Shloka 45

Devanagari script

अग्निकार्यं जपः स्नानं विष्णोर्ध्यानञ्च पूजनम् / गन्तुं दुः खोदधेः कुर्युर्ये च तत्र नरन्ति ते

Transliteration

agnikāryaṃ japaḥ snānaṃ viṣṇordhyānañca pūjanam / gantuṃ duḥ khodadheḥ kuryurye ca tatra naranti te

Translation

Mereka yang di sana melakukan persembahan api, japa, mandi penyucian, meditasi kepada Viṣṇu, dan pemujaan—merekalah yang memungkinkan penyeberangan lautan duka; sesungguhnya merekalah yang menolong seseorang sampai ke seberang.

Word by Word

• agni-kāryam: fire-ritual
• agni-kāryam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: agni (प्रातिपदिक) + kārya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (agni-sambandhi kārya); नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन

• japaḥ: recitation
• japaḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: japa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

• snānam: bathing
• snānam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: snāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन

• viṣṇoḥ: of Viṣṇu
• viṣṇoḥ: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• dhyānam: meditation
• dhyānam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhyāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction: and)

• pūjanam: worship
• pūjanam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pūjana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन

• gantum: to go
• gantum: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √gam (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्यय (infinitive)

• duḥkha-udadheḥ: from the ocean of sorrow
• duḥkha-udadheḥ: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: duḥkha (प्रातिपदिक) + udadhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष ‘ocean of sorrow’; पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचन

• kuryuḥ: should do
• kuryuḥ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन (plural)

• ye: those who
• ye: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (relative), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (and)

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: स्थानवाचक-अव्यय (there)

• naranti: lead (others)/guide (interpretive)
• naranti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √nṛ (धातु)
• Form: लट् लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• te: they
• te: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (demonstrative), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन

Speaker

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

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Integrated sādhanā—agni-kārya, japa, snāna, dhyāna, pūjā—centered on Viṣṇu enables transcendence of suffering and guides others as well.

Vedantic Theme: Sādhana-catuṣṭaya support through purity and devotion; bhakti as a boat across saṃsāra; karma-yoga elements subordinated to Viṣṇu-dhyāna.

Application: Maintain daily discipline: simple homa/ दीप-agnikarya where appropriate, mantra-japa, regular bathing/cleanliness, Viṣṇu-dhyāna and pūjā; join/lead satsanga that helps others sustain practice.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: vira

Geographic Context

Type: symbolic-crossing

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: prescriptions of japa, pūjā, and Viṣṇu-smaraṇa as deliverance from fear and suffering; Garuda Purana: emphasis on daily nitya-karma with Hari-bhakti

Characters & Entities

• Agni
• Vishnu

FAQs

What is the importance of agnikarya, japa, snana, and Vishnu-puja in the Garuda Purana?

This verse presents them as core purificatory and devotional acts whose combined merit helps a person overcome profound suffering, described metaphorically as an “ocean of sorrow.”

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

It implies that disciplined ritual purity and Viṣṇu-centered devotion create spiritual support for safely “crossing” distress—an image often used in Purāṇic literature for moving beyond fear, sin, and post-death hardship.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Maintain daily purity (snāna), steady mantra practice (japa), and sincere Viṣṇu worship/meditation; treat these as stabilizing disciplines for ethical living and inner resilience during suffering.