Shloka 9

Explanation of the Sapiṇḍana Rite; Causes of Pretahood; Viṣṇu Worship and Preta-ghaṭa Dāna

Devanagari script

शार्दूलशतसंजुष्टं नानापक्षिनिनादितम् / वनमध्ये तदा राजा मृगं दूरादपश्यत

Transliteration

śārdūlaśatasaṃjuṣṭaṃ nānāpakṣinināditam / vanamadhye tadā rājā mṛgaṃ dūrādapaśyata

Translation

നൂറുകണക്കിന് കടുവകൾ സഞ്ചരിക്കുന്നതും നാനാവിധ പക്ഷികളുടെ നാദം മുഴങ്ങുന്നതുമായ ആ വനത്തിന്റെ നടുവിൽ രാജാവ് അപ്പോൾ ദൂരത്ത് ഒരു മൃഗത്തെ കണ്ടു.

Word by Word

• शार्दूलशतसंजुष्टम्: frequented by hundreds of tigers
• शार्दूलशतसंजुष्टम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शार्दूल + शत + संजुष्ट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; Neuter, Accusative, Singular (वनम् विशेषण); (शार्दूलशतेन संजुष्टम्)

• नानापक्षिनिनादितम्: resounding with various birds
• नानापक्षिनिनादितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नाना + पक्षि + निनादित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; Neuter, Accusative, Singular; (नानापक्षिभिः निनादितम्)

• वनमध्ये: in the middle of the forest
• वनमध्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन + मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Neuter, Locative, Singular; (वने मध्ये)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kriya-visheshana (Temporal/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक); Indeclinable adverb of time

• राजा: the king
• राजा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• मृगम्: a deer
• मृगम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• दूरात्: from afar
• दूरात्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दूर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय-प्रयोग (पञ्चमी-अर्थे); Indeclinable used with ablative sense

• अपश्यत: saw
• अपश्यत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (अनद्यतनभूत/Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; Imperfect, 3rd person, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (narrating to Garuda/Vinata-putra in the Garuda Purana dialogue frame)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Perception of a ‘target’ amid danger foreshadows entanglement: pursuit (saṅkalpa) initiates karmic chain.

Vedantic Theme: Saṅkalpa → karma-bandha; the mind’s fixation (viṣaya-grahaṇa) becomes the seed of further becoming.

Application: Notice how fixation on an objective can narrow awareness and increase risk; cultivate pause and discernment before pursuit.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Geographic Context

Type: deep forest interior

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: recurring motif of sense-objects leading to bondage and later suffering (general)

Characters & Entities

• Raja
• Mṛga (deer)
• Śārdūla (tigers)
• Pakṣi (birds)

FAQs

What is the importance of this forest-description verse in Garuda Purana?

It sets the narrative scene—dangerous, noisy wilderness—often used in the Garuda Purana to frame a king’s subsequent actions that later connect to karma and moral consequence.

How does this verse relate to the soul’s journey or afterlife teachings in the Garuda Purana?

Though not directly about the afterlife, it introduces a story-setting where choices (like pursuit, violence, restraint, or duty) become causes that the text later links to karmic results described in Preta-kanda teachings.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Treat vivid situations—fear, temptation, pursuit—as moments to practice discernment; in Garuda Purana’s ethical lens, actions taken in such contexts shape future consequences.