Shloka 95

Ācāra-Nirṇaya: Varṇa-Āśrama Dharma, Śauca, Snāna, Sandhyā, Japa, Tarpaṇa, and Gṛhastha-Dinacaryā

Devanagari script

देशं गतानां या वृद्धिर्नानापण्योपजीविनाम् / कुसीदं कुर्वतः सम्यक् संस्थितस्यैव जायते

Transliteration

deśaṃ gatānāṃ yā vṛddhirnānāpaṇyopajīvinām / kusīdaṃ kurvataḥ samyak saṃsthitasyaiva jāyate

Translation

جو لوگ دوسرے دیس جا کر طرح طرح کی تجارت سے روزی کماتے ہیں، انہیں جو نفع کی بڑھوتری ہوتی ہے، ویسی ہی بڑھوتری درست طور پر مستحکم ہو کر کُسید کرنے والے ہی کو حاصل ہوتی ہے۔

Word by Word

• देशम्: to a place/region
• देशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• गतानाम्: of those who have gone
• गतानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) (कृदन्त: क्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past active participle, क्त); पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; 'गच्छताम्/गतवताम्' अर्थे

• या: which
• या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• वृद्धिः: increase/profit
• वृद्धिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• नाना-पण्य-उपजीविनाम्: of those living by various trades/merchandise
• नाना-पण्य-उपजीविनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाना (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + पण्य (प्रातिपदिक) + उपजीविन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (पण्येन उपजीविनः) उपपद-समास; नाना इति विशेषणपूर्वपद

• कुसीदम्: usury/interest-lending
• कुसीदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुसीद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• कुर्वतः: of one who practices/does
• कुर्वतः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) (कृदन्त: शतृ)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle, शतृ); पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• सम्यक्: properly
• सम्यक्: Avyaya (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्यक् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• संस्थितस्य: of one who is well-established/steady
• संस्थितस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + स्था (धातु) (कृदन्त: क्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle, क्त); पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; 'स्थित/स्थिर' अर्थे

• एव: indeed
• एव: Avyaya (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक निपात (emphasis)

• जायते: arises/is produced
• जायते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in discourse to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Profit that traders gain by traveling and diverse commerce is paralleled with the gain of one who lends at interest while remaining ‘well-established’—highlighting the social mechanism of wealth concentration.

Vedantic Theme: Preyas (easy gain) masquerading as success; attachment to security and accumulation strengthens ahankara and bondage.

Application: Interrogate ‘passive income’ ethics; prefer value-creating enterprise and fair partnership over extraction from others’ necessity.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Geographic Context

Type: trade routes/foreign markets (implied)

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana discussions of household dharma: earning, giving, and purifying wealth through dana and worship (contextual).

Characters & Entities

• Garuda
• Vishnu

FAQs

What is the importance of ethical earning (dharma-artha) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse frames wealth-increase as something that arises from proper livelihood—trade through travel or lending—when done in a rightly ordered and stable manner, implying that gain should align with dharmic discipline rather than reckless or exploitative conduct.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

Indirectly, it points to karma in worldly conduct: how one earns and increases wealth is a moral action that shapes merit and demerit, which the Garuda Purana later connects to post-death outcomes under Yama’s governance.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Earn through transparent, lawful work; if lending money, keep terms fair and responsible; and pursue profit from a stable, disciplined base rather than greed-driven risk or harm to others.