Shloka 59

Vṛṣotsarga (Bull-Release Gift): Procedure, Merit, and Narratives on Dharma, Karma, and Liberation

Devanagari script

यत्त्वया ह्युपचीर्णानि तानि सर्वाणि मे वद / वैश्य उवाच / गङ्गा च सूर्य तनया महापुण्या सरस्वती

Transliteration

yattvayā hyupacīrṇāni tāni sarvāṇi me vada / vaiśya uvāca / gaṅgā ca sūrya tanayā mahāpuṇyā sarasvatī

Translation

تم نے جو جو اعمال و انوشتھان کیے ہیں، وہ سب مجھے بتاؤ۔ ویشیہ نے کہا—گنگا، سورج کی بیٹی یمنا، اور نہایت پُنیہ سرسوتی۔

Word by Word

• यत्: which/that (what)
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; (correlative to tāni)

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; तृतीया (3rd case), एकवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle: emphasis/indeed)

• उपचीर्णानि: practised/undertaken
• उपचीर्णानि: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: upa-√चर् (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; (here agreeing with tāni: 'performed/observed')

• तानि: those
• तानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• सर्वाणि: all
• सर्वाणि: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying tāni)

• मे: to me / for me
• मे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; षष्ठी (6th case), एकवचन; (enclitic)

• वद: tell/say
• वद: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वद् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन

• वैश्यः: the Vaiśya
• वैश्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vaiśya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; वक्तृ-निर्देश

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• गङ्गा: Gaṅgā (Ganges)
• गङ्गा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaṅgā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• सूर्य-तनया: daughter of the Sun (Yamunā)
• सूर्य-तनया: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sūrya (प्रातिपदिक) + tanayā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष ('daughter of the Sun')

• महापुण्या: very holy
• महापुण्या: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + puṇya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारय ('greatly holy'); विशेषण (qualifying sarasvatī/river)

• सरस्वती: Sarasvatī
• सरस्वती: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarasvatī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Vaiśya (narrative speaker within the dialogue)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Merit (puṇya) accrues through tīrtha-snāna, remembrance, and observances connected with sacred rivers.

Vedantic Theme: Śuddhi as preparatory discipline: external purity supports inner sattva, enabling steadiness for bhakti/jñāna.

Application: Practice tīrtha-snāna or mindful remembrance (smaraṇa) of Gaṅgā-Yamunā-Sarasvatī with vows of ethical living; support river conservation as dharma.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: rivers/tīrthas

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 2.6.58-62 (catalog of tīrthas beginning with major rivers)

Characters & Entities

• Ganga
• Yamuna (Suryatanaya)
• Sarasvati

FAQs

What is the importance of sacred rivers like Ganga in the Garuda Purana?

This verse frames holy rivers as sources of great merit (puṇya), often invoked when listing purificatory acts and religious observances relevant to post-death welfare and ritual purity.

How does this verse connect to Garuda Purana teachings on after-death rites?

In the Preta Kanda context, the text frequently asks what practices were performed; here the reply begins by naming major tīrthas (Ganga, Yamunā, Sarasvatī), implying that contact with sacred waters is counted among meritorious observances supporting the departed’s auspicious passage.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Treat purification as both inner and outer: honor sacred waters (or their remembrance), and pair ritual cleanliness with truthful, disciplined living so that one’s “performed observances” are meaningful, not merely formal.