Shloka 21

Viṣṇv-ekapūjya-nirṇaya; Gaṅgā-Viṣṇupadī-māhātmya; Kali-yuga doṣa; Puṣkara-dharma of Viṣṇu-smaraṇa

Devanagari script

सर्वं चेत्कलिभार्याप्रियं च नैव प्रियं शार्ङ्गपाणेः कदाचित् / कांस्ये सुपक्वं यावनालस्य चान्नं तुषः पिण्याकं तुम्बबिल्वे पलाण्डुः

Transliteration

sarvaṃ cetkalibhāryāpriyaṃ ca naiva priyaṃ śārṅgapāṇeḥ kadācit / kāṃsye supakvaṃ yāvanālasya cānnaṃ tuṣaḥ piṇyākaṃ tumbabilve palāṇḍuḥ

Translation

కలియుగ స్త్రీలకు అన్నీ ప్రియంగా అనిపించినా, అవి శార్ఙ్గపాణి శ్రీవిష్ణువుకు ఎప్పటికీ ప్రియమవు. కాంస్య పాత్రల్లో బాగా వండిన భోజనం, యవనాల ధాన్యపు అన్నం, అలాగే తూసు, పిండ్యాకం, దొండ/సొరకాయ వంటి తుంబ, బిల్వఫలం, ఉల్లిపాయ—ఇవి ఆయనకు నైవేద్యంగా ప్రీతికరం కావు.

Word by Word

• sarvam: everything
• sarvam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative/Accusative (1st/2nd: प्रथमा/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• cet: if
• cet: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/वाक्य-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: cet (अव्यय)
• Form: Conditional particle (निपात)

• kali-bhāryā-priyam: dear to Kali’s wife
• kali-bhāryā-priyam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kali (प्रातिपदिक) + bhāryā (प्रातिपदिक) + priya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative/Accusative (प्रथमा/द्वितीया), Singular; compound: ‘kaleḥ bhāryāyāḥ priyaṃ’ (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Negation particle (निषेध-निपात)

• eva: indeed/only
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Emphatic particle (अवधारण-निपात)

• priyam: dear/pleasing
• priyam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: priya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative/Accusative (प्रथमा/द्वितीया), Singular

• śārṅga-pāṇeḥ: of Śārṅgapāṇi (Viṣṇu)
• śārṅga-pāṇeḥ: Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śārṅga (प्रातिपदिक) + pāṇi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular; compound: ‘śārṅgaṃ pāṇau yasya’ used as name (विष्णोः)

• kadācit: ever/at any time
• kadācit: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kadācit (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (कालवाचक अव्यय)

• kāṃsye: in a bronze vessel
• kāṃsye: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāṃsya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular

• supakvam: well-cooked
• supakvam: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su (उपसर्ग) + √pac (धातु) → pakva (कृदन्त)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular; with prefix सु-

• yāvanālasya: of yāvanāla (a grain)
• yāvanālasya: Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yāvanāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Genitive (षष्ठी), Singular

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय)

• annam: food/rice
• annam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative/Accusative (प्रथमा/द्वितीया), Singular

• tuṣaḥ: husk/bran
• tuṣaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tuṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा), Singular

• piṇyākam: oil-cake/sesame-cake
• piṇyākam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: piṇyāka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative/Accusative (प्रथमा/द्वितीया), Singular

• tumbabilve: in (a dish of) gourd and bilva
• tumbabilve: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tumbā (प्रातिपदिक) + bilva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Locative (सप्तमी), Singular; dvandva: tumbā + bilva

• palāṇḍuḥ: onion
• palāṇḍuḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: palāṇḍu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा), Singular

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (Śārṅgapāṇi) speaking to Garuda (Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Naivedya-śuddhi: certain foods/ingredients and modes of cooking are not fit/pleasing for Viṣṇu-offering, especially as Kali-age preferences invert sacred taste.

Vedantic Theme: Bhakti requires sattvika upacāra; external offering reflects inner guṇa and intention (sattva vs tamas/rajas).

Application: When preparing offerings, prefer traditionally sattvika items and approved vessels; avoid items/textures considered impure or unsuitable in the text; cultivate discernment rather than following degraded social taste.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bibhatsa

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 3.29.22-25 (continuation of Kali-age inversions and consequences)

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu (Śārṅgapāṇi)

FAQs

What is the importance of proper naivedya (food offering) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse stresses that what is culturally popular in Kali-yuga is not automatically fit for sacred offering; purity and scriptural suitability determine what pleases Lord Viṣṇu.

How does this verse connect to Garuda Purana teachings on dharma and ritual conduct?

It frames a Kali-yuga decline in discernment: certain foods and preparation methods are described as unsuitable for devotional offering, reinforcing dharma as adherence to sacred standards rather than shifting tastes.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Choose simple, traditionally sattvic offerings and avoid items explicitly discouraged in one’s sampradāya; treat worship and rites with cleanliness, restraint, and scriptural guidance rather than trend-based preferences.