Shloka 44

Karma, Varṇa-Dharma, and Dāna as the Soul’s True Companion on the Path to Yama

Devanagari script

अध्यायमेनं सुकृतस्य सारं शृणोति गायत्यपि भावशुद्ध्या / स वै कुलीनः स च धर्मयुक्तो विश्वालयं याति परं स नूनम्

Transliteration

adhyāyamenaṃ sukṛtasya sāraṃ śṛṇoti gāyatyapi bhāvaśuddhyā / sa vai kulīnaḥ sa ca dharmayukto viśvālayaṃ yāti paraṃ sa nūnam

Translation

భావశుద్ధితో ఈ అధ్యాయాన్ని—సుకృతసారాన్ని—వినేవాడు గానీ, పాడి/పఠించేవాడు గానీ నిజంగా కులీనుడై ధర్మనిష్ఠుడవుతాడు; అతడు నిశ్చయంగా పరమ విశ్వాలయమైన పరమధామాన్ని చేరుతాడు।

Word by Word

• adhyāyam: chapter
• adhyāyam: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adhyāya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• enam: this
• enam: Karma (कर्म/Object; apposition to ‘adhyāyam’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम (‘this’)

• sukṛtasya: of merit / of good deeds
• sukṛtasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sukṛta (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त-निष्पन्न)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• sāram: essence
• sāram: Karma (कर्म/Object; apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• śṛṇoti: he hears
• śṛṇoti: Kriyā (क्रिया/Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śru (श्रु धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• gāyati: he sings/recites
• gāyati: Kriyā (क्रिया/Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √gai (गै धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• api: also
• api: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अपि-अव्यय (also/even)

• bhāva-śuddhyā: with purity of intention
• bhāva-śuddhyā: Karaṇa (करण/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhāva (प्रातिपदिक) + śuddhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (‘bhāvasya śuddhiḥ’ = purity of intention/feeling)

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• vai: indeed
• vai: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• kulīnaḥ: noble-born
• kulīnaḥ: Viśeṣya (विशेष्य/Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kulīna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण used predicatively

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

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

• dharma-yuktaḥ: righteous, joined with dharma
• dharma-yuktaḥ: Viśeṣya (विशेष्य/Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक) + yukta (कृदन्त; √yuj/युज्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (‘dharmeṇa yuktaḥ’ = endowed with dharma)

• viśva-ālayam: the universal abode
• viśva-ālayam: Karma (कर्म/Object; destination)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viśva (प्रातिपदिक) + ālaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (‘viśvasya ālayaḥ’ = abode of all; name/epithet of supreme abode)

• yāti: goes
• yāti: Kriyā (क्रिया/Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √yā (या धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• param: supreme
• param: Gati (गति/Goal-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण used adverbially with ‘yāti’/as qualifier of destination

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• nūnam: certainly
• nūnam: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nūnam (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय-अव्यय (certainly)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (addressing Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Śravaṇa/gāyana with inner purity transforms character (kulīnatva, dharma-yoga) and leads to the supreme abode.

Vedantic Theme: Sādhana through śuddha-citta; liberation/parama-gati is linked to inner purification and devotion rather than mere ritual form.

Application: Daily recitation or attentive listening to the chapter with intention-purification (truthfulness, non-harm, humility), treating it as a regular sādhanā.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Geographic Context

Type: divine abode

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana, Preta/Mokṣa-oriented passages praising śravaṇa-kīrtana as merit and as a means to higher gati (general motif across 2nd khaṇḍa).

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Garuda

FAQs

What is the importance of listening or reciting this chapter in the Garuda Purana?

This verse presents a phala-śruti: hearing or reciting the chapter with sincere inner purity is said to generate sukṛta (merit), strengthen dharma, and lead the practitioner toward the supreme divine abode.

How does this verse relate to the soul’s journey after death in the Garuda Purana?

In the Preta Kanda’s after-death framework, merit and dharmic alignment directly influence post-mortem outcomes; this verse emphasizes that devotional listening/recitation becomes a merit-producing support for a favorable spiritual destination.

What is a practical application of this teaching today?

Regularly read or chant this section with bhāva-śuddhi (ethical intent and sincerity), and pair it with dharmic conduct—truthfulness, compassion, and duty—so practice is not merely ritual but character-forming.