Shloka 32

Vṛṣotsarga (Bull-Release Gift): Procedure, Merit, and Narratives on Dharma, Karma, and Liberation

Devanagari script

वनाद्वनान्तरं निन्युर्नदीनदसमाकुलम् / स तत्र नगरं राजन् ददर्श बहुविस्तरम्

Transliteration

vanādvanāntaraṃ ninyurnadīnadasamākulam / sa tatra nagaraṃ rājan dadarśa bahuvistaram

Translation

അവർ അവനെ ഒരു വനത്തിൽ നിന്ന് മറ്റൊരു വനത്തിലേക്ക് നയിച്ചു; നദികളും ചെറുനദികളും നിറഞ്ഞ പ്രദേശത്തിലൂടെ. അവിടെ, ഹേ രാജാവേ, അവൻ വളരെ വിശാലമായ ഒരു നഗരം കണ്ടു.

Word by Word

• वनात्: from the forest
• वनात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन (singular)

• वनान्तरम्: to another part of the forest
• वनान्तरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन-अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक; वन + अन्तर)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (singular)

• निन्युः: led (him)
• निन्युः: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नी (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (perfect), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (plural)

• नदीनदसमाकुलम्: crowded with rivers and streams
• नदीनदसमाकुलम्: Karma (as qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नदी-नद-समाकुल (प्रातिपदिक; नदी + नद + समाकुल)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (singular); विशेषण (of vanāntaram)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (singular); सर्वनाम

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb; place)

• नगरम्: a city
• नगरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नगर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (singular)

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन (singular)

• ददर्श: saw
• ददर्श: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (perfect), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular)

• बहुविस्तरम्: very extensive, vast
• बहुविस्तरम्: Karma (as qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु-विस्तर (प्रातिपदिक; बहु + विस्तर)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (singular); विशेषण (of nagaram)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (narrating to Garuda; addressing the listener as 'O King')

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Perception of vast, unexpected worlds destabilizes ordinary certainty, prompting inquiry into reality, agency, and the unseen order.

Vedantic Theme: The phenomenal world’s surprising multiplicity (nāma-rūpa) and the need for discrimination (viveka) amid bewildering appearances.

Application: When confronted with unfamiliar systems/places, pause and observe carefully; seek wise counsel; don’t assume the visible scale equals true value or safety.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Geographic Context

Type: wilderness-to-city transition

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana narrative pattern: movement through liminal landscapes leading to revelation/teaching episodes (contextual)

Characters & Entities

• King (Rajan)
• Messengers/Guides (implied)

FAQs

What is the importance of the 'city' described in this Garuda Purana verse?

The verse marks a transition point in the preta’s guided journey, indicating arrival near an organized realm (a vast city) within the post-death narrative geography—often read as a boundary toward Yama’s administrative domain or its adjoining regions.

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

It portrays movement through successive terrains—forests and waters—suggesting the preta is conducted step-by-step by guiding forces, emphasizing that the post-death path is structured and experiential rather than instantaneous.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Live with dharma and prepare responsibly for end-of-life rites: the text’s staged journey imagery supports the traditional emphasis on ethical conduct, remembrance, and proper funeral/śrāddha observances for peace of passage.