Garuda Purana — Preta Kalpa, Shloka 24

Vow-Fasting (Anaśana), Sannyāsa, Tīrtha-Death, and the Ethics of Dāna

Devanagari script

गृहात् प्रचलितस्तीर्थं मरणे समुपस्थिते / पदेपदे तु गोदानं यदि हिंसा न जायते

Transliteration

gṛhāt pracalitastīrthaṃ maraṇe samupasthite / padepade tu godānaṃ yadi hiṃsā na jāyate

Translation

جب موت قریب آ جائے تو جو گھر سے چل کر تیرتھ کی طرف روانہ ہو، اسے تیرتھ یاترا کا پُنّیہ ملتا ہے؛ اور اگر کوئی ہنسا نہ ہو تو ہر قدم پر گویا گو-دان کا پھل حاصل ہوتا ہے۔

Word by Word

• gṛhāt: from (one’s) house
• gṛhāt: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gṛha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Ablative (5th/पञ्चमी), Singular

• pracalitaḥ: having set out / departed
• pracalitaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-cal (धा॒तु)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; from √cal with prefix pra-

• tīrtham: to a pilgrimage place
• tīrtham: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular

• maraṇe: at death / at the time of dying
• maraṇe: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular

• samupasthite: when it has arrived / when it is imminent
• samupasthite: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-upa-sthā (धा॒तु)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Neuter, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular; agreeing with maraṇe; from √sthā with prefixes sam-upa-

• pade: at each step
• pade: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular; used in repetition

• pade: at every step
• pade: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular; reduplication (pade pade)

• tu: indeed/but
• tu: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (अवधारण/विरोधार्थक)

• go-dānam: gift of a cow
• go-dānam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: go (प्रातिपदिक) + dāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (goḥ dānam)

• yadi: if
• yadi: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadi (अव्यय)
• Form: Conditional particle (शर्तार्थक अव्यय)

• hiṃsā: harm/violence
• hiṃsā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hiṃsā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Negation particle (निषेधार्थक अव्यय)

• jāyate: arises/occurs
• jāyate: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jan (धा॒तु)
• Form: Present tense (लट्), Ātmanepada, 3rd Person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular

Speaker

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

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: At life’s end, purposeful movement toward the sacred yields great merit, but must be free from causing harm.

Vedantic Theme: Ahiṃsā as sattva-enhancing discipline; intentionality (saṅkalpa) and purity of means shape karmic fruit.

Application: In urgent transitions, keep ethics intact: pursue spiritual goals without harming others; make the journey itself a mindful practice.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: vira

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: pilgrimage-route

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 2.36.23 (fortune of attaining tīrtha at death); Garuda Purana 2.36.25 (purification by tīrtha; warning against sin there)

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Garuda

FAQs

What is the importance of pilgrimage (tīrtha-yātrā) in the Garuda Purana when death is near?

This verse says that setting out from home toward a tīrtha at the approach of death grants pilgrimage-merit, emphasizing sincere movement toward sacredness even in one’s final phase.

How does this verse describe merit (puṇya) gained step by step?

It states that each step taken toward a tīrtha is credited like performing go-dāna repeatedly, portraying the journey itself as a continuous act of religious merit.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Make end-of-life actions dharmic: move toward prayer, sacred remembrance, and charity, but ensure ahimsa—do not create harm to people, animals, or others while pursuing religious acts.