Shloka 11

Moksha and Svarga through Dāna, Tīrtha, Nāma-smaraṇa, and Bhāva

Devanagari script

तत्सन्निधानमरणान्मुक्तिर्जन्तोः सुनिश्चता / रोपणात् पालनात् सेकाद्ध्यानस्पर्शनकीर्तनात् / तुलसी दहते पापं नृणां जन्मार्जितं खग

Transliteration

tatsannidhānamaraṇānmuktirjantoḥ suniścatā / ropaṇāt pālanāt sekāddhyānasparśanakīrtanāt / tulasī dahate pāpaṃ nṛṇāṃ janmārjitaṃ khaga

Translation

โอ้ปักษา (ครุฑ)! ผู้ใดสิ้นชีวิตในสันนิธานแห่ง (ทุลสี) นั้น ย่อมได้โมกษะอย่างแน่นอน ด้วยการปลูก บำรุง รดน้ำ เพ่งภาวนา สัมผัส และสวดสรรเสริญ ทุลสีย่อมเผาผลาญบาปที่มนุษย์สั่งสมมาหลายชาติ

Word by Word

• tatsannidhānamaraṇāt: from dying in its presence
• tatsannidhānamaraṇāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad + sannidhāna + maraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Ablative (5th/पञ्चमी), Singular

• muktiḥ: liberation
• muktiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mukti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• jantoḥ: of the living being
• jantoḥ: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jantu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular

• suniścitā: very certain
• suniścitā: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su + niścitā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• ropaṇāt: from planting
• ropaṇāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ropaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Ablative (5th/पञ्चमी), Singular

• pālanāt: from protecting/raising
• pālanāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pālana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Ablative (5th/पञ्चमी), Singular

• sekāt: from watering
• sekāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: seka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Ablative (5th/पञ्चमी), Singular

• dhyānasparśanakīrtanāt: from meditating, touching, and praising
• dhyānasparśanakīrtanāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhyāna + sparśana + kīrtana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Ablative (5th/पञ्चमी), Singular

• tulasī: Tulasi plant
• tulasī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tulasī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• dahate: burns
• dahate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dah (धातु)
• Form: Present Tense (Lat), Atmanepada, 3rd Person, Singular

• pāpam: sin
• pāpam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular

• nṛṇām: of men/humans
• nṛṇām: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Plural

• janmārjitam: acquired over births
• janmārjitam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: janman + arjita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular

• khaga: O Bird (Garuda)
• khaga: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: khaga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative (Sambodhana), Singular

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in dialogue with Garuda)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Moksha

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Tulasi-sevā (planting, protecting, watering, meditating, touching, praising) purifies multi-birth sin; death in her presence assures mokṣa.

Vedantic Theme: Grace mediated through sacred association (satsaṅga) and bhakti-upacāra; purification across births implies deep karmic layering removable by sustained devotional practice.

Application: Maintain a Tulasi plant with daily care; integrate brief dhyāna and kīrtana; touch with reverence (after cleanliness), offer water, and keep the space calm—especially supporting elders/ill with Tulasi presence and chanting.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Geographic Context

Type: home shrine / sacred plant-grove (tulasī-vṛndāvana)

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: Tulasi, Śālagrāma, and nāma as principal bhakti supports for pāpa-kṣaya and mokṣa; Garuda Purana: emphasis on death-context (antima-kāla) and sacred proximity

Characters & Entities

• Tulasi
• Garuda
• Vishnu

FAQs

What is the importance of Tulasi in the Garuda Purana?

This verse states that Tulasi is so spiritually potent that dying in its presence is said to ensure liberation, and that acts like planting, nurturing, watering, meditating on, touching, and praising Tulasi burn accumulated sins.

How does this verse relate to the soul’s journey after death in Preta Kanda?

Preta Kanda emphasizes supports for the departed soul; here, Tulasi is presented as a powerful aid—its proximity at the time of death and devotional engagement with it are described as removing sin-obstacles that hinder liberation.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Keep Tulasi with reverence: plant it, care for it daily, offer water, meditate or pray near it, touch it respectfully, and chant or sing its praises—using these practices as steady disciplines for ethical living and spiritual purification.