Shloka 1

Cāturmāsya Observances—Commencement, Austerities, and Fruits

Devanagari script

नाम विंशत्युत्तरशततमो ऽध्यायः ब्रह्मोवाच / चातुर्मास्यव्रतान्यूचे एकादश्यां समाचरेत् / आषाढ्यां पौर्णमास्यां वा सर्वेणहरिमर्च्यच

Transliteration

nāma viṃśatyuttaraśatatamo 'dhyāyaḥ brahmovāca / cāturmāsyavratānyūce ekādaśyāṃ samācaret / āṣāḍhyāṃ paurṇamāsyāṃ vā sarveṇaharimarcyaca

Translation

Chương 121. Phạm Thiên nói: “Ta sẽ giảng về các hạnh nguyện Cāturmāsya. Nên khởi hành vào ngày Ekādaśī, hoặc vào ngày rằm tháng Āṣāḍha, và chí thành thờ phụng Hari với trọn vẹn lòng sùng kính.”

Word by Word

• nāma: (called) / name
• nāma: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nāman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/particle); अध्याय-शीर्षकसूचक

• viṃśati-uttara-śatatamaḥ: one hundred and twentieth
• viṃśati-uttara-śatatamaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: viṃśati (प्रातिपदिक) + uttara (प्रातिपदिक) + śatatama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; क्रमवाचक विशेषण (ordinal)

• adhyāyaḥ: chapter
• adhyāyaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adhyāya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• brahmā: Brahmā
• brahmā: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• cāturmāsya-vratāni: the four-month vows
• cāturmāsya-vratāni: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: cāturmāsya (प्रातिपदिक) + vrata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन

• ūce: declared / spoke
• ūce: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• ekādaśyām: on the eleventh (lunar day)
• ekādaśyām: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ekādaśī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; कालाधिकरण (time-locative)

• samācaret: one should perform
• samācaret: Kriya (Injunctive action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: car (धातु) उपसर्ग: सम्-आ-
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• āṣāḍhyām: in (the month of) Āṣāḍha
• āṣāḍhyām: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āṣāḍhī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; मास-नाम, कालाधिकरण

• paurṇamāsyām: on the full-moon day
• paurṇamāsyām: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: paurṇamāsī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; पूर्णिमा-तिथि, कालाधिकरण

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (विकल्पार्थक निपात/conjunction)

• sarveṇa: with all (one’s means) / wholly
• sarveṇa: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; साधन/करणभाव (instrumental)

• harim: Hari (Viṣṇu)
• harim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hari (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• arcya: having worshipped
• arcya: Kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: arc (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययभाव/gerund (absolutive); उपपद: हरिम्

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयार्थक/conjunction)

Speaker

Brahmā

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Cāturmāsya as time-bound devotional discipline; worship of Hari as the vow’s heart.

Vedantic Theme: Īśvara-upāsanā and niyama as purifiers that steady the mind toward sāttvika living and God-remembrance.

Application: Begin Cāturmāsya with a clear saṅkalpa on Ekādaśī or Āṣāḍha pūrṇimā; keep a consistent worship routine centered on Hari.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: Cāturmāsya-vrata and Ekādaśī-related vrata sections (within Dharma/Ācāra portions); Garuda Purana: Viṣṇu-bhakti and vrata-phala passages (adjacent chapters on vows and worship)

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Hari (Viṣṇu)

FAQs

What is the importance of Cāturmāsya in the Garuḍa Purāṇa?

This verse introduces Cāturmāsya as a formal four-month religious observance centered on worship of Hari, indicating it as a dharma-based practice for spiritual discipline and merit.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

It does not directly discuss the soul’s post-death journey; instead, it emphasizes vrata and Hari-worship—practices traditionally understood to purify karma and support auspicious spiritual outcomes.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Begin a disciplined four-month period (Cāturmāsya) from Ekādaśī or Āṣāḍha Pūrṇimā with consistent Viṣṇu devotion—regular worship, restraint, and sincere commitment.