Shloka 48

Means to Liberation: Supremacy of Hari, Proper Salutations, and Purāṇic Authority

Devanagari script

तृतीयांशं ब्रह्मकाण्डं वदन्ति तेषां मध्ये त्वन्तिमोयं वरिष्ठः / तृतीयांशश्रवणात्पुण्यमाहुस्तुल्यं पुण्यं भागवतस्य विप्राः

Transliteration

tṛtīyāṃśaṃ brahmakāṇḍaṃ vadanti teṣāṃ madhye tvantimoyaṃ variṣṭhaḥ / tṛtīyāṃśaśravaṇātpuṇyamāhustulyaṃ puṇyaṃ bhāgavatasya viprāḥ

Translation

മൂന്നാം അംശത്തെ ബ്രഹ്മകാണ്ഡം എന്നു പറയുന്നു; അവയിൽ ഈ അവസാന ഭാഗം ഏറ്റവും ശ്രേഷ്ഠം. ഹേ വിപ്രാ, മൂന്നാം അംശം ശ്രവണമാത്രം ഭാഗവത ശ്രവണത്തുല്യമായ പുണ്യം നൽകുന്നു എന്നു പറയുന്നു.

Word by Word

• तृतीय-अंशम्: the third part
• तृतीय-अंशम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तृतीय (प्रातिपदिक) + अंश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारय ‘the third part’

• ब्रह्म-काण्डम्: the Brahma section
• ब्रह्म-काण्डम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + काण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष ‘section on Brahman’

• वदन्ति: they say
• वदन्ति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु)
• Form: लट्, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• तेषाम्: of them; among those
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन

• मध्ये: among; in the midst
• मध्ये: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन; ‘in the middle/among’

• तु: but
• तु: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (contrastive particle)

• अन्तिमः: the last
• अन्तिमः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्तिम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• वरिष्ठः: the best; most excellent
• वरिष्ठः: Predicate adjective (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वरिष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; अतिशय (superlative)

• तृतीय-अंश-श्रवणात्: from hearing the third part
• तृतीय-अंश-श्रवणात्: Hetu/Apadana (हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तृतीय (प्रातिपदिक) + अंश (प्रातिपदिक) + श्रवण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (Ablative/5th), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष ‘from hearing the third part’

• पुण्यम्: merit
• पुण्यम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (here: object/predicate)

• आहुः: they say
• आहुः: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अह्/आह् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• तुल्यम्: equal
• तुल्यम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तुल्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘equal’ (used predicatively)

• पुण्यम्: merit
• पुण्यम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• भागवतस्य: of the Bhāgavata
• भागवतस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भागवत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; ‘of the Bhāgavata (Purāṇa)’

• विप्राः: O brahmins
• विप्राः: Sambodhana/Address (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; संबोधनार्थ (vocative sense)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The Brahma-kāṇḍa (third part) is highest; hearing it grants great puṇya, equated with hearing the Bhāgavata—implying salvific potency of śravaṇa.

Vedantic Theme: Śravaṇa as a means: hearing higher teaching purifies and orients toward Brahman/Bhagavat realization; śāstra-śravaṇa as sādhana.

Application: Commit to regular listening/reading of the Brahma-kāṇḍa portion; treat attentive hearing as a disciplined practice (niyama) with transformative merit.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 3.1.49 (Veda-tulya fruit from reciting/hearing one-third)

Characters & Entities

• Brahma Kanda
• Bhagavata Purana
• Vipras (Brahmanas)

FAQs

What is the importance of hearing the Brahma Kanda in the Garuda Purana?

This verse states that listening to the third portion called the Brahma-kāṇḍa—especially its concluding part—confers great spiritual merit (puṇya).

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

Indirectly: it emphasizes śravaṇa (devotional listening) as a dharmic practice that generates puṇya, which the Garuda Purana commonly connects with favorable post-death outcomes and spiritual uplift.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Regularly listen to or study Purāṇic teachings with attention and reverence, treating śravaṇa as a daily discipline that strengthens ethical living (dharma) and inner clarity.