Shloka 1

Cāturmāsya Observances—Commencement, Austerities, and Fruits

Devanagari script

नाम विंशत्युत्तरशततमो ऽध्यायः ब्रह्मोवाच / चातुर्मास्यव्रतान्यूचे एकादश्यां समाचरेत् / आषाढ्यां पौर्णमास्यां वा सर्वेणहरिमर्च्यच

Transliteration

nāma viṃśatyuttaraśatatamo 'dhyāyaḥ brahmovāca / cāturmāsyavratānyūce ekādaśyāṃ samācaret / āṣāḍhyāṃ paurṇamāsyāṃ vā sarveṇaharimarcyaca

Translation

అధ్యాయం—నూట ఇరవై ఒకటవది. బ్రహ్ముడు పలికెను—చాతుర్మాస్య వ్రతాలను నేను వివరిస్తాను. ఏకాదశినాడు, లేదా ఆషాఢ పౌర్ణమినాడు, సంపూర్ణ భక్తితో హరిని ఆరాధించి వాటిని ఆచరించాలి.

Word by Word

• nāma: (called) / name
• nāma: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nāman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/particle); अध्याय-शीर्षकसूचक

• viṃśati-uttara-śatatamaḥ: one hundred and twentieth
• viṃśati-uttara-śatatamaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: viṃśati (प्रातिपदिक) + uttara (प्रातिपदिक) + śatatama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; क्रमवाचक विशेषण (ordinal)

• adhyāyaḥ: chapter
• adhyāyaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adhyāya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• brahmā: Brahmā
• brahmā: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• cāturmāsya-vratāni: the four-month vows
• cāturmāsya-vratāni: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: cāturmāsya (प्रातिपदिक) + vrata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन

• ūce: declared / spoke
• ūce: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• ekādaśyām: on the eleventh (lunar day)
• ekādaśyām: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ekādaśī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; कालाधिकरण (time-locative)

• samācaret: one should perform
• samācaret: Kriya (Injunctive action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: car (धातु) उपसर्ग: सम्-आ-
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• āṣāḍhyām: in (the month of) Āṣāḍha
• āṣāḍhyām: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āṣāḍhī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; मास-नाम, कालाधिकरण

• paurṇamāsyām: on the full-moon day
• paurṇamāsyām: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: paurṇamāsī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; पूर्णिमा-तिथि, कालाधिकरण

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (विकल्पार्थक निपात/conjunction)

• sarveṇa: with all (one’s means) / wholly
• sarveṇa: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; साधन/करणभाव (instrumental)

• harim: Hari (Viṣṇu)
• harim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hari (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• arcya: having worshipped
• arcya: Kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: arc (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययभाव/gerund (absolutive); उपपद: हरिम्

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयार्थक/conjunction)

Speaker

Brahmā

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Cāturmāsya as time-bound devotional discipline; worship of Hari as the vow’s heart.

Vedantic Theme: Īśvara-upāsanā and niyama as purifiers that steady the mind toward sāttvika living and God-remembrance.

Application: Begin Cāturmāsya with a clear saṅkalpa on Ekādaśī or Āṣāḍha pūrṇimā; keep a consistent worship routine centered on Hari.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: Cāturmāsya-vrata and Ekādaśī-related vrata sections (within Dharma/Ācāra portions); Garuda Purana: Viṣṇu-bhakti and vrata-phala passages (adjacent chapters on vows and worship)

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Hari (Viṣṇu)

FAQs

What is the importance of Cāturmāsya in the Garuḍa Purāṇa?

This verse introduces Cāturmāsya as a formal four-month religious observance centered on worship of Hari, indicating it as a dharma-based practice for spiritual discipline and merit.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

It does not directly discuss the soul’s post-death journey; instead, it emphasizes vrata and Hari-worship—practices traditionally understood to purify karma and support auspicious spiritual outcomes.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Begin a disciplined four-month period (Cāturmāsya) from Ekādaśī or Āṣāḍha Pūrṇimā with consistent Viṣṇu devotion—regular worship, restraint, and sincere commitment.