Shloka 19

Śravaṇa-Mahātmya: The Śravaṇas, Cosmic Testimony, and the Paths of the Puruṣārthas

Devanagari script

अर्थदाता विमानैस्तु अश्वैः कामप्रदायकः / हंसयुक्तविमानैश्च मोक्षाकाङ्क्षी विसर्पति

Transliteration

arthadātā vimānaistu aśvaiḥ kāmapradāyakaḥ / haṃsayuktavimānaiśca mokṣākāṅkṣī visarpati

Translation

ധനം ദാനം ചെയ്യുന്നവൻ ദിവ്യവിമാനങ്ങളിൽ സഞ്ചരിക്കുന്നു; അശ്വദാനം ചെയ്യുന്നവൻ ആഗ്രഹങ്ങൾ നിറവേറ്റുന്നവനാകുന്നു. മോക്ഷാകാംക്ഷി ഹംസയുക്ത വിമാനം കയറി മുന്നേറുന്നു.

Word by Word

• अर्थदाता: giver of wealth
• अर्थदाता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + दातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (arthasya dātā) (masc., nominative sg.)

• विमानैः: by/with aerial cars
• विमानैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विमान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन (instr. pl.)

• तु: but; indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (contrastive particle)

• अश्वैः: by/with horses
• अश्वैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन (instr. pl.)

• कामप्रदायकः: bestower of desires
• कामप्रदायकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रदायक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (kāmasya pradāyakaḥ) (masc., nominative sg.)

• हंसयुक्तविमानैः: with swan-yoked aerial cars
• हंसयुक्तविमानैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हंस (प्रातिपदिक) + युक्त (कृदन्त, क्त) + विमान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (हंसैः युक्तानि विमानानि) (instr. pl.)

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

• मोक्षाकाङ्क्षी: desiring liberation
• मोक्षाकाङ्क्षी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मोक्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + आकाङ्क्षिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (mokṣasya ākāṅkṣī) (masc., nominative sg., adjective)

• विसर्पति: moves about; proceeds
• विसर्पति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + सृप् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (present, 3rd sg.)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in discourse to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Svarga

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Specific dāna/merit yields corresponding modes of progress; mokṣa-aspiration is marked by purity and sattva (haṃsa symbolism).

Vedantic Theme: Karma-phala-vyavasthā (lawful correspondence of action and result) and sattva-śuddhi as a support for liberation-seeking.

Application: Practice dāna with right intention; cultivate mokṣa-icchā through sattvic living and devotion rather than reward-seeking alone.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: aerial route

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: dāna-mahātmyas and karmaphala descriptions in Dharma-kāṇḍa; Preta-kalpa transit motifs (vimāna/paths)

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Garuda
• Vimana
• Hamsa

FAQs

What is the importance of charity (dāna) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse states that specific gifts yield specific post-death attainments—wealth-giving leads to vimāna-like conveyance, horse-giving to wish-fulfilling capacity—showing dāna as a concrete karmic support for the soul’s onward journey.

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

It presents the after-death movement as shaped by karma: meritorious acts like dāna become ‘vehicles’ and capacities that help the departed proceed, while a mokṣa-oriented person is portrayed as moving onward in a higher, swan-yoked vimāna.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Practice purposeful giving—support others materially (artha-dāna) and through life-enabling resources (symbolized by aśva-dāna), while cultivating a sincere intention for liberation through ethical living, devotion, and inner discipline.