Shloka 39

Dāna-vrata and the Tīrtha Circuit of Venkaṭādri

Snāna, Mantra, Naivedya

Devanagari script

श्रीनिवासात्परो देवो न भूतो न भविष्यति / स्वयं च पाचयित्वात्वं घृतपक्वादिकं तथा / श्रीनिवासस्य नैवेद्यं दत्त्वा भोजनमाचरेत्

Transliteration

śrīnivāsātparo devo na bhūto na bhaviṣyati / svayaṃ ca pācayitvātvaṃ ghṛtapakvādikaṃ tathā / śrīnivāsasya naivedyaṃ dattvā bhojanamācaret

Translation

Tiada dewa yang lebih tinggi daripada Śrīnivāsa—tidak pernah ada dahulu, dan tidak akan ada pada masa hadapan. Maka, setelah engkau sendiri memasak hidangan seperti yang dimasak dengan ghee dan seumpamanya, persembahkanlah terlebih dahulu sebagai naivedya kepada Śrīnivāsa, kemudian barulah engkau menjamah makanan itu.

Word by Word

• śrīnivāsāt: than Śrīnivāsa
• śrīnivāsāt: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrīnivāsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन

• paraḥ: higher/superior
• paraḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; comparative sense with ablative

• devaḥ: god
• devaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात

• bhūtaḥ: has been (in the past)
• bhūtaḥ: Vidhi (विधेय/Predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhūta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) < bhū (धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) ‘having been’

• na: nor
• na: Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात

• bhaviṣyati: will be
• bhaviṣyati: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• svayam: oneself
• svayam: Kartṛ-viśeṣaṇa (कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: svayam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; आत्मवाचक (reflexive adverb: oneself)

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

• pācayitvā: having cooked
• pācayitvā: Pūrvakāla (पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pac (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), णिच् (causative) sense: ‘having cooked/caused to be cooked’

• tvam: you
• tvam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-प्रयोग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; pronoun

• ghṛta-pakva-ādikam: ghee-cooked items etc.
• ghṛta-pakva-ādikam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ghṛta (प्रातिपदिक) + pakva (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (‘cooked in ghee and the like’)

• tathā: likewise
• tathā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (thus/also)

• śrīnivāsasya: of Śrīnivāsa
• śrīnivāsasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrīnivāsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• naivedyam: food offering
• naivedyam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: naivedya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• dattvā: having offered/given
• dattvā: Pūrvakāla (पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dā (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund): ‘having given’

• bhojanam: eating/meal
• bhojanam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhojana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• ācaret: should perform / should do
• ācaret: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: car (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; उपसर्ग: आ-

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in instruction to Garuda/Vinata-putra, within the Garuda Purana dialogue frame)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Īśvara-paratva (no deity higher than Śrīnivāsa) and īśvara-arpita-bhojana: offering before eating; sanctifying sustenance through naivedya.

Vedantic Theme: Karma-yoga as bhakti: offering action and its fruits to the Lord; prasāda as grace.

Application: Before meals, mentally or ritually offer food to the Lord; cultivate gratitude and restraint; keep cooking and eating aligned with purity and devotion.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Geographic Context

Type: temple/home altar (arcana context)

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 3.27.37 on Lakṣmī preparing naivedya; 3.27.38 on respect for naivedya; 3.27.40 on secrecy and gradation.

Characters & Entities

• Śrīnivāsa
• Vishnu

FAQs

What is the importance of offering naivedya to Śrīnivāsa in the Garuda Purana?

This verse teaches that Śrīnivāsa is supreme and that one should sanctify eating by first offering prepared food to Him as naivedya, turning the meal into prasāda and a disciplined dharmic act.

Does this verse relate to afterlife teachings found elsewhere in the Garuda Purana?

Indirectly, yes: the Garuda Purana repeatedly links daily conduct (ācāra) with spiritual merit; offering food before eating is presented as a devotional discipline that supports purity and right living, which the text connects to one’s post-death outcomes in other sections.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Cook mindfully, set aside a portion as an offering to Vishnu/Śrīnivāsa (with a simple prayer), and then eat as prasāda—cultivating gratitude, restraint, and devotional awareness in daily life.