Shloka 39
Jñāna-hetu-nirūpaṇa
On the Causes/Means of Knowledge
तेन प्रीतिर्देवदेवस्य विष्णर्भविष्यतीत्येव विनिश्चितात्मा / प्रश्रादिकं त्वज्ञवत्सर्वदैवं करिष्येहं मोहनायाधमानाम्
tena prītirdevadevasya viṣṇarbhaviṣyatītyeva viniścitātmā / praśrādikaṃ tvajñavatsarvadaivaṃ kariṣyehaṃ mohanāyādhamānām
其心坚决已定：“以此，诸神之主毗湿奴必定欢喜。”他将如同无知者一般行施罗陀等相关仪轨，并在此不断奉行诸神圣事，为迷惑卑劣之人而作。
Narrator (within the Vishnu–Garuda dialogue context)
Concept: Ritual action (including śrāddha) is to be performed with the inner intention of pleasing Viṣṇu; outward appearance (as if ignorant) can be adopted for dharmic strategy.
Vedantic Theme: Karma offered to Īśvara (īśvara-arpita-buddhi) purifies; inner resolve (niścaya) outweighs external labels of knowledge/ignorance.
Application: Perform obligatory rites without arrogance; keep intention devotional; avoid provoking the malicious—let actions be steady, motives pure.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: vira
Related Themes: Garuda Purana 3.12.38 (mohana rationale); Garuda Purana 3.12.40 (śravaṇa for Hari-prīti)
FAQs
This verse frames śrāddha as a rite believed to please Lord Viṣṇu, but it also warns that rituals can be performed outwardly—even strategically—without genuine understanding or purity of intent.
Indirectly, it emphasizes the ritual framework (śrāddha and daiva-kriyā) associated with post-death duties; the text also cautions that mere performance without sincerity can become empty show or even a tool for misleading others.
Perform ancestral and devotional rites with clarity and sincerity—prioritizing ethical conduct and true reverence—rather than using ritual as social display or manipulation.