Shloka 53

Ācāra-Nirṇaya: Varṇa-Āśrama Dharma, Śauca, Snāna, Sandhyā, Japa, Tarpaṇa, and Gṛhastha-Dinacaryā

Devanagari script

अषां द्वादशगण्डूषैः कुर्वीत मुखशोधनम् / प्रातः स्नानं प्रशंसन्ति दृष्टादृष्टकरं हितम्

Transliteration

aṣāṃ dvādaśagaṇḍūṣaiḥ kurvīta mukhaśodhanam / prātaḥ snānaṃ praśaṃsanti dṛṣṭādṛṣṭakaraṃ hitam

Translation

द्वादशगण्डूषैः सलिलेन मुखं शोधयेत्। प्रातःस्नानं प्रशंसन्ति, दृष्टादृष्टफलप्रदं हितम्॥

Word by Word

• अषाम्: of ashes
• अषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अषा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गम्, षष्ठी (Genitive/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचनम्

• द्वादशगण्डूषैः: with twelve mouthful-rinses
• द्वादशगण्डूषैः: Karana (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वादश (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + गण्डूष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्, तृतीया (Instrumental/करण), बहुवचनम्; द्विगु-समासः (द्वादश गण्डूषाः)

• कुर्वीत: should do
• कुर्वीत: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/संभावना-आदेश), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम्

• मुखशोधनम्: cleansing of the mouth
• मुखशोधनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुख (प्रातिपदिक) + शोधन (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त-भाव)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, द्वितीया (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मुखस्य शोधनम्)

• प्रातः: in the morning
• प्रातः: Adhikarana (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रातः (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्ययम् (adverb of time)

• स्नानम्: bathing
• स्नानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, द्वितीया (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचनम्

• प्रशंसन्ति: they praise
• प्रशंसन्ति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-शंस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/वर्तमान), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), बहुवचनम्

• दृष्टादृष्टकरम्: producing seen and unseen (benefits)
• दृष्टादृष्टकरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दृष्ट (कृदन्त) + अदृष्ट (कृदन्त) + कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, द्वितीया (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचनम्; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (दृष्टं च अदृष्टं च) + कर = producing; स्नानम् इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्

• हितम्: beneficial
• हितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हित (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, द्वितीया (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचनम्; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त √धा (हित = placed/beneficial); स्नानम् इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्

Speaker

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

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Gāṇḍūṣa (twelve rinses) and prātaḥ-snāna are praised for worldly and spiritual welfare.

Vedantic Theme: Karma-yoga preparation: external purity supports inner steadiness for japa/upāsanā.

Application: Adopt a consistent morning routine: rinse mouth thoroughly (twelve times as a vrata-like count) and bathe at dawn to support health, focus, and devotional practice.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.213.54-55 (snāna enabling japa; mental serenity and auspiciousness)

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Garuda

FAQs

What is the importance of morning bath (prātaḥ snāna) in Garuda Purana?

This verse states that bathing at dawn is praised as “hita” (beneficial) because it yields both visible benefits (cleanliness, health, clarity) and invisible benefits (adṛṣṭa—religious merit and inner purification).

How does this verse relate to karma and unseen results (adṛṣṭa)?

By calling dawn-bathing “dṛṣṭādṛṣṭa-kara,” the text links a simple daily act to karmic causation: it produces tangible outcomes and also subtle, merit-bearing results that support dharmic life.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Adopt a dawn routine: cleanse the mouth thoroughly (traditional twelve rinses) and bathe early when possible, treating hygiene as both health discipline and a mindful act of purification.