Shloka 14

Gayā-kṣetra and Phalgu Tīrtha: Sites, Rites, and the Liberation of the Pitṛs

Devanagari script

धर्मारण्यं धर्ममीशं दृष्ट्वा स्यादृणनाशनम् / देवं गृध्रेश्वरं दृष्ट्वा को न मुच्येत बन्धनात्

Transliteration

dharmāraṇyaṃ dharmamīśaṃ dṛṣṭvā syādṛṇanāśanam / devaṃ gṛdhreśvaraṃ dṛṣṭvā ko na mucyeta bandhanāt

Translation

धर्मारण्यं धर्ममीशं च दृष्ट्वा स्यादृणनाशनम्। देवं गृध्रेश्वरं दृष्ट्वा को न मुच्येत बन्धनात्॥

Word by Word

• धर्मारण्यम्: Dharmāraṇya (sacred forest)
• धर्मारण्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + अरण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (कर्मधारय/षष्ठीभाव: धर्मस्य अरण्यम् ‘forest of dharma’); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• धर्मम्: Dharma / righteousness
• धर्मम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular

• ईशम्: the Lord (Īśa)
• ईशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial participle/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + क्त्वा (अव्ययकृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund); having seen

• स्यात्: may become / would be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; may be/become

• ऋणनाशनम्: destruction of debt
• ऋणनाशनम्: Karta-pradhana (Subject complement/कर्तृपूरक)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋण (प्रातिपदिक) + नाशन (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √नश्/नाश्)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ऋणस्य नाशनम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; predicate nominative

• देवम्: the god
• देवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular

• गृध्रेश्वरम्: Gṛdhreśvara (Lord of the vulture / a deity-name)
• गृध्रेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृध्र (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: गृध्रस्य ईश्वरः); पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial participle/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + क्त्वा (अव्ययकृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund); having seen

• कः: who
• कः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Interrogative pronoun, nominative singular

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• मुच्येत: would be freed
• मुच्येत: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद; Passive sense possible ‘be released’

• बन्धनात्: from bondage
• बन्धनात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बन्धन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Ablative singular (source/separation)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in dialogue with Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Tīrtha and īśvara-darśana function as powerful prāyaścitta-like merit, destroying ṛṇa (debts) and loosening saṃsāric bondage.

Vedantic Theme: Grace (anugraha) mediated through sacred place and deity; karma-kṣaya through concentrated devotion.

Application: Undertake periodic pilgrimage with ethical preparation (truthfulness, restraint, charity); use darśana as a vow-renewal to reduce ‘debts’ (social, familial, moral).

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: forest tīrtha and temple-kṣetra

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: tīrtha-māhātmya style phala-śruti; bondage-release through darśana and nāma-smaraṇa

Characters & Entities

• Dharmāraṇya
• Dharmamīśa
• Gṛdhreśvara

FAQs

What is the importance of darshan of Dharmāraṇya in the Garuda Purana?

This verse states that seeing Dharmāraṇya (and Dharmamīśa) is credited with ṛṇa-nāśana—removal of burdensome debts/obligations—indicating strong purificatory merit connected with that sacred site and its presiding dharmic principle.

How does this verse explain release from bondage?

It frames liberation in practical karmic terms: darshan of Dharmamīśa and Gṛdhreśvara is said to loosen ‘bandhana’ (bondage), implying that devotion and contact with dharma-centered sacred power can reduce binding karmic consequences.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Cultivate dharma (ethical conduct) and purposeful devotion; when visiting temples/tirthas, approach with repentance, vows, and charitable giving—treating “debt” as both material obligation and moral accountability to be resolved.