Garuda Purana — Preta Kalpa, Shloka 26

Moksha and Svarga through Dāna, Tīrtha, Nāma-smaraṇa, and Bhāva

Devanagari script

वापी कूपतडागानामारामसुरसद्मनाम् / जीर्णोद्धारं प्रकुर्वाणः पूर्वकर्तुः फलं लभेत् / जीर्णोद्धारेण वा तेषां तत् पुण्यं द्विगुणं भवेत्

Transliteration

vāpī kūpataḍāgānāmārāmasurasadmanām / jīrṇoddhāraṃ prakurvāṇaḥ pūrvakartuḥ phalaṃ labhet / jīrṇoddhāreṇa vā teṣāṃ tat puṇyaṃ dviguṇaṃ bhavet

Translation

Ai đứng ra trùng tu những giếng bậc, giếng, ao hồ, vườn tược và đền miếu—nơi ngự của chư thiên—đã hư hoại, người ấy nhận được công đức vốn thuộc về người kiến tạo ban đầu. Hơn nữa, nhờ sự trùng tu ấy, công đức gắn với các công trình ấy trở thành gấp đôi.

Word by Word

• वापी: a step-well/tank
• वापी: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वापी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• कूप-तडागानाम्: of wells and ponds
• कूप-तडागानाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कूप (प्रातिपदिक) + तडाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्वसमास; पुं/नपुंसक (collective), षष्ठी (Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural)

• आराम-सुर-सद्मनाम्: of gardens and temples (abodes of gods)
• आराम-सुर-सद्मनाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आराम (प्रातिपदिक) + सुर (प्रातिपदिक) + सद्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्वसमास (enumerative); षष्ठी (Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural)

• जीर्ण-उद्धारम्: renovation/repair of what is worn-out
• जीर्ण-उद्धारम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जीर्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + उद्धार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-भावे तत्पुरुष; पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्रकुर्वाणः: undertaking (it)
• प्रकुर्वाणः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + कृ (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्यय (Present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘doing/undertaking’

• पूर्व-कर्तुः: of the former doer/builder
• पूर्व-कर्तुः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + कर्तृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय; पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)

• फलम्: fruit/result
• फलम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• लभेत्: would obtain
• लभेत्: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन, आत्मनेपद; ‘would obtain’

• जीर्ण-उद्धारेण: by renovation/repair
• जीर्ण-उद्धारेण: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जीर्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + उद्धार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष; पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक अव्यय (disjunctive particle)

• तेषाम्: of those (works)
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• पुण्यम्: merit
• पुण्यम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन

• द्विगुणम्: twofold/double
• द्विगुणम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगुसमास; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• भवेत्: would become
• भवेत्: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; ‘would become’

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Renovating decayed wells, ponds, gardens, and temples transfers/recovers the original builder’s merit; restoration doubles the associated puṇya.

Vedantic Theme: Sevā as dharma that supports loka-saṅgraha (maintenance of the world); merit is linked to sustaining life and sacred order.

Application: Prioritize restoration and maintenance of community resources (water, ecology, heritage temples) as high-impact dharmic giving.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: vira

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: tīrtha/settlement infrastructure and temple precincts

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: dāna of water, wells, and temple service praised as enduring puṇya; Garuda Purana: emphasis on ‘jīrṇoddhāra’ (restoration) as superior to new construction in some contexts

Characters & Entities

• Devas

FAQs

What is the importance of jīrṇoddhāra (renovation of old structures) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse states that restoring decayed wells, ponds, gardens, and temples grants the restorer the fruit of the original founder’s act, and the associated merit becomes twofold—showing jīrṇoddhāra as a high-value dharmic service.

How does this verse relate to karma and post-death benefit in the Garuda Purana?

In the Preta Kanda context, merit (puṇya) is treated as a real karmic “fruit” that supports the soul’s welfare; this verse emphasizes that socially beneficial restoration generates strong, even doubled, puṇya.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Support or undertake repairs of neglected temples and community water resources (wells, tanks, stepwells), and maintain public gardens—treating such work as a dharmic act that benefits society while accruing spiritual merit.