Shloka 14

Gayā-kṣetra and Phalgu Tīrtha: Sites, Rites, and the Liberation of the Pitṛs

Devanagari script

धर्मारण्यं धर्ममीशं दृष्ट्वा स्यादृणनाशनम् / देवं गृध्रेश्वरं दृष्ट्वा को न मुच्येत बन्धनात्

Transliteration

dharmāraṇyaṃ dharmamīśaṃ dṛṣṭvā syādṛṇanāśanam / devaṃ gṛdhreśvaraṃ dṛṣṭvā ko na mucyeta bandhanāt

Translation

Sa pagtanaw sa Dharmāraṇya at Dharmamīśa, napapawi ang lahat ng pagkakautang. At sa pagtanaw sa banal na Gṛdhreśvara, sino ang hindi mapapalaya sa pagkagapos?

Word by Word

• धर्मारण्यम्: Dharmāraṇya (sacred forest)
• धर्मारण्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + अरण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (कर्मधारय/षष्ठीभाव: धर्मस्य अरण्यम् ‘forest of dharma’); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• धर्मम्: Dharma / righteousness
• धर्मम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular

• ईशम्: the Lord (Īśa)
• ईशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial participle/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + क्त्वा (अव्ययकृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund); having seen

• स्यात्: may become / would be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; may be/become

• ऋणनाशनम्: destruction of debt
• ऋणनाशनम्: Karta-pradhana (Subject complement/कर्तृपूरक)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋण (प्रातिपदिक) + नाशन (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √नश्/नाश्)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ऋणस्य नाशनम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; predicate nominative

• देवम्: the god
• देवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular

• गृध्रेश्वरम्: Gṛdhreśvara (Lord of the vulture / a deity-name)
• गृध्रेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृध्र (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: गृध्रस्य ईश्वरः); पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial participle/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + क्त्वा (अव्ययकृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund); having seen

• कः: who
• कः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Interrogative pronoun, nominative singular

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• मुच्येत: would be freed
• मुच्येत: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद; Passive sense possible ‘be released’

• बन्धनात्: from bondage
• बन्धनात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बन्धन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Ablative singular (source/separation)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in dialogue with Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Tīrtha and īśvara-darśana function as powerful prāyaścitta-like merit, destroying ṛṇa (debts) and loosening saṃsāric bondage.

Vedantic Theme: Grace (anugraha) mediated through sacred place and deity; karma-kṣaya through concentrated devotion.

Application: Undertake periodic pilgrimage with ethical preparation (truthfulness, restraint, charity); use darśana as a vow-renewal to reduce ‘debts’ (social, familial, moral).

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: forest tīrtha and temple-kṣetra

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: tīrtha-māhātmya style phala-śruti; bondage-release through darśana and nāma-smaraṇa

Characters & Entities

• Dharmāraṇya
• Dharmamīśa
• Gṛdhreśvara

FAQs

What is the importance of darshan of Dharmāraṇya in the Garuda Purana?

This verse states that seeing Dharmāraṇya (and Dharmamīśa) is credited with ṛṇa-nāśana—removal of burdensome debts/obligations—indicating strong purificatory merit connected with that sacred site and its presiding dharmic principle.

How does this verse explain release from bondage?

It frames liberation in practical karmic terms: darshan of Dharmamīśa and Gṛdhreśvara is said to loosen ‘bandhana’ (bondage), implying that devotion and contact with dharma-centered sacred power can reduce binding karmic consequences.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Cultivate dharma (ethical conduct) and purposeful devotion; when visiting temples/tirthas, approach with repentance, vows, and charitable giving—treating “debt” as both material obligation and moral accountability to be resolved.