Shloka 56

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

Devanagari script

दृष्ट्वा त्वां धर्मनिलयं प्रक्लिन्नं मानसं मम / विश्वम्भर उवाच / शीर्यमाणं शरीरं हि ज्ञात्वा मृत्युं पुरः स्थितम्

Transliteration

dṛṣṭvā tvāṃ dharmanilayaṃ praklinnaṃ mānasaṃ mama / viśvambhara uvāca / śīryamāṇaṃ śarīraṃ hi jñātvā mṛtyuṃ puraḥ sthitam

Translation

നിന്നെ—ധർമ്മനിലയം—കണ്ടപ്പോൾ എന്റെ മനസ്സ് കരുണയാൽ ഉരുകി. വിശ്വംഭരൻ (ശ്രീവിഷ്ണു) പറഞ്ഞു— “ശരീരം നിശ്ചയമായും ക്ഷയിക്കുന്നതെന്ന് അറിഞ്ഞ്, മരണത്തെ മുന്നിൽ നിൽക്കുന്നതായി കണ്ടുകൊണ്ട്…”

Word by Word

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्तम् (gerund/absolutive)

• त्वाम्: you
• त्वाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया) एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• धर्मनिलयम्: abode of righteousness
• धर्मनिलयम्: Karma (Object apposition/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म + निलय (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया) एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (dharma-nilaya = 'abode of dharma')

• प्रक्लिन्नम्: melted/softened (with emotion)
• प्रक्लिन्नम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + क्लिन्न (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (PPP of √क्लिद् 'to be wet/softened') नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया) एकवचनम्; विशेषणम्

• मानसम्: mind
• मानसम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचनम्; (context: object 'mind')

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी) एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• विश्वम्भरः: Viśvambhara (world-bearer)
• विश्वम्भरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्व + भृ (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा) एकवचनम्; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (viśvaṃ bharati = 'bearer of the world')

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Speech/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु) + उद् (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect) प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person) एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• शीर्यमाणम्: decaying
• शीर्यमाणम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शीॄ (धातु)
• Form: शानच्-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (present passive participle) नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया) एकवचनम्; विशेषणम्

• शरीरम्: body
• शरीरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया) एकवचनम्

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपातः (particle; emphasis/causal nuance)

• ज्ञात्वा: having known
• ज्ञात्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्तम् (gerund/absolutive)

• मृत्युम्: death
• मृत्युम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत्यु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया) एकवचनम्

• पुरः: before/in front
• पुरः: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरः (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्ययम् (adverb: 'in front/before')

• स्थितम्: standing/placed
• स्थितम्: Karma (Object complement/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्तम् (past passive participle) नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया) एकवचनम्; (agrees with 'mṛtyum' or implied 'tam')

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (Viśvambhara)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The body is perishing; with Death ever-near, one should awaken to impermanence and turn toward dharma and liberation-oriented living.

Vedantic Theme: Anitya-bodha (impermanence) generating vairāgya; mṛtyu-smaraṇa as a spur to sādhana and right priorities.

Application: Regularly contemplate impermanence; simplify attachments; prioritize spiritual practice, ethical living, and remembrance of the Divine.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: karuna

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: frequent mṛtyu, preta, and impermanence motifs used to motivate dharma and devotion (general parallel)

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Mrityu
• Dharma

FAQs

What is the importance of death-awareness in Garuda Purana?

This verse frames death as “standing before” the person, urging clear recognition of bodily impermanence as the starting point for dharma, detachment, and proper preparation for the post-death journey.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

By emphasizing the body’s inevitable decay, it shifts attention toward what continues beyond the body—right conduct and spiritual readiness—setting the narrative tone for the soul’s after-death experiences described in the Preta Kanda.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Live with ethical urgency: practice dharma, reduce harmful actions, and cultivate detachment—so that when death is near, the mind is steadier and one’s duties (including end-of-life rites and remembrance) are approached with clarity.