Shloka 18
Hari’s Avatāras and the Cosmic Power of Pativratā-Dharma
पतिव्रता तु सा सीता ह्यनसूया यथैव तु / पतिव्रताया माहात्म्यं शृणु त्वं कथयाम्यहम्
pativratā tu sā sītā hyanasūyā yathaiva tu / pativratāyā māhātmyaṃ śṛṇu tvaṃ kathayāmyaham
Si Sītā ay tunay na pativratā, tapat sa asawa, gaya ni Anasūyā. Ngayon makinig ka—isasalaysay ko ang kadakilaan at banal na kapangyarihan ng isang pativratā.
Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinatā-putra)
Concept: Pativratā-mahātmya: steadfast conjugal dharma generates spiritual power and moral authority; Sītā and Anasūyā are paradigms.
Vedantic Theme: Śīla (ethical character) as a purifier of mind (citta-śuddhi), preparing for higher knowledge; devotion expressed as disciplined virtue.
Application: Cultivate fidelity, integrity, and self-restraint; honor mutual responsibility in relationships; treat virtue as a source of strength, not mere social formality.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: didactic setting (narrator-to-listener)
Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.142.17 (Sītā’s tri-karaṇa fidelity as proof-text)
FAQs
This verse frames pativratā-dharma as a spiritually potent form of household virtue, illustrated through Sītā and Anasūyā, and introduces a teaching on its sacred greatness (māhātmya).
Indirectly: it points to dharmic conduct within household life as a source of spiritual merit, which the Garuda Purana often treats as shaping one’s post-death outcomes and higher destiny.
Cultivate fidelity, integrity, and responsibility in committed relationships, treating marital ethics as a disciplined spiritual practice rather than merely a social norm.