Shloka 6
Agastya Arghya Vrata—Timing, Mantra, and Dāna फल
शूद्रस्त्र्यादिरनेनैव त्यजेद्धान्यं फलं रसम् / दद्याद्द्विजातये कुम्भं सहिरण्यं सदक्षिणम् / भोजयेच्च द्विजान्सप्त वर्षं कृत्वा तु सर्वभाक्
śūdrastryādiranenaiva tyajeddhānyaṃ phalaṃ rasam / dadyāddvijātaye kumbhaṃ sahiraṇyaṃ sadakṣiṇam / bhojayecca dvijānsapta varṣaṃ kṛtvā tu sarvabhāk
शूद्रस्त्र्यादिरनेनैव त्यजेद्धान्यं फलं रसम् । दद्याद्द्विजातये कुम्भं सहिरण्यं सदक्षिणम् । भोजयेच्च द्विजान्सप्त वर्षं कृत्वा तु सर्वभाक् ॥
Lord Vishnu (in dialogue instruction to Garuda/Vinatā-putra)
Concept: Vrata is completed by tyaga (renunciation) and dana (gift) with dakshina; sustained observance yields comprehensive religious merit.
Vedantic Theme: Karma-yoga orientation: offering and giving reduce possessiveness (mamakara) and purify the mind.
Application: Undertake the observance with dietary restraint; donate a water-pot with gold and dakshina to a qualified recipient; feed seven brahmanas; maintain the practice for a year as prescribed.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: vira
Type: household/temple feeding hall (bhojana-shala)
Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.119.3-5 (ritual preparation, arghya, Agastya-stuti)
FAQs
This verse presents charity—offering food items and giving kumbha-dāna with gold and dakṣiṇā—along with feeding brāhmaṇas as a concrete dharmic method to gain merit and purification through sustained practice.
While not describing the preta-journey directly, it supports the Garuda Purana’s broader framework that post-death welfare and spiritual uplift are aided by dharmic acts (dāna, honoring the learned, and ritual feeding), which accumulate puṇya that benefits one’s destiny.
Practice regular charity with integrity—support food distribution, offer essentials with a respectful donation (dakṣiṇā), and sustain the discipline over time rather than treating it as a one-time act.