Shloka 39

Explanation of the Sapiṇḍana Rite; Causes of Pretahood; Viṣṇu Worship and Preta-ghaṭa Dāna

Devanagari script

कृतघ्ना नास्तिका रौद्रास्तथा साहसिका नराः / पञ्चयज्ञविनिर्मुक्ता महादानरताश्च ये

Transliteration

kṛtaghnā nāstikā raudrāstathā sāhasikā narāḥ / pañcayajñavinirmuktā mahādānaratāśca ye

Translation

ناشکری کرنے والے، ناستک، سنگدل اور دلیری کے نام پر ظلم کرنے والے؛ نیز وہ جو پنچ یَجْن (پانچ نِتّیہ فرائض) چھوڑ دیں، اگرچہ بڑے دان میں مشغول ہوں—یہ سب مذموم قرار دیے گئے ہیں۔

Word by Word

• कृतघ्नाः: ungrateful persons
• कृतघ्नाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृतघ्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• नास्तिकाः: atheists / deniers (of Veda)
• नास्तिकाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नास्तिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• रौद्राः: cruel / fierce
• रौद्राः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रौद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Masculine, Nominative, Plural; विशेषणम्

• तथा: also / likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• साहसिकाः: violent / rash-doers
• साहसिकाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साहसिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• नराः: men
• नराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• पञ्चयज्ञविनिर्मुक्ताः: those who have abandoned the five sacrifices
• पञ्चयज्ञविनिर्मुक्ताः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्च-यज्ञ-विनिर्मुक्त (प्रातिपदिक; पञ्च + यज्ञ + विनिर्मुक्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Masculine, Nominative, Plural; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) ‘विनिर्मुक्त’; विशेषणम्

• महादानरताः: devoted to great gifts (ostentatious charity)
• महादानरताः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा-दान-रत (प्रातिपदिक; महा + दान + रत)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Masculine, Nominative, Plural; विशेषणम्

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• ये: those who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in discourse to Garuda/Vainateya)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Pretayoni

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Character and daily dharma matter: abandoning pañca-yajña and living with cruelty/atheism/ingratitude is blameworthy even if one performs large donations.

Vedantic Theme: Outer acts without sattvic disposition and niyama do not purify; dharma as inner alignment, not mere display.

Application: Cultivate gratitude, faith/reverence, non-violence, and steadiness; maintain consistent daily duties/service rather than occasional grand gestures.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: raudra

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: sections emphasizing śrāddha, daily rites, and the insufficiency of mere external charity without dharma (thematic internal parallel).

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Garuda
• Pañca-yajñas

FAQs

What is the importance of pañca-yajña in the Garuda Purana?

This verse stresses that neglecting the five daily sacred duties (pañca-yajña) is a serious lapse in dharma, not easily offset even by large charitable gifts.

Does the verse say that charity cannot remove sin?

It implies that charity (mahā-dāna) alone is not a substitute for basic daily obligations; dharma requires both right conduct and prescribed duties, not gifts without discipline.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Along with generosity, maintain daily ethical and spiritual disciplines—gratitude, non-cruelty, and consistent duties toward teachers, ancestors, beings, and the Divine—rather than relying on occasional grand donations.