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Shloka 26

Karma, Varṇa-Dharma, and Dāna as the Soul’s True Companion on the Path to Yama

Devanagari script

सोमग्रहे सूर्यसमागमेपि वा न सेवितं तीर्थवरिष्ठमुत्तमम् / कोशं स्वकीयं मलमूत्रपूरितं देहिन्क्वचिन्निस्तर यत्त्वया कृतम्

Transliteration

somagrahe sūryasamāgamepi vā na sevitaṃ tīrthavariṣṭhamuttamam / kośaṃ svakīyaṃ malamūtrapūritaṃ dehinkvacinnistara yattvayā kṛtam

Translation

Bahkan ketika gerhana bulan atau pada pertemuan Matahari yang membawa tuah, engkau tidak mendatangi tīrtha yang paling utama. Wahai insan berjasad, apakah pembebasan yang pernah engkau capai—sedangkan selubungmu sendiri (tubuh) penuh najis dan air kencing?

Word by Word
सोमग्रहेat the lunar eclipse
सोमग्रहे:
अधिकरण (अधिकरणम्)
TypeNoun
Rootसोमग्रह (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सोमस्य ग्रहः)
सूर्य-समागमेat the solar conjunction/eclipsing time
सूर्य-समागमे:
अधिकरण (अधिकरणम्)
TypeNoun
Rootसूर्यसमागम (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सूर्यस्य समागमः)
अपिeven
अपि:
सम्बन्ध/निपात (निपात)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअपि (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; निपात (particle), अर्थः ‘even/also’
वाor
वा:
सम्बन्ध/निपात (निपात)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootवा (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; विकल्पार्थक-निपात (disjunctive particle)
नnot
न:
सम्बन्ध/निपात (निपात)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootन (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; निषेध-निपात (negation)
सेवितम्visited/served
सेवितम्:
कर्म (कर्मपदम्)
TypeVerb
Rootसेव् (धातु)
Formकृदन्त; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि/भूतकृत (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘served/visited’
तीर्थ-वरिष्ठम्the best pilgrimage place
तीर्थ-वरिष्ठम्:
कर्म (कर्मपदम्)
TypeNoun
Rootतीर्थ + वरिष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः ‘वरिष्ठं तीर्थम्’
उत्तमम्supreme
उत्तमम्:
विशेषण (विशेषणम्)
TypeAdjective
Rootउत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifier)
कोशम्a bag/sack
कोशम्:
कर्म (कर्मपदम्)
TypeNoun
Rootकोश (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन
स्वकीयम्one’s own
स्वकीयम्:
विशेषण (विशेषणम्)
TypeAdjective
Rootस्वकीय (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम्
मल-मूत्र-पूरितम्filled with feces and urine
मल-मूत्र-पूरितम्:
विशेषण (विशेषणम्)
TypeAdjective
Rootमल + मूत्र + पूरित (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः द्वन्द्वपूर्वक-तत्पुरुषः (मलमूत्रेण पूरितः); ‘पूरित’ = कृदन्त (क्त) from पूर्/पॄ (धातु)
देहिन्O embodied one
देहिन्:
सम्बोधन (सम्बोधनम्)
TypeNoun
Rootदेहिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन
क्वचित्ever/at any time
क्वचित्:
अधिकरण (अधिकरणम्)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootक्वचित् (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; देश/कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb)
निस्तरcross over (be saved)
निस्तर:
क्रिया (क्रियापदम्)
TypeVerb
Rootनिस्तॄ (धातु)
Formलोट्-लकार (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; ‘cross over/escape’
यत्which/that
यत्:
सम्बन्ध (सम्बन्धः)
TypeNoun
Rootयद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक-यत् (relative pronoun)
त्वयाby you
त्वया:
कर्ता (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootत्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग (सर्वनाम), तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करण/कर्तृ-निर्देश (by you)
कृतम्done
कृतम्:
क्रिया-विशेष्य/भाव (भावः)
TypeVerb
Rootकृ (धातु)
Formकृदन्त; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘done’
Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in instruction to Garuda about the fate of the departed)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Auspicious times (eclipse/conjunction) and tīrtha are meant for purification and turning toward liberation; neglecting them while clinging to the impure body yields no true crossing (nistāra).

Vedantic Theme: Śarīra as kośa (sheath) is inherently impure and impermanent; liberation requires viveka and sādhana beyond bodily obsession.

Application: Use calendrical sacred times for introspection, vows, charity, japa, and bathing/cleanliness with inner resolve; reduce body-centrism through disciplined practice.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bibhatsa

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Geographic Context

Type: sacred ford/pilgrimage site

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: tīrtha-mahātmyas and pretakalpa admonitions that mere bodily life without dharma/sādhana yields suffering (thematic parallels)

Characters & Entities
S
Surya
S
Soma

FAQs

This verse implies that grahaṇa and other celestial junctures are potent opportunities for purification and merit; neglecting tīrtha-related acts at such times is portrayed as a missed chance for nistāra (spiritual crossing-over).

By stressing neglected purification and merit-making acts, it frames the after-death condition as shaped by one’s choices while embodied; lacking such dharmic effort, the soul has little “crossing-over” merit to rely upon in the post-mortem journey.

Use auspicious times (like eclipses) for ethical restraint, prayer, charity, and purification practices; more broadly, do not postpone inner and outer cleanliness and dharmic living, since embodied life is the field where spiritual progress is made.

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