Shloka 22

Devanagari script

आगतो ऽहं गयां देव ! पितृकार्ये गदाधर / तन्मे साक्षी भवत्वद्य अनृणो ऽहमृणत्रयात्

Transliteration

āgato 'haṃ gayāṃ deva ! pitṛkārye gadādhara / tanme sākṣī bhavatvadya anṛṇo 'hamṛṇatrayāt

Translation

اے دیو! اے گدाधر! میں پِتروں کے کرم کے لیے گیا آیا ہوں؛ آج آپ میرے گواہ ہوں—میں تین گونہ قرض سے بےقرض ہو جاؤں۔

Word by Word

• आगतः: (I) have come
• आगतः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आगत (कृदन्त; आ-√गम् धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP) — ‘come’ (with अहम्)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• गयाम्: to Gayā
• गयाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• देव: O god
• देव: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• पितृकार्ये: in/for the ancestral rite
• पितृकार्ये: Hetu/Adhikarana (Purpose/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ + कार्य (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (pitṛ-kārya = duty/rite for ancestors)

• गदाधर: O mace-bearer (Viṣṇu)
• गदाधर: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गदा + धर (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष (one who holds a mace)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; सर्वनाम — here ‘that (fact)’

• मे: for me / my
• मे: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (enclitic)

• साक्षी: witness
• साक्षी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साक्षिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• भवतु: let (him/it) be
• भवतु: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative/आज्ञार्थ), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अद्य: today
• अद्य: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb of time)

• अनृणः: free from debt/obligation
• अनृणः: Karta (Subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनृण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (of अहम्)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• ऋणत्रयात्: from the three debts
• ऋणत्रयात्: Apadana (Ablative/source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋण + त्रय (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (three debts)

Speaker

A devotee/householder addressing Lord Viṣṇu (Gadādhara) in the context of Gayā-śrāddha; cited within the Garuḍa Purāṇa’s ritual instruction narrative.

Shraddha Ritual

Ritual Type: Parvana

Beneficiary: Pitr

Timing: Gayā tīrtha-śrāddha (pilgrimage context)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: By performing pitṛ-kārya at Gayā with Viṣṇu as witness, one seeks to become ‘anṛṇa’—freed from ṛṇa-traya (debts to devas, ṛṣis, pitṛs).

Vedantic Theme: Karma-yoga orientation: fulfilling obligatory duties without omission purifies the mind; bhakti to Viṣṇu sanctifies action and intention.

Application: Integrate devotion into duty: while doing śrāddha, explicitly dedicate the act to Viṣṇu and reflect on fulfilling obligations to teachers, society, and ancestors.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Geographic Context

Type: tirtha

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana passages on ṛṇa-traya and the necessity of pitṛ-kārya; Garuda Purana Vaiṣṇava framing of tīrtha-śrāddha at Gayā

Characters & Entities

• Gayā
• Viṣṇu (Gadādhara)
• Pitṛs (ancestors)
• Ṛṇa-traya (threefold debt)

FAQs

What is the importance of Gayā-śrāddha in the Garuḍa Purāṇa?

This verse frames Gayā as a sacred place where one performs pitṛ-kārya (ancestral rites) in the presence of Viṣṇu, seeking religious completion and the fulfillment of obligations to ancestors.

How does this verse relate to the ‘threefold debt’ (ṛṇa-traya)?

The speaker asks to be a witness that the duty to the Pitṛs is being performed, aiming to become anṛṇa—free from ṛṇa-traya, traditionally understood as obligations to Devas (through worship), Ṛṣis (through study/teaching), and Pitṛs (through progeny and śrāddha).

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Honor responsibilities: maintain regular worship, preserve learning/tradition, and care for family and ancestors through remembrance and appropriate rites—living in a way that reduces neglected obligations (ṛṇa) and strengthens dharma.