Shloka 42

Devanagari script

इदं च यः पठेद्रुद्र पञ्चतत्त्वार्चनं नरः / शृणुयाच्छ्रवायेद्वापि विष्णुलोकं स गच्छति

Transliteration

idaṃ ca yaḥ paṭhedrudra pañcatattvārcanaṃ naraḥ / śṛṇuyācchravāyedvāpi viṣṇulokaṃ sa gacchati

Translation

హే రుద్రా! ఈ పంచతత్త్వార్చన విధిని ఎవడు పఠిస్తాడో—లేదా వింటాడో, వినిపిస్తాడో—అతడు విష్ణులోకాన్ని పొందుతాడు.

Word by Word

• इदम्: this (act/text)
• इदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

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

• यः: who (he who)
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• पठेत्: should recite/read
• पठेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: paṭh (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• रुद्र: O Rudra
• रुद्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rudra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• पञ्चतत्त्वार्चनम्: worship of the five principles
• पञ्चतत्त्वार्चनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pañca + tattva + arcana (प्रातिपदिक); पञ्च (संख्या) + तत्त्व (नपुं) + अर्चन (नपुं)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पञ्चतत्त्वानाम् अर्चनम्)

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• शृणुयात्: should listen
• शृणुयात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śru (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• श्रवायेत्: should cause (others) to hear / recite aloud
• श्रवायेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śru (धातु) [णिच् causative: śrāvay]
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पबोधक-अव्यय (disjunctive particle)

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावना/समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (particle: also/even)

• विष्णुलोकम्: Vishnu’s world
• विष्णुलोकम्: Karma (Goal/गति-कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṇu + loka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (विष्णोः लोकः)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• गच्छति: goes/attains
• गच्छति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gam (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (to Garuda/Vinata-putra), within a discourse praising the fruit of recitation/hearing

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Svarga

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Śravaṇa–pāṭha–preraṇa (listening/reciting/causing to be heard) of sacred rite yields Vishnu-loka.

Vedantic Theme: Bhakti as efficacious upāya; śabda (mantra/śruti) as purifier leading to sāyujya/sālokya-type fruition.

Application: Regularly recite or listen to the pañcatattva-arcana section; sponsor recitation for communal hearing as devotional practice.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Geographic Context

Type: divine realm/world (loka)

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.33 (transition into Sudarśana-pūjā as protective bhakti-ritual)

Characters & Entities

• Rudra
• Vishnu

FAQs

What is the importance of hearing (śravaṇa) and recitation (pāṭha) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse states that merit arises not only from reciting but also from listening or facilitating recitation, and it credits these acts with leading to Viṣṇuloka.

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

Rather than detailing punishments or routes, it highlights a salvific outcome: devotional engagement with sacred instruction (recitation/hearing) becomes a cause for attaining Vishnu’s realm.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Regularly read or listen to sacred texts, and support public/household recitations—treating participation itself (pāṭha, śravaṇa, chrāvaṇa) as a meaningful spiritual practice.