Shloka 17
Moksha and Svarga through Dāna, Tīrtha, Nāma-smaraṇa, and Bhāva
अनाशके मृतौ यस्तु स वै मोक्षमवाप्नुयात् / अनाशके मृतो यस्तु स मुक्तः सर्वबन्धनैः
anāśake mṛtau yastu sa vai mokṣamavāpnuyāt / anāśake mṛto yastu sa muktaḥ sarvabandhanaiḥ
Sesiapa yang mati ketika berpuasa (tanpa makanan) benar-benar mencapai mokṣa; orang yang mati dalam keadaan berpuasa itu terbebas daripada segala ikatan.
Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vainateya)
Concept: Dying in a state of fasting (anāśaka) is declared mokṣa-giving and bond-dissolving; austerity at death is framed as a liberative condition.
Vedantic Theme: Antya-kāla saṁskāra and vairāgya; tapas as purifier; the end-moment orientation and restraint as catalysts for release from bondage.
Application: Interpret cautiously: cultivate moderation and detachment; if fasting is undertaken, do so with guidance, non-violence to the body, and devotional/meditative focus—especially in terminal contexts consistent with dharma and health.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Related Themes: Garuda Purana: discussions of auspicious death, last-moment remembrance, and practices affecting gati; emphasis on restraint and purity at death (general internal resonance)
FAQs
This verse states that death in a fasting state is spiritually potent and is said to lead to moksha, implying deep detachment and withdrawal from bodily craving at life’s end.
By emphasizing freedom from “all bonds,” the verse frames fasting-at-death as a condition that cuts attachment and karmic binding, pointing the soul toward liberation rather than continued post-death entanglement.
Cultivate restraint and detachment (especially near life’s end), and follow dharmic, medically safe practices—such as disciplined fasting or reduced indulgence—paired with remembrance of God and ethical living.