Shloka 29

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

Devanagari script

या स्त्री सवर्णा संशुबा मृतं पतिमनुव्रजेत् / सा मृता स्वर्गमाप्नोति वर्षाणां रोमसंख्यता

Transliteration

yā strī savarṇā saṃśubā mṛtaṃ patimanuvrajet / sā mṛtā svargamāpnoti varṣāṇāṃ romasaṃkhyatā

Translation

สตรีผู้เป็นวรรณะเดียวกันและมีศีลธรรม หากตามสามีผู้ล่วงลับไป ครั้นนางสิ้นชีวิตย่อมถึงสวรรค์เป็นเวลานานเท่าจำนวนขนบนกาย

Word by Word

• या: who (a woman)
• या: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक (relative pronoun)

• स्त्री: woman
• स्त्री: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• स-वर्णा: of the same caste/varna
• स-वर्णा: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (सह/सम-भावे); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• संशुभा: virtuous/auspicious
• संशुभा: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + शुभ् (धातु) → संशुभ (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्ताधारित)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण; (पाठार्थः ‘सुशोभना/साध्वी’ इत्यर्थे)

• मृतम्: dead
• मृतम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √मृ धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (पतिम्)

• पतिम्: husband
• पतिम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन

• अनुव्रजेत्: should follow (in death)
• अनुव्रजेत्: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनु + व्रज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; ‘should follow’

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; अन्वादेश (correlative pronoun)

• मृता: having died/dead
• मृता: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √मृ धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (सा)

• स्वर्गम्: heaven
• स्वर्गम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• आप्नोति: attains
• आप्नोति: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आप् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• वर्षाणाम्: of years
• वर्षाणाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive), बहुवचन

• रोम-संख्यता: (for a duration) equal to the number of hairs
• रोम-संख्यता: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रोम (प्रातिपदिक) + संख्या/संख्य (प्रातिपदिक) + ता (तद्धित)
• Form: तत्पुरुष; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘-ता’ भाववाचक (abstract noun)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Svarga

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Pativratā ideal: a virtuous wife ‘following’ the husband is praised as yielding vast svarga-phala.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma and karma-phala are powerful yet remain within samsaric reward; liberation is not explicitly taught here.

Application: Read as emphasizing loyalty and ethical steadfastness; in modern application, interpret ‘anugamana’ as unwavering support and shared dharmic life rather than self-harm.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: vira

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Geographic Context

Type: loka

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 2.38.30-32 (immediate continuation on anugamana and its fruits)

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Garuda

FAQs

What is the importance of pativrata (devotion to one’s husband) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse presents pativrata-oriented fidelity as a highly meritorious dharma, stating that such virtue yields an immense heavenly reward measured hyperbolically as “as many years as there are hairs.”

How does this verse explain the soul’s post-death destination?

It links a specific dharmic conduct (virtuous devotion and ‘following’ the husband) with a specific post-death result—attaining svarga—showing the Purana’s karma-to-fruit mapping for afterlife outcomes.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Treat it as a call to steadfast ethical conduct and loyalty within one’s responsibilities; in modern practice, emphasize integrity, compassion, and dharmic living rather than literalizing harmful acts.