Shloka 6

Devanagari script

केशवं मार्गशीर्षे तु इत्यादौ कृतिकादिके (का) / घृतहोमश्चतुर्मासं कृसरञ्च निवेदयेत्

Transliteration

keśavaṃ mārgaśīrṣe tu ityādau kṛtikādike (kā) / ghṛtahomaścaturmāsaṃ kṛsarañca nivedayet

Translation

ในเดือนมารคศีรษะพึงบูชาเกศวะ และเริ่มตั้งแต่นักษัตรกฤตติกาเป็นต้น ตลอดสี่เดือนพึงทำโหมะด้วยเนยใส และถวาย ‘กฤสรา’ เป็นไนเวทยะ

Word by Word

• केशवम्: Keśava (Viṣṇu)
• केशवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केशव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन (Acc. sg.); विष्णोर्नाम

• मार्गशीर्षे: in Mārgaśīrṣa (month)
• मार्गशीर्षे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्गशीर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी एकवचन (Loc. sg.)

• तु: indeed/and
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle)

• इत्यादौ: and so on
• इत्यादौ: Sambandha (Reference/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावः; अव्ययार्थे (adverbial) = ‘and so on / beginning with “iti”’

• कृतिकादिके: in the series beginning with Kṛttikā
• कृतिकादिके: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृत्तिका + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी एकवचन (Loc. sg.); तत्पुरुषः (कृतिकादि-समूह/series beginning with Kṛttikā)

• का: who?/which? (variant reading)
• का: Sambandha (Parenthetical/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: का (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन (Nom. sg.); प्रश्नवाचक-सर्वनाम (interrogative) — पाठभेद/कोष्ठकस्थ

• घृतहोमः: ghee-offering (oblation)
• घृतहोमः: Karta/Visheshya (Subject/Topic)
• Type: Noun
• Root: घृत + होम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन (Nom. sg.); तत्पुरुषः (घृतेन होमः)

• चतुर्मासम्: for four months
• चतुर्मासम्: Adhikarana (Duration/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चतुर् + मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समासः; अव्ययार्थे (adverbial) = ‘for four months’

• कृसरम्: kṛsara (a rice/khichdi dish)
• कृसरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृसर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन (Acc. sg.)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• निवेदयेत्: should offer (as naivedya)
• निवेदयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + वेद्/विद् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative); परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष एकवचन (3rd sg.)

Speaker

Lord Viṣṇu (in instruction to Garuḍa)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Seasonal devotion: worship Keśava in Mārgaśīrṣa; maintain Cāturmāsya with homa and naivedya as offerings to the Lord.

Vedantic Theme: Upāsanā through karma offered to Īśvara; steadiness (niṣṭhā) in sādhana across time.

Application: During Cāturmāsya, keep a consistent vrata routine: daily/periodic ghee oblations (as feasible) and offer simple sattvic food (kṛsara) before eating.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Geographic Context

Type: ritual_calendar

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.137.5 (Acyuta worship in nakṣatra-vratas); Garuda Purana 1.137.7 (pāyasa feeding, pañcagavya bath, night-meal observance)

Characters & Entities

• Keśava
• Kṛttikā

FAQs

What is the importance of Cāturmāsya observance in the Garuḍa Purāṇa?

This verse links Cāturmāsya with sustained ritual discipline—regular ghṛta-homa and regulated food offerings—framing the four months as a concentrated period of dharmic worship.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

Indirectly: by prescribing disciplined worship and offerings, it emphasizes dharma and devotional merit (puṇya) as supports that shape one’s post-death trajectory described elsewhere in the Garuḍa Purāṇa.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Observe a consistent four-month spiritual routine (prayer, charity, simple diet), and if following a traditional practice, include lamp/fire offerings and a sattvic food offering such as kṛsara with devotion.