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Shloka 56

Garuḍa’s Return to Vaikuṇṭha and the Comprehensive Inquiry into Death-Rites and the Preta’s Journey

Devanagari script

धारयेद्ब्रह्मसूत्रं वा का गतिस्तस्य माधव / शूद्रस्य ब्राह्मणी भार्या संगृहीता यदा भवेत्

Transliteration

dhārayedbrahmasūtraṃ vā kā gatistasya mādhava / śūdrasya brāhmaṇī bhāryā saṃgṛhītā yadā bhavet

Translation

“Dẫu có đeo sợi chỉ thánh (brahmasūtra) đi nữa, hỡi Mādhava, thì số phận người ấy sẽ ra sao khi một Śūdra giữ một người phụ nữ Brāhmaṇī làm vợ/bạn đời?”

Word by Word
धारयेत्should wear/hold
धारयेत्:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootधृ (धातु)
Formविधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद
ब्रह्मसूत्रम्the sacred thread (brahma-sūtra)
ब्रह्मसूत्रम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootब्रह्मन् + सूत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन
वाor
वा:
Sambandha/Connector
TypeIndeclinable
Rootवा (अव्यय)
Formविकल्पार्थक-निपात (disjunctive particle)
काwhat?
का:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootकिम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक
गतिःfate/going/attainment
गतिः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootगति (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन
तस्यof him/of that
तस्य:
Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन
माधवO Mādhava
माधव:
Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
TypeNoun
Rootमाधव (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन
शूद्रस्यof a Śūdra
शूद्रस्य:
Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootशूद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन
ब्राह्मणीa Brahmin woman
ब्राह्मणी:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootब्राह्मणी (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन
भार्याwife
भार्या:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootभार्या (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन
संगृहीताtaken/kept (as)
संगृहीता:
Kriya/State (Predicate/विधेय)
TypeVerb
Rootसम् + ग्रह् (धातु) → संगृहीत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
Formभूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन
यदाwhen
यदा:
Adverbial (काल)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootयदा (अव्यय)
Formकालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)
भवेत्should be/happen
भवेत्:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootभू (धातु)
Formविधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद
Speaker

Garuda (Vinata-putra) addressing Lord Vishnu (Madhava)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: External marks of dharma (like the sacred thread) do not guarantee right destiny if conduct violates core social-ethical restraints.

Vedantic Theme: Primacy of inner disposition and right action over mere external symbols; karma as determinant of gati.

Application: Treat religious identity markers as secondary to integrity, consent, and non-harm; align relationships with ethical responsibility and community norms.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bibhatsa

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana moral-legal discussions on varṇa/āśrama boundaries and consequences (contextual continuity in 2.1)

Characters & Entities
M
Madhava
G
Garuda
B
Brahmasutra
S
Shudra
B
Brahmani

FAQs

Here 'gati' refers to the moral-spiritual outcome shaped by conduct; the verse questions whether external markers like the sacred thread can secure a good destiny when one commits a serious dharmic transgression.

The verse frames a specific act as a dharma-violation and links it to the broader Preta Kanda concern: actions in life determine post-death outcomes, regardless of superficial religious appearance.

Do not treat religious symbols as substitutes for ethical integrity; the text emphasizes that right conduct and responsibility, not mere external identity, shape one’s spiritual trajectory.

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