s welfare and safe marriages, and debt relief; plan water security alongside agriculture and development.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Geographic Context

Type: agrarian landscape

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana dāna-kāla (timing of gifts) discussions; annadāna and debt-relief merits (general parallel)

Characters & Entities
V
Veda
D
Dwijas (Brahmins)

FAQs

This verse highlights that giving sustenance specifically in the rainy season to a Veda-knower is a high-value act of sukṛta, emphasizing timing and worthy recipients in dana.

By listing kanya-vivaha (responsible marriage of a maiden) and freeing a dvija from debt, the verse frames key household/social obligations as dharmic acts that generate spiritual merit when performed righteously.

Offer timely support to genuine teachers/scholars, fulfill family responsibilities ethically, and help relieve oppressive debt—doing so with right intention and discernment as a form of dharma-based charity.

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