Shloka 4

Agastya Arghya Vrata—Timing, Mantra, and Dāna फल

Devanagari script

सप्तधान्ययुतं पात्रं दधिचन्दनचर्चितम् / अगस्त्यः खनमानेति मन्त्रेणार्घ्यं प्रिदापयेत्

Transliteration

saptadhānyayutaṃ pātraṃ dadhicandanacarcitam / agastyaḥ khanamāneti mantreṇārghyaṃ pridāpayet

Translation

Hendaklah dipersembahkan arghya (air persembahan) dengan mantra yang bermula “Agastyaḥ khanamāna…”, menggunakan bejana yang diisi tujuh jenis bijirin, serta disapukan dadhi dan pes cendana.

Word by Word

• सप्त: seven
• सप्त: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याशब्दः; (in compound)

• धान्य: grain
• धान्य: Sambandha (Genitive-like/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धान्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (stem-form in compound)

• युतम्: joined with, containing
• युतम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यु (धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; ‘युक्त/युत’ = joined with

• पात्रम्: vessel
• पात्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• दधि: curd
• दधि: Karaṇa (Instrumental/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (stem-form in compound)

• चन्दन: sandalwood
• चन्दन: Karaṇa (Instrumental/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चन्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (stem-form in compound)

• चर्चितम्: smeared/anointed
• चर्चितम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चर्च् (धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; ‘smeared/anointed’

• अगस्त्यः: Agastya (sage)
• अगस्त्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अगस्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), एकवचन

• खनमान: while digging
• खनमान: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: खन् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त (present active participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/इत्यर्थक अव्यय (quotative particle)

• मन्त्रेण: with the mantra
• मन्त्रेण: Karaṇa (Instrumental/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन

• अर्घ्यम्: arghya-offering (water/oblation)
• अर्घ्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्घ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन

• प्रिदापयेत्: should offer/give
• प्रिदापयेत्: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रि/प्री (धातु; प्रीणने) + दा (धातु) + णिच्
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; causative/denominative sense ‘cause to give/offer’

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in discourse to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Mantra and correctly constituted materials (seven grains, curd, sandal) are essential limbs that ‘activate’ ritual efficacy.

Vedantic Theme: Ritual action (karma) gains potency through vidhi (injunction) and shraddha; supports inner purification.

Application: Prepare a vessel with seven grains, anoint with curd and sandalpaste, and offer arghya while reciting the specified Agastya-mantra.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Geographic Context

Type: ritual-space (near water/altar)

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.119.5 (Agastya-stuti identifying the mantra’s deity); Garuda Purana 1.119.3 (prior worship and offerings); Garuda Purana 1.119.6 (dana and feeding as completion)

Characters & Entities

• Agastya

FAQs

What is the importance of offering arghya in the Garuda Purana?

This verse treats arghya as a formal act of reverence performed with mantra and prescribed materials, indicating that correct ritual procedure is part of dharma in post-death and śrāddha-related observances.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

Indirectly: it gives a ritual instruction (arghya with specific materials and mantra) within the Preta-kāṇḍa framework, where rites are presented as supports for orderly transition and merit for the departed rather than as a philosophical description of the soul’s route.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

If performing śrāddha or related rites, follow a qualified tradition/priest for mantras and materials; the takeaway is to approach ancestral/death rites with care, cleanliness, and reverence rather than improvisation.