Shloka 60

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

Devanagari script

यतेस्त्रिषवणं स्नानं सकृत्त ब्रह्मचारिणः / आचम्य तीर्थमावाह्य स्नायात्स्मृत्वाव्ययं हरिम्

Transliteration

yatestriṣavaṇaṃ snānaṃ sakṛtta brahmacāriṇaḥ / ācamya tīrthamāvāhya snāyātsmṛtvāvyayaṃ harim

Translation

Bagi yati (pertapa), mandi ditetapkan tiga kali sehari; bagi brahmacārin, sekali sahaja. Setelah melakukan ācamana dan mengundang kesucian tīrtha, hendaklah mandi sambil mengingati Hari, Tuhan yang tidak binasa.

Word by Word

• yateḥ: of a renunciant (yati)
• yateḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन (masculine, genitive singular)

• triḥ: three times
• triḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Frequency)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: triḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: संख्यावाचक अव्यय (numeral adverb: ‘thrice’)

• savaṇam: at the three daily periods (savana)
• savaṇam: Karma/Viṣaya (Topic)
• Type: Noun
• Root: savaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अव्ययीभावः: triḥ-savaṇa (neuter nom/acc sg; ‘at the three savanas’)

• snānam: bathing
• snānam: Karma/Viṣaya (Topic)
• Type: Noun
• Root: snāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter nom/acc sg)

• sakṛt: once
• sakṛt: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Frequency)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sakṛt (अव्यय)
• Form: संख्यावाचक/परिमाणवाचक अव्यय (adverb: ‘once’)

• brahmacāriṇaḥ: of a brahmacārin (celibate student)
• brahmacāriṇaḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahmacārin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन (masculine, genitive singular)

• ācamya: having performed ācamana (sipping water)
• ācamya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ā-√cam (धातु) + lyap (ल्यप्)
• Form: ल्यबन्त अव्यय (gerund): ‘having sipped/after ācamana’

• tīrtham: the sacred water/ford (tīrtha)
• tīrtham: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter, accusative singular)

• āvāhya: having invoked
• āvāhya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ā-√vah (धातु) + lyap (ल्यप्)
• Form: ल्यबन्त अव्यय (gerund): ‘having invoked/brought near’

• snāyāt: should bathe
• snāyāt: Kriyā (Action/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √snā (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (should bathe)

• smṛtvā: having remembered
• smṛtvā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √smṛ (धातु) + ktvā (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund): ‘having remembered’

• avyayam: imperishable
• avyayam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: avyaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter, accusative singular)

• harim: Hari (Vishnu)
• harim: Karma (Object of remembering)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hari (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (masculine, accusative singular)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (teaching Garuda/Vinata-putra in an instructional discourse)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Āśrama-specific snāna discipline; perform ācamana, invoke tīrtha, and bathe while remembering Hari (avyaya).

Vedantic Theme: Smaraṇa of the imperishable (avyaya) as stabilizing awareness; bhakti as purifier leading toward inner steadiness (śama) and readiness for jñāna.

Application: Before daily bath: do ācamana, set a brief saṅkalpa, mentally sanctify the water, and repeat a Hari/Vishnu name to anchor attention and ethics.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Geographic Context

Type: sacred water-site (conceptual/ritually invoked)

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.213.59 (snāna for pāpa-kṣaya); Garuda Purana 1.213.61 (sunrise context continues in next verse)

Characters & Entities

• Hari (Vishnu)
• Yati
• Brahmacārin
• Tīrtha

FAQs

What is the importance of snāna (ritual bathing) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse frames snāna as a daily discipline of purity, calibrated by āśrama (yati vs. brahmacārin), and made spiritually effective by ācamana, invoking tīrtha, and remembrance of Hari.

How does this verse relate to purification and spiritual progress?

It teaches that external cleansing (bathing) should be joined to internal sanctification—invoking sacredness (tīrtha-āvāhana) and meditating on the imperishable Lord—so the act becomes a dharmic and devotional purification.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Keep a consistent hygiene-and-purity routine appropriate to your life-stage, begin with a brief ācamana-like mindful intention, and during bathing remember a sacred name/mantra of Viṣṇu to align the act with inner clarity.