Shloka 31
न दानैर्विविधैर्दत्तैः पुष्पैर्नैवानुलेपनैः / तोषमेति महात्मासौ यथा भक्त्या जनार्दनः
na dānairvividhairdattaiḥ puṣpairnaivānulepanaiḥ / toṣameti mahātmāsau yathā bhaktyā janārdanaḥ
พระผู้เป็นเจ้า “ชนารทนะ” มิได้ทรงพอพระทัยแท้จริงด้วยทานนานาประการ ดอกไม้ หรือการชโลมเครื่องหอมเท่านั้น; พระองค์ทรงยินดีอย่างยิ่งด้วย “ภักติ” เพียงอย่างเดียวเท่านั้น।
Lord Vishnu (Janardana) speaking to Garuda (Vinata-putra)
Concept: God is pleased primarily by devotion, not by the mere quantity or variety of external offerings.
Vedantic Theme: Antaryāmin-bhāva and bhakti as the direct means; critique of karma-kāṇḍa when divorced from heartfelt surrender.
Application: Prioritize sincere remembrance, prayer, and ethical living as offerings; keep ritual simple but heartfelt; examine motive behind charity and worship.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Related Themes: Garuda Purana (Preta-kalpa and Dharma sections): repeated emphasis that nāma-smaraṇa and bhakti outweigh ostentatious rites when devoid of faith
FAQs
This verse states that Lord Janardana is pleased primarily by devotion (bhakti), not merely by external offerings like gifts, flowers, or perfumes.
Garuda Purana repeatedly emphasizes inner dharma and sincere devotion as spiritually decisive; external rites have value, but without bhakti they do not yield the highest divine grace.
Perform charity and worship, but prioritize sincerity—offer actions with devotion, humility, and ethical conduct rather than relying only on ceremonial display.