Shloka 159

Ācāra-Nirṇaya: Varṇa-Āśrama Dharma, Śauca, Snāna, Sandhyā, Japa, Tarpaṇa, and Gṛhastha-Dinacaryā

Devanagari script

एतद्वा दिवसे प्रोक्तमनुष्ठानं मया द्विज / आचारं यः पठेद्विद्वाञ्छृणुयात्स दिवंव्रजेत् / आचारादिर्धर्मकर्ता केशवो हि स्मृतो द्विज

Transliteration

etadvā divase proktamanuṣṭhānaṃ mayā dvija / ācāraṃ yaḥ paṭhedvidvāñchṛṇuyātsa divaṃvrajet / ācārādirdharmakartā keśavo hi smṛto dvija

Translation

Wahai yang dua kali lahir (dvija), inilah disiplin harian yang telah aku ajarkan. Sesiapa yang berilmu membaca ajaran tentang ācāra (tata laku benar) ini, atau mendengarnya, akan menuju ke syurga. Kerana Keśava (Viṣṇu), wahai dvija, diingati sebagai asal-usul ācāra dan penegak Dharma.

Word by Word

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अत्र कर्मरूपेण (अनुष्ठानम् इति)

• वा: indeed/or
• वा: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (particle: or/indeed)

• दिवसे: in the day (daily)
• दिवसे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिवस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• प्रोक्तम्: taught/declared
• प्रोक्तम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र+वच् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (Past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (अनुष्ठानम्) विशेषण

• अनुष्ठानम्: observance/ritual practice
• अनुष्ठानम्: Karta (Predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनुष्ठान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/कर्ता-स्थानी), एकवचन

• मया: by me
• मया: Karta (Agent in passive sense/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/कर्ता-करण), एकवचन

• द्विज: O twice-born
• द्विज: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• आचारम्: conduct, right practice
• आचारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आचार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun)

• पठेत्: should read
• पठेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पठ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• विद्वान्: a learned person
• विद्वान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विद्वस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेष्य-विशेषणभावे कर्तृपदस्य विशेषणम्

• शृणुयात्: should listen
• शृणुयात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• दिवम्: heaven
• दिवम्: Karma (Goal/object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिव्/द्यौस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (द्यौः), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन

• व्रजेत्: should go
• व्रजेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्रज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• आचारादिः: conduct and the like (conduct etc.)
• आचारादिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आचार (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (आचारः आदिः यस्य/आचार-आदि)

• धर्मकर्ता: doer/author of dharma
• धर्मकर्ता: Samanaadhikarana (Predicate noun)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + कर्तृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (धर्मस्य कर्ता)

• केशवः: Keśava (Viṣṇu)
• केशवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केशव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Emphasis/Reason)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतौ/निश्चये-अव्यय (particle: indeed/for)

• स्मृतः: is remembered/considered
• स्मृतः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया-स्थानी)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (Past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• द्विज: O twice-born
• द्विज: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (Keśava) speaking to Garuda (Vinata-putra), addressing the 'dvija' as part of the instruction

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Śravaṇa/pāṭha of ācāra itself is meritorious; dharma is rooted in Keśava, who establishes right conduct.

Vedantic Theme: Īśvara as dharma-yonī; devotion expressed through obedience to dharmic order; śravaṇa as purifier and merit-generator.

Application: Regularly read/listen to dharma/ācāra teachings; treat ethical discipline as a form of Viṣṇu-sevā; connect daily conduct to remembrance of Keśava.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Geographic Context

Type: teaching setting (guru-disciple discourse)

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.213 (conclusion of dinacaryā/ācāra section)

Characters & Entities

• Keśava (Vishnu)
• Dvija

FAQs

What is the importance of ācāra (right conduct) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse presents ācāra as a daily spiritual discipline whose recitation or hearing yields merit leading to heaven, and it grounds ācāra in Viṣṇu as the source of Dharma.

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

It links ethical and ritual discipline (anuṣṭhāna and ācāra) with a favorable post-death destination—svarga—implying that sustained dharmic living shapes the soul’s trajectory.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Maintain consistent daily dharmic practice—study/recitation, listening to sacred teachings, and living by right conduct—treating Dharma as devotion to Viṣṇu’s order rather than mere social custom.