Shloka 2

Gopāla-pūjāvidhi: Maṇḍala, Dik-devatā, Mantra-aṅga, and Āyudha Installation

Devanagari script

मन्त्रनिरूपणं नाम सप्तविंशो ऽध्यायः सूत उवाच / गोपालपूजां वक्ष्यामि भुक्तिमुक्तिप्रदायिनीम् / द्वारे धाता विधाता च गङ्गायमुनया सह // गर्प्१,२८।१ / शङ्खपद्मनिधी चैव सारङ्गः शरभः श्रिया / पूर्वे भद्रः सुभद्रो द्वौ दक्षे चण्डप्रचण्डकौ

Transliteration

mantranirūpaṇaṃ nāma saptaviṃśo 'dhyāyaḥ sūta uvāca / gopālapūjāṃ vakṣyāmi bhuktimuktipradāyinīm / dvāre dhātā vidhātā ca gaṅgāyamunayā saha // GarP_1,28.1 / śaṅkhapadmanidhī caiva sāraṅgaḥ śarabhaḥ śriyā / pūrve bhadraḥ subhadro dvau dakṣe caṇḍapracaṇḍakau

Translation

సూతుడు పలికెను: “భోగములను మరియు మోక్షమును ప్రసాదించు గోపాల పూజను వర్ణించెదను. ద్వారమున గంగా యమునలతో కూడి ధాత మరియు విధాత కలరు. శంఖ పద్మ నిధులు, మరియు శ్రీతో కూడిన సారంగ, శరభులు కూడా కలరు. తూర్పున భద్ర మరియు సుభద్రులు, కుడివైపున చండ మరియు ప్రచండులు కలరు.”

Word by Word

• mantranirūpaṇaṃ: Investigation of mantras
• mantranirūpaṇaṃ: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mantranirūpaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative (1st), Singular

• saptaviṃśaḥ: Twenty-seventh
• saptaviṃśaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: saptaviṃśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st), Singular (Sandhi: saptaviṃśo)

• gopālapūjāṃ: Worship of Gopala
• gopālapūjāṃ: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gopālapūjā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative (2nd), Singular

• vakṣyāmi: I will speak/describe
• vakṣyāmi: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: Lrt Lakara (Future), Parasmaipada, 1st Person, Singular

• bhuktimuktipradāyinīm: Bestowing enjoyment and liberation
• bhuktimuktipradāyinīm: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhuktimuktipradāyinī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative (2nd), Singular

• dvāre: At the door/gate
• dvāre: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative (7th), Singular

• dhātā: Dhata (Creator/Supporter)
• dhātā: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhātṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st), Singular

• vidhātā: Vidhata (Disposer)
• vidhātā: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vidhātṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st), Singular

• gaṅgāyamunayā: With Ganga and Yamuna
• gaṅgāyamunayā: Sahartha (Association)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaṅgāyamunā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental (3rd), Singular (Group treated as singular or sandhi context)

• saha: With
• saha: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: saha (अव्यय)
• Form: Prepositional Adverb

Speaker

Sūta

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Gopāla-pūjā grants both bhukti and mukti; devotion integrates worldly well-being with liberation-oriented worship.

Vedantic Theme: Bhakti as a complete path: the same Lord supports artha/kāma within dharma and leads the mind toward mokṣa.

Application: Create a simple daily ‘threshold practice’: enter worship with purity and gratitude; remember Gaṅgā-Yamunā as inner purification; keep prosperity aligned with ethics.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Geographic Context

Type: temple precinct (dvāra and dik-sthāna)

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.28 (Gopāla-pūjā description continues)

Characters & Entities

• Gopāla
• Dhātā
• Vidhātā
• Gaṅgā
• Yamunā
• Śaṅkha-nidhi
• Padma-nidhi
• Śrī
• Bhadra
• Subhadra
• Caṇḍa
• Pracaṇḍa
• Sāraṅga
• Śarabha

FAQs

What is the importance of Gopāla-pūjā in the Garuḍa Purāṇa?

This verse frames Gopāla worship as a sādhana that grants both bhukti (well-being and prosperity) and mukti (liberation), indicating a complete spiritual path rather than merely a worldly rite.

Does this verse describe a specific ritual layout or protective arrangement?

Yes. It lists deities and attendants positioned at the doorway and in directions (east/right), reflecting a protective and auspicious mandala-style arrangement associated with formal worship.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Approach devotion with both ethical living and inner liberation as goals, and maintain a disciplined, reverent worship space—clean, orderly, and oriented toward auspiciousness and steadiness of mind.