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Garuda Purana — Preta Kalpa, Shloka 33

Jīva-yonis (84 Lakhs), Rarity of Human Birth, Sense-Restraint, Craving, and Śraddhā-based Dharma

Devanagari script

अकिञ्चना हि मुनयः श्रद्धावन्तो दिवं गताः / अश्रद्धया हुतं दत्तं तपस्तप्तं कृतं च यत् / असदित्युच्यते पक्षिन्प्रेत्य चेह न तत्फलम्

Transliteration

akiñcanā hi munayaḥ śraddhāvanto divaṃ gatāḥ / aśraddhayā hutaṃ dattaṃ tapastaptaṃ kṛtaṃ ca yat / asadityucyate pakṣinpretya ceha na tatphalam

Translation

诚然，那些无所拥有而具足信心（śraddhā）的牟尼圣者得升天界。然若无信而投供于火、行布施、修苦行者，皆名为“虚妄”（无果），噢，鸟王；死后乃至现世，皆不得其报。

Word by Word
अकिञ्चनाःwithout possessions, poor
अकिञ्चनाः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootअकिञ्चन (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषण (Masculine, Nominative, Plural; adjective)
हिindeed, for
हि:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootहि (अव्यय)
Formनिपात/पदार्थबोधक (particle; indeed/for)
मुनयःsages
मुनयः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootमुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Plural)
श्रद्धावन्तःfaithful
श्रद्धावन्तः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootश्रद्धावत् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषण (Masculine, Nominative, Plural; adjective)
दिवम्to heaven
दिवम्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootदिव्/द्यौस् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)
गताःhave gone
गताः:
Kriya (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootगम् (धातु) + गत (कृदन्त, क्त)
Formभूतकाले क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोग (Past participle; Masculine, Nom. Pl.; used predicatively: 'have gone')
अश्रद्धयाwith lack of faith
अश्रद्धया:
Karana (करण)
TypeNoun
Rootअश्रद्धा (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन (Feminine, Instrumental, Singular)
हुतम्offering (oblation) made
हुतम्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootहु (धातु) + हुत (कृदन्त, क्त)
Formक्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मवाच्यभाव (Past participle used as noun; Neuter Nom./Acc. Sg.)
दत्तम्gift given
दत्तम्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootदा (धातु) + दत्त (कृदन्त, क्त)
Formक्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter Nom./Acc. Sg.; 'given')
तपःausterity
तपः:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootतपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter Nom./Acc. Singular)
तप्तम्performed (austerity)
तप्तम्:
Visheshana (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootतप् (धातु) + तप्त (कृदन्त, क्त)
Formक्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (Neuter Nom./Acc. Sg.; adjectival: 'performed')
कृतम्act done
कृतम्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootकृ (धातु) + कृत (कृदन्त, क्त)
Formक्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter Nom./Acc. Sg.; 'done')
चand
च:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)
यत्whatever
यत्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootयद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक सर्वनाम (Neuter Nom./Acc. Sg.; relative pronoun: 'whatever')
असत्unreal/invalid (as good)
असत्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootअसत् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter Nom./Acc. Sg.)
इतिthus
इति:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/quotative)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootइति (अव्यय)
Formउद्धरण/प्रकारबोधक अव्यय (quotative particle)
उच्यतेis called
उच्यते:
Kriya (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootवच् (धातु)
Formलट्-लकार, कर्मणि प्रयोग; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (Present indicative; Passive; 3rd person singular)
पक्षिन्O bird (Garuda)
पक्षिन्:
Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
TypeNoun
Rootपक्षिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन (Masculine, Vocative, Singular)
प्रेत्यafter death
प्रेत्य:
Kriya-visheshaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootप्र + इ (धातु) + प्रेत्य (अव्ययभावे ल्यप्)
Formक्त्वान्त/ल्यपन्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive): 'having gone/after death'
चand
च:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)
इहhere (in this world)
इह:
Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootइह (अव्यय)
Formदेशवाचक अव्यय (adverb of place)
नnot
न:
Pratishedha (प्रतिषेध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootन (अव्यय)
Formनिषेधबोधक अव्यय (negation particle)
तत्that
तत्:
Visheshana (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (Neuter Nom./Acc. Sg.; demonstrative: 'that')
फलम्fruit/result
फलम्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootफल (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter Nom./Acc. Singular)
Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Śraddhā is the decisive qualifier that makes dāna/homa/tapas real and fruit-bearing; without śraddhā, actions are ‘asat’ and yield no fruit here or after death.

Vedantic Theme: Antaḥkaraṇa-śuddhi and intention (bhāva) as the inner determinant of karma-phala; outer act without inner assent is ineffective.

Application: Perform worship, charity, and discipline with sincere faith and right understanding; cultivate simplicity/akincanatā and steadiness of intention before undertaking rites.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: repeated emphasis that śraddhā empowers śrāddha and dāna (general motif across Pretakalpa)

Characters & Entities
G
Garuda
M
Munis

FAQs

This verse states that śraddhā is the decisive factor that makes spiritual acts effective; with faith, even renunciant sages attain higher realms, while acts done without faith become ‘asat’ (ineffective).

It emphasizes that post-death outcomes depend on the inner quality behind actions: offerings, charity, and austerity performed without śraddhā do not generate merit, so they do not support the soul’s favorable progress after departing the body.

Perform rituals, charity, and disciplines with sincerity and reverence—prioritizing inner intent over mere form—so that actions become meaningful ethically and spiritually.

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