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Garuda Purana — Preta Kalpa, Shloka 29

Karma, Varṇa-Dharma, and Dāna as the Soul’s True Companion on the Path to Yama

Devanagari script

न मातृपूजा न च विष्णुशङ्करौ गणेशचणड्यौ न च भास्करो ऽपि वा / यञ्चोपचारैर्बलियुक्तचन्दनैर्देहिन्क्वचिन्निस्तर यत्त्वया कृतम्

Transliteration

na mātṛpūjā na ca viṣṇuśaṅkarau gaṇeśacaṇaḍyau na ca bhāskaro 'pi vā / yañcopacārairbaliyuktacandanairdehinkvacinnistara yattvayā kṛtam

Translation

你未曾礼敬圣母女神，也未曾礼敬毗湿奴与商羯罗；未曾礼敬伽内沙与旃提，甚至连婆斯迦罗——日神——也未礼敬。噢具身之人，凡能以供养、献祭（bali）与涂檀香等仪轨而得解脱之行，无论在何处，你都未曾行之。

Word by Word
नnot
न:
सम्बन्ध/निपात (निपात)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootन (अव्यय)
Formनिषेध-निपात
मातृ-पूजाworship of mother
मातृ-पूजा:
कर्ता/विषय (विषयः)
TypeNoun
Rootमातृ + पूजा (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मातुः पूजा)
नnot
न:
सम्बन्ध/निपात (निपात)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootन (अव्यय)
Formनिषेध-निपात
चand
च:
सम्बन्ध/निपात (निपात)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चयार्थक-निपात
विष्णु-शङ्करौVishnu and Shankara
विष्णु-शङ्करौ:
कर्ता/विषय (विषयः)
TypeNoun
Rootविष्णु + शङ्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः
गणेश-चण्ड्यौGanesha and Chandi
गणेश-चण्ड्यौ:
कर्ता/विषय (विषयः)
TypeNoun
Rootगणेश + चण्डी (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग/स्त्रीलिङ्ग-संयुक्त, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (गणेशः च चण्डी च)
नnot
न:
सम्बन्ध/निपात (निपात)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootन (अव्यय)
Formनिषेध-निपात
चand
च:
सम्बन्ध/निपात (निपात)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चयार्थक-निपात
भास्करःthe Sun (god)
भास्करः:
कर्ता/विषय (विषयः)
TypeNoun
Rootभास्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
अपिeven
अपि:
सम्बन्ध/निपात (निपात)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअपि (अव्यय)
Formनिपात; ‘even/also’
वाor
वा:
सम्बन्ध/निपात (निपात)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootवा (अव्यय)
Formविकल्पार्थक-निपात
यत्which
यत्:
कर्म (कर्मपदम्)
TypeNoun
Rootयद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; relative pronoun (object of implied ‘अकरोत्/कृतम्’)
चand
च:
सम्बन्ध/निपात (निपात)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चयार्थक-निपात
उपचारैःwith offerings/services
उपचारैः:
करण (करणम्)
TypeNoun
Rootउपचार (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; करण (means)
बलि-युक्त-चन्दनैःwith sandal paste accompanied by offerings
बलि-युक्त-चन्दनैः:
करण (करणम्)
TypeNoun
Rootबलि + युक्त + चन्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (बलिना युक्तं चन्दनम्)
देहिन्O embodied one
देहिन्:
सम्बोधन (सम्बोधनम्)
TypeNoun
Rootदेहिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन
क्वचित्ever
क्वचित्:
अधिकरण (अधिकरणम्)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootक्वचित् (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; adverb
निस्तरcross over
निस्तर:
क्रिया (क्रियापदम्)
TypeVerb
Rootनिस्तॄ (धातु)
Formलोट्, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद
यत्which
यत्:
सम्बन्ध (सम्बन्धः)
TypeNoun
Rootयद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन
त्वयाby you
त्वया:
कर्ता (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootत्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formतृतीया, एकवचन
कृतम्done
कृतम्:
क्रिया-विशेष्य/भाव (भावः)
TypeVerb
Rootकृ (धातु)
Formक्त-कृदन्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन
Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in instruction to Garuda, describing the condition of a negligent soul)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Neglect of devata-upasana and purificatory offerings leaves the jiva without supporting punya at death.

Vedantic Theme: Karma-bandha and the necessity of sattvika karma as preparation for higher pursuit; absence of upasana obstructs inner purification (chitta-shuddhi).

Application: Maintain regular worship (especially Vishnu) and simple daily offerings; do not postpone devotional and expiatory acts until crisis.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: karuna

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: laments of the preta over neglected dana/upasana (contextual cluster around 2.48); Garuda Purana: emphasis on Vishnu-nama and worship as rescue at death (general teaching across Pretakalpa)

Characters & Entities
D
Divine Mother (Matrika/Devi)
V
Vishnu
S
Shankara (Shiva)
G
Ganesha
C
Chandi (Devi)
B
Bhaskara (Surya)

FAQs

This verse stresses that neglecting regular worship and basic ritual duties leaves the embodied being without the merit and spiritual support that aid one’s post-death passage and wellbeing.

By listing omitted devotions and offerings, it depicts a soul arriving in the after-death state lacking protective punya (merit), implying greater hardship in the preta journey due to unperformed dharmic acts.

Maintain consistent, sincere daily worship and simple offerings (as per one’s tradition and capacity), cultivating devotion and ethical living so that life’s end is not met with spiritual “arrears.”

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