Shloka 19

Śravaṇa-Mahātmya: The Śravaṇas, Cosmic Testimony, and the Paths of the Puruṣārthas

Devanagari script

अर्थदाता विमानैस्तु अश्वैः कामप्रदायकः / हंसयुक्तविमानैश्च मोक्षाकाङ्क्षी विसर्पति

Transliteration

arthadātā vimānaistu aśvaiḥ kāmapradāyakaḥ / haṃsayuktavimānaiśca mokṣākāṅkṣī visarpati

Translation

جو دولت کا دان کرتا ہے وہ دیویہ ویمانوں میں جاتا ہے؛ جو گھوڑے دان کرتا ہے وہ خواہشیں پوری کرنے والا بنتا ہے۔ اور جو موکش کا آرزو مند ہے وہ ہنسوں سے جُتے ویمان میں آگے بڑھتا ہے۔

Word by Word

• अर्थदाता: giver of wealth
• अर्थदाता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + दातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (arthasya dātā) (masc., nominative sg.)

• विमानैः: by/with aerial cars
• विमानैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विमान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन (instr. pl.)

• तु: but; indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (contrastive particle)

• अश्वैः: by/with horses
• अश्वैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन (instr. pl.)

• कामप्रदायकः: bestower of desires
• कामप्रदायकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रदायक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (kāmasya pradāyakaḥ) (masc., nominative sg.)

• हंसयुक्तविमानैः: with swan-yoked aerial cars
• हंसयुक्तविमानैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हंस (प्रातिपदिक) + युक्त (कृदन्त, क्त) + विमान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (हंसैः युक्तानि विमानानि) (instr. pl.)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• मोक्षाकाङ्क्षी: desiring liberation
• मोक्षाकाङ्क्षी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मोक्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + आकाङ्क्षिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (mokṣasya ākāṅkṣī) (masc., nominative sg., adjective)

• विसर्पति: moves about; proceeds
• विसर्पति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + सृप् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (present, 3rd sg.)

Speaker

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

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Svarga

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Specific dāna/merit yields corresponding modes of progress; mokṣa-aspiration is marked by purity and sattva (haṃsa symbolism).

Vedantic Theme: Karma-phala-vyavasthā (lawful correspondence of action and result) and sattva-śuddhi as a support for liberation-seeking.

Application: Practice dāna with right intention; cultivate mokṣa-icchā through sattvic living and devotion rather than reward-seeking alone.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: aerial route

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: dāna-mahātmyas and karmaphala descriptions in Dharma-kāṇḍa; Preta-kalpa transit motifs (vimāna/paths)

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Garuda
• Vimana
• Hamsa

FAQs

What is the importance of charity (dāna) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse states that specific gifts yield specific post-death attainments—wealth-giving leads to vimāna-like conveyance, horse-giving to wish-fulfilling capacity—showing dāna as a concrete karmic support for the soul’s onward journey.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul after death?

It presents the after-death movement as shaped by karma: meritorious acts like dāna become ‘vehicles’ and capacities that help the departed proceed, while a mokṣa-oriented person is portrayed as moving onward in a higher, swan-yoked vimāna.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Practice purposeful giving—support others materially (artha-dāna) and through life-enabling resources (symbolized by aśva-dāna), while cultivating a sincere intention for liberation through ethical living, devotion, and inner discipline.