Shloka 90

Śrāddha as Trans-realm Nourishment; Pitṛ-Conveyance; Piṇḍa-born Body and the ātivāhika; Bhakti-based Release

Devanagari script

गरुड उवाच / तीर्त्वा दुः खभवाम्भोधिं भवन्तं कथमाप्नुयात् / बहुपातकयुक्तो ऽपि तद्वदस्व दयानिधे

Transliteration

garuḍa uvāca / tīrtvā duḥ khabhavāmbhodhiṃ bhavantaṃ kathamāpnuyāt / bahupātakayukto 'pi tadvadasva dayānidhe

Translation

ครุฑทูลว่า “เมื่อข้ามมหาสมุทรแห่งทุกข์ของสังสารวัฏแล้ว ข้าพเจ้าจะเข้าถึงพระองค์ได้อย่างไร? แม้มีบาปมากมาย ขอพระองค์ผู้เป็นคลังแห่งเมตตาโปรดตรัสบอกเถิด”

Word by Word

• गरुडः: Garuda
• गरुडः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गरुड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• तीर्त्वा: having crossed
• तीर्त्वा: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तॄ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (अव्ययकृदन्त), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (absolutive/gerund)

• दुःख: of suffering
• दुःख: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुःख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन (समासपूर्वपद-सम्बन्ध)

• भव: of worldly existence
• भव: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन (समासपूर्वपद-सम्बन्ध)

• अम्भोधिम्: ocean
• अम्भोधिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अम्भोधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• भवन्तम्: you (honored one)
• भवन्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन (आदरार्थ-सम्बोधनार्थक सर्वनाम)

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• आप्नुयात्: may attain
• आप्नुयात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• बहु: many
• बहु: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: (समासपूर्वपद) अव्ययवत्-पूर्वपद, ‘पातक’विशेषणार्थ

• पातक: sins
• पातक: Sambandha (Genitive/Instrumental relation in compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पातक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन (समासपूर्वपद-सम्बन्ध)

• युक्तः: endowed/associated
• युक्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अपि=even/also

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन (सर्वनाम)

• वदस्व: please tell
• वदस्व: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• दया: of compassion
• दया: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन (समासपूर्वपद-सम्बन्ध)

• निधे: treasure (O treasure of compassion)
• निधे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन

Speaker

Garuda (Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Even the heavily sinful can attain the Lord by the taught means; liberation is framed as crossing saṃsāra through divine grace and right practice.

Vedantic Theme: Śaraṇāgati and bhakti as purifiers; the Lord as the far shore (pāra) of saṃsāra.

Application: Adopt a sincere, humble inquiry; begin regular remembrance of Viṣṇu and seek instruction from scripture/teacher without despair over past faults.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: karuna

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana, Preta-kalpa sections on Viṣṇu-smaraṇa as refuge for the departed (general thematic link); Garuda Purana, Dharma/Mokṣa-oriented dialogues where Garuḍa questions and the Lord instructs (structural parallel)

Characters & Entities

• Garuda
• Vishnu

FAQs

What is the importance of crossing the 'ocean of samsara' in Garuda Purana?

This verse frames liberation as crossing the vast ocean of suffering-filled worldly existence, and asks for the direct means to attain the Lord beyond it.

How does this verse address sinners seeking liberation?

Garuḍa explicitly asks how even a person burdened with many sins (bahu-pātaka) can still attain the compassionate Lord, implying that divine grace and the right path can overcome heavy demerit.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Cultivate sincere devotion and repentance, seek guidance in dharmic living, and rely on compassion rather than despair—because the verse emphasizes that even the heavily flawed can turn toward liberation.