Shloka 30

Varṇāśrama-ācāra, Aśauca (Sūtaka) Regulations, and Prāyaścitta with Funeral-Rite Notes

Devanagari script

पञ्चस्वापत्सु नारीणां पतिरन्यो विधीयते / भर्त्रा सहमृता नारी रोमाब्दानि वसेद्दिवि

Transliteration

pañcasvāpatsu nārīṇāṃ patiranyo vidhīyate / bhartrā sahamṛtā nārī romābdāni vaseddivi

Translation

స్త్రీలకు ఐదు విధాల ఆపత్తుల్లో మరొక భర్త విధేయుడు. అయితే భర్తతో కలిసి మరణించిన స్త్రీ, శరీర రోమాల సంఖ్యకు సమానమైన సంవత్సరాలు స్వర్గంలో నివసిస్తుంది.

Word by Word

• पञ्चसु: in five
• पञ्चसु: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्चन् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), बहुवचन; संख्यावाचक-विशेषण (loc. pl.)

• आपत्सु: in calamities/emergencies
• आपत्सु: Adhikarana (Location/Condition/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आपद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), बहुवचन (fem. loc. pl.)

• नारीणाम्: of women
• नारीणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन (fem. gen. pl.)

• पतिः: husband
• पतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन (masc. nom. sg.)

• अन्यः: another
• अन्यः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (masc. nom. sg.)

• विधीयते: is prescribed/appointed
• विधीयते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: धा (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive), आत्मनेपद (is ordained/appointed)

• भर्त्रा: with/by the husband
• भर्त्रा: Sahakaraka/Instrument (with/by/सह-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भर्तृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन (masc. instr. sg.)

• सह: together with
• सह: Sambandha (Association/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सहार्थक-उपसर्गवत्/निपात (with)

• मृता: dead (having died)
• मृता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृत (मृ-धातोः क्त, कृदन्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP)

• नारी: woman
• नारी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन (fem. nom. sg.)

• रोमाब्दानि: years equal to (the number of) hairs
• रोमाब्दानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रोम (प्रातिपदिक) + अब्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; समासः—रोम्णाम् अब्दानि (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• वसेत्: should dwell
• वसेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (should dwell)

• दिवि: in heaven
• दिवि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिव्/द्यौ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन (fem. loc. sg.)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda / Vinatā-putra)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Svarga

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Āpaddharma permits remarriage in five calamities; alternatively, co-death with husband yields immense svarga merit.

Vedantic Theme: Karma-phala proportionality and the tension between worldly duty (survival/order) and idealized fidelity narratives.

Application: Recognize that dharma texts often contain both pragmatic exceptions and idealized exemplars; apply the pragmatic rule in real calamity, and treat the reward claim as value-signaling within its tradition.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Geographic Context

Type: realm

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.107 (women’s dharma/āpaddharma context)

FAQs

What is the importance of āpaddharma (dharma in distress) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse applies āpaddharma to marriage: in specified severe calamities, normal marital rules are relaxed and remarriage is permitted, showing that dharma adapts to preserve life and social order.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul after death?

It links a specific act (dying together with one’s husband) with a stated post-death result—residence in heaven—presenting karma-phala (fruit of action) as a determinant of afterlife experience.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Read it as a reminder that dharma includes compassionate exceptions in crises, and that ethical intention and duty-oriented living are treated as spiritually consequential.