Shloka 18

Viṣṇv-ekapūjya-nirṇaya; Gaṅgā-Viṣṇupadī-māhātmya; Kali-yuga doṣa; Puṣkara-dharma of Viṣṇu-smaraṇa

Devanagari script

चिकित्सितं परदुः खं खगेन्द्र दरेर्भक्तैस्त्याज्यमेवं सदैव

Transliteration

cikitsitaṃ paraduḥ khaṃ khagendra darerbhaktaistyājyamevaṃ sadaiva

Translation

اے خگےندر! ‘علاج’ کے نام پر بھی دوسرے کو دکھ پہنچانا خداوندِ ہری کے بھکتوں کے لیے ہمیشہ ترک کرنے کے لائق ہے؛ ہر وقت اسے چھوڑ دینا چاہیے۔

Word by Word

• cikitsitaṃ: (that which is) treated/medicine
• cikitsitaṃ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √cikits (धातु)
• Form: Kta-pratyaya (क्त), Past passive participle; Napुंसकलिङ्ग, Prathamā/Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; “treated/medicined”

• para-duḥkhaṃ: others’ sorrow
• para-duḥkhaṃ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक) + duḥkha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसकलिङ्ग, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; कर्मधारय “others’ suffering”

• khagendra: O Garuda
• khagendra: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: khaga + indra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Sambodhana, Ekavacana

• dareḥ: of Dari
• dareḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dari (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Ṣaṣṭhī, Ekavacana; “of Dari” (proper name; reading darer→dareḥ)

• bhaktaiḥ: by devotees
• bhaktaiḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhakta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Tṛtīyā (3rd/तृतीया), Bahuvacana

• tyājyam: should be abandoned
• tyājyam: Vidheyārtha (विधेय/कर्तव्यता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √tyaj (धातु)
• Form: Gerundive/Obligative: Yat-pratyaya (यत्), “to be abandoned”; Napुंसकलिङ्ग, Prathamā, Ekavacana (impersonal predicate)

• evaṃ: thus
• evaṃ: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evaṃ (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; adverb

• sadā: always
• sadā: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sadā (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; adverb

• eva: indeed/only
• eva: Avadhāraṇa (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; particle of emphasis (अवधारण)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: For Hari’s devotees, causing another’s suffering—especially when justified as ‘therapy’—is to be abandoned always; ends do not sanctify harmful means.

Vedantic Theme: Ahimsā and dayā as expressions of sattva and as supports for bhakti; ethical means as integral to spiritual ends.

Application: Refuse cruelty framed as discipline, ‘tough love,’ or expedient cure; choose compassionate alternatives, informed consent, and least-harm interventions.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: karuna

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana ethical instructions to devotees (bhakta-ācāra) emphasizing dayā/ahimsā (contextual)

Characters & Entities

• Garuda
• Vishnu

FAQs

What is the importance of compassion (dayā) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse frames compassion as a constant duty for devotees: even actions justified as ‘remedial’ should be rejected if they inflict suffering on others.

How does this verse connect to karma and afterlife teachings in the Garuda Purana?

By warning against causing others pain, it points to karmic accountability—harmful intent and harmful outcomes become causes of future suffering, a key theme in the Purana’s afterlife ethics.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Choose solutions that reduce harm: speak truth without cruelty, correct others without humiliation, and prefer compassionate discipline over punitive actions.