Shloka 4

Rambhā-Tṛtīyā Vrata: annual cycle of Devī worship, offerings, and dāna

Devanagari script

गीतीमयं तन्तकाष्ठं फाल्गुने गोमतीं यजेत् / कुन्दैः कृत्वा दन्तकाष्ठं जीवाशः शष्कुलीप्रदः

Transliteration

gītīmayaṃ tantakāṣṭhaṃ phālgune gomatīṃ yajet / kundaiḥ kṛtvā dantakāṣṭhaṃ jīvāśaḥ śaṣkulīpradaḥ

Translation

ในเดือนผาลคุณ พึงบูชาแม่น้ำศักดิ์สิทธิ์โคมตีด้วยบทสรรเสริญอันเป็นทำนองเพลง และด้วยไม้แปรงฟัน (ทันตกาษฐะ) เมื่อทำไม้แปรงฟันจากไม้กุนทะ ผู้นั้นย่อมเป็นผู้เกื้อหนุนชีวิต และเป็นผู้ถวายศัษกุลีเป็นนัยเวท

Word by Word

• गीतीमयम्: made of song/music (song-filled)
• गीतीमयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गीति + मय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः (गीत्या मयम् = गीतिमयम्)

• तन्तकाष्ठम्: tooth-stick/wood of tant(a) (a kind of wood)
• तन्तकाष्ठम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तन्त + काष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः (तन्तस्य काष्ठम्)

• फाल्गुने: in Phālguna (month)
• फाल्गुने: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फाल्गुन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (काल-अधिकरण), एकवचन

• गोमतीम्: Gomatī (goddess/name)
• गोमतीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोमती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• यजेत्: should worship
• यजेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: यज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• कुन्दैः: with kunda flowers
• कुन्दैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन

• कृत्वा: having made
• कृत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Absolutive function)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/ल्यप्), अव्ययभाव; पूर्वकालिक-क्रिया (having done/making)

• दन्तकाष्ठम्: tooth-stick
• दन्तकाष्ठम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दन्त + काष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः (दन्तानां काष्ठम्)

• जीवाशः: one who eats livelihood/food (living on it)
• जीवाशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जीव + अश् (धातु/कृदन्त-आधार)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः (जीवम्/जीविकां अश्नाति)

• शष्कुलीप्रदः: giver of śaṣkulī (fried cakes)
• शष्कुलीप्रदः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शष्कुली + प्र + दा (धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (शष्कुलीं प्रददाति)

Speaker

Lord Viṣṇu (in dialogue with Garuḍa)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Tīrtha-upāsanā joined with śauca (dantakāṣṭha) and stuti becomes life-sustaining merit; purity of body supports purity of mind.

Vedantic Theme: Outer cleanliness as support for inner sattva; karma aligned with sacred geography (tīrtha) aids citta-śuddhi.

Application: On Phālguna observances, visit a local river/lake, recite a hymn, practice mindful hygiene, and offer food/śaṣkulī as charity or naivedya.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Geographic Context

Type: river/tīrtha

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.120 (Phālguna prescriptions; river worship motif)

Characters & Entities

• Gomatī
• Phālguna
• Kunda

FAQs

What is the importance of worshipping the Gomatī in Phālguna according to the Garuḍa Purāṇa?

This verse presents Phālguna worship of the Gomatī as a merit-yielding observance, especially when done with devotional song and prescribed ritual items, producing auspicious results and the capacity to bestow offerings.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

Indirectly: it emphasizes ācaric merit (puṇya) through disciplined observance. In the Garuḍa Purāṇa framework, such puṇya supports favorable post-death outcomes by strengthening dharmic merit rather than describing the preta-journey here.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Practice purity and restraint, pair devotion (kīrtana/prayer) with simple disciplined acts, and support dharmic giving/food charity—treating everyday cleanliness and worship as part of ethical living.