Shloka 1

Vow-Fasting (Anaśana), Sannyāsa, Tīrtha-Death, and the Ethics of Dāna

Devanagari script

(३५।४६) सपिण्डनशवविध्योर्निरूपणं नाम पञ्चत्रिंशो ऽध्यायः तार्क्ष्यौवाच / कस्मादनशनं पुण्यमक्षय्यगतिदायकम् / स्वगृहन्तु परित्यज्य तीर्थे वै म्रियते यदि

Transliteration

(35.46) sapiṇḍanaśavavidhyornirūpaṇaṃ nāma pañcatriṃśo 'dhyāyaḥ tārkṣyauvāca / kasmādanaśanaṃ puṇyamakṣayyagatidāyakam / svagṛhantu parityajya tīrthe vai mriyate yadi

Translation

ตารกษยะ (ครุฑ) กล่าวว่า “เหตุใดนิราศนะ (การอดอาหาร/ถือศีลอด) จึงเป็นบุญและให้คติอันไม่เสื่อม? และผู้ละเรือนของตนแล้วไปสิ้นชีวิต ณ ตีรถะ จะได้ผลเช่นไร?”

Word by Word

• सपिण्डनशवविध्योः: of sapiṇḍana and the rite for a corpse
• सपिण्डनशवविध्योः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सपिण्डन (प्रातिपदिक) + शवविधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी/सप्तमी-द्विवचनरूप (विध्योः = षष्ठी द्विवचन); द्वन्द्व-समास (सपिण्डनश्च शवविधिश्च)

• निरूपणम्: exposition, description
• निरूपणम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निरूपण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• नाम: named
• नाम: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: संज्ञा-सूचक अव्यय (quotative/label marker)

• पञ्चत्रिंशः: thirty-fifth
• पञ्चत्रिंशः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्चत्रिंशत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (पञ्च च त्रिंशच्च) → ‘35th’

• अध्यायः: chapter
• अध्यायः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अध्याय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तार्क्ष्यः: Tārkṣya (Garuda)
• तार्क्ष्यः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तार्क्ष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

• कस्मात्: from what? why?
• कस्मात्: Apadana/Hetu (अपादान/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (अपादान), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• अनशनम्: fasting
• अनशनम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पुण्यम्: meritorious
• पुण्यम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘अनशनम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• अक्षय्यगतिदायकम्: giving imperishable attainment
• अक्षय्यगतिदायकम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अक्षय्य (प्रातिपदिक) + गति (प्रातिपदिक) + दायक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष: (अक्षय्या गतिः) तस्याः दायकम्; ‘अनशनम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• स्वगृहम्: one’s own house
• स्वगृहम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (स्वं गृहं)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अवधारण-अव्यय (particle: but/indeed)

• परित्यज्य: having abandoned
• परित्यज्य: Purvakala (पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परि + त्यज् (धातु) → परित्यज्य (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund)

• तीर्थे: at a sacred place
• तीर्थे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

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

• म्रियते: dies
• म्रियते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्त-अव्यय (conditional conjunction)

Speaker

Garuda (Tārkṣya, Vinatā-putra)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Fasting and tīrtha-maraṇa are questioned as causes of akṣaya-gati (imperishable attainment).

Vedantic Theme: Antaḥkaraṇa-śuddhi as a support for higher gati; the role of saṃskāra and saṅkalpa at life’s end.

Application: Cultivate disciplined fasting with right intention; plan pilgrimages and end-of-life spiritual supports without neglecting inner purity.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: sacred ford / household

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: tīrtha-māhātmya and śrāddha discussions around sapīṇḍana/ekoddiṣṭa contexts (chapter heading indicates sapīṇḍana-śava-vidhi); Garuda Purana: teachings on death at sacred places and merit of vrata/upavāsa in dharma sections

Characters & Entities

• Garuda (Tārkṣya)
• Tirtha (sacred place)

FAQs

What is the importance of fasting (anaśana) in the Garuda Purana?

In this verse Garuda frames fasting as a practice believed to generate puṇya (merit) and to support “akṣayya-gati” (an imperishable spiritual outcome), prompting an explanation of its spiritual rationale.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul after death?

The verse introduces a key inquiry: whether dying at a tīrtha (sacred place) changes one’s post-death trajectory. It sets up the doctrinal discussion on how end-of-life choices influence gati (the soul’s onward course).

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Treat fasting as a disciplined, dharmic observance (done with purity and intention), and approach pilgrimage or end-of-life spiritual planning with reverence—prioritizing ethical living and remembrance of the sacred over mere location.