Shloka 21
Tila–Darbha–Maṇḍala in Aūrdhvadaihika: Protection, Eligibility, and the Merit of Salt-Dāna
विप्रा मन्त्राः कुशा वह्निस्तुलसी च खगेश्वर / नैते निर्माल्यतां यान्ति क्रियमाणाः पुनः पुनः
viprā mantrāḥ kuśā vahnistulasī ca khageśvara / naite nirmālyatāṃ yānti kriyamāṇāḥ punaḥ punaḥ
ഹേ ഖഗേശ്വരാ (ഗരുഡാ)! ബ്രാഹ്മണർ, മന്ത്രങ്ങൾ, കുശ, അഗ്നി, തുളസി—ഇവയെ വീണ്ടും വീണ്ടും കർമങ്ങളിൽ ഉപയോഗിച്ചാലും നിർമ്മാല്യം (അശുദ്ധ അവശിഷ്ടം) ആകുകയില്ല.
Lord Vishnu (in instruction to Garuda/Vainateya)
Ritual Type: Parvana
Beneficiary: Pitr
Timing: Across repeated śrāddha and daily rites
Concept: Some sacred entities are intrinsically purifying and do not become ‘nirmālya’ (spent/impure remnants) through repeated ritual use.
Vedantic Theme: Purity as a function of sattva and divine association; mantra and bhakti-objects retain sanctity beyond material wear.
Application: Do not treat mantra, tulasī, kuśa, and agni as spiritually ‘used up’; maintain respect and cleanliness while reusing appropriately per tradition.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: ritual space (home/temple fire-altar context)
Related Themes: Garuda Purana śrāddha and bhakti passages praising tulasī and mantra potency; Garuda Purana statements on brāhmaṇa and agni as pavitra
FAQs
This verse clarifies that certain sacred agents—brāhmaṇas, mantras, kuśa, ritual fire, and tulasī—do not become spiritually “spent” or impure through repeated ritual use, preserving continuity and purity in rites such as śrāddha.
In the Preta Kanda context, Viṣṇu reassures Garuḍa that core sanctifying elements used in funerary and ancestral ceremonies retain their purifying potency even when rites are performed repeatedly over days and stages.
When performing śrāddha or related worship, treat mantra, tulasī, kuśa, and the sacred fire as inherently purifying supports; focus on correctness, reverence, and dharmic intent rather than anxiety that these sanctifiers become “used up.”