Shloka 41

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

Devanagari script

मिष्टान्नदाता चरिताग्निहोत्रो वेदान्तविच्चन्द्रसहस्रजीवी / मासोपवासी च पतिव्रता चषड् जीवलोके मम वन्दनीयाः

Transliteration

miṣṭānnadātā caritāgnihotro vedāntaviccandrasahasrajīvī / māsopavāsī ca pativratā caṣaḍ jīvaloke mama vandanīyāḥ

Translation

ജീവലോകത്തിൽ എനിക്ക് ആറുപേർ വന്ദനീയർ—മിഷ്ടാന്നം ദാനം ചെയ്യുന്നവൻ, വിധിപൂർവ്വം അഗ്നിഹോത്രം അനുഷ്ഠിക്കുന്നവൻ, വേദാന്തജ്ഞൻ, സഹസ്രചന്ദ്രകാലം ജീവിക്കുന്ന ദീർഘായുസ്സുകാരൻ, മാസോപവാസി, ഭർത്താവിനിഷ്ഠയായ പതിവ്രതാ ഭാര്യ.

Word by Word

• miṣṭa-anna-dātā: giver of sweet food
• miṣṭa-anna-dātā: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: miṣṭa (प्रातिपदिक) + anna (प्रातिपदिक) + dātṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—miṣṭānna (कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष) + dātā (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/उपपद-तत्पुरुष: ‘miṣṭānnaṃ dadāti’ इति)

• carita-agnihotraḥ: one who has performed the agnihotra
• carita-agnihotraḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: carita (कृदन्त; √car/चर् धातु) + agnihotra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष (‘caritam agnihotram yasya’/‘agnihotraṃ caritam’)

• vedānta-vit: knower of Vedānta
• vedānta-vit: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vedānta (प्रातिपदिक) + vid (प्रातिपदिक; ‘vit’ = ‘knower’)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (‘vedāntasya vit’ = knower of Vedānta)

• candra-sahasra-jīvī: one who lives (as long as) a thousand moons
• candra-sahasra-jīvī: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: candra (प्रातिपदिक) + sahasra (प्रातिपदिक) + jīvin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—द्विगु/तत्पुरुष (‘candra-sahasra’ = thousand moons) + तत्पुरुष (‘candra-sahasraṃ jīvati’/‘candra-sahasra-paryantaṃ jīvī’)

• māsa-upavāsī: one who fasts for a month
• māsa-upavāsī: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māsa (प्रातिपदिक) + upavāsin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (‘māse upavāsaḥ yasya’/‘māsaṃ upavāsī’)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• pati-vratā: a devoted wife (pativratā)
• pati-vratā: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pati (प्रातिपदिक) + vratā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (‘patau vratā’ = devoted to husband)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• ṣaṭ: six
• ṣaṭ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ṣaṭ (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक-विशेषण; (नपुंसकलिङ्ग/सर्वलिङ्ग-प्रयोग), प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘(ete) ṣaṭ’ = these six

• jīva-loke: in the world of living beings
• jīva-loke: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jīva (प्रातिपदिक) + loka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (‘jīvānāṃ lokaḥ’ = world of living beings)

• mama: my
• mama: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• vandanīyāḥ: worthy of salutation
• vandanīyāḥ: Viśeṣya (विशेष्य/Predicate adjective of ‘ṣaṭ’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √vand (वन्द् धातु) + anīya (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: विधिलिङ्गार्थक-कर्तव्यता/योग्यता-वाचक कृदन्त (anīya); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘to be saluted/worthy of reverence’

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Six venerable types: annadātā (giver of pleasant food), agnihotra-performer, vedānta-knower, long-lived exemplar, monthly faster, and pativratā.

Vedantic Theme: Integration of karma (yajña, dāna, vrata) with jñāna (vedānta-vic) as complementary supports for purity and auspiciousness.

Application: Support food charity; maintain daily sacred duties according to capacity; study Vedānta with humility; adopt periodic fasting/discipline; honor and protect faithful partnership and ethical family life.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Geographic Context

Type: cosmic domain

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana dāna-prakaraṇa (annadāna praise); Garuda Purana vrata/upanayana/ācāra passages (monthly fasts)

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Garuda
• Vedas
• Vedanta
• Agnihotra

FAQs

What is the importance of charity and food donation in the Garuda Purana?

This verse places the giver of good/sweet food among those most worthy of reverence, indicating that nourishing others is a high-merit (puṇya) act that supports dharma.

How does this verse relate to the afterlife teachings of the Garuda Purana?

In the Preta Kanda context, such virtues—ritual discipline (Agnihotra), spiritual knowledge (Vedānta), and austerity (fasting)—are presented as sources of merit that shape one’s post-death journey and outcomes.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Practice intentional giving (especially food), keep regular spiritual discipline (daily worship/ritual as feasible), observe periodic fasting with sincerity, and cultivate fidelity and ethical steadiness in relationships.