Shloka 33
Sat-saṅga, Dharma-Nīti, Karma-Phala, Śauca, and Vairāgya
Overcoming Grief
सर्पः कूपे गजः स्कन्धे बिल आखुश्च धावति / नरः शीघ्रतरादेव कर्मणः कः पलायते
sarpaḥ kūpe gajaḥ skandhe bila ākhuśca dhāvati / naraḥ śīghratarādeva karmaṇaḥ kaḥ palāyate
قد يفرّ الثعبان إلى البئر، وقد يندفع الفيل بكتفه، وقد تسرع الفأرة إلى جحرها؛ ولكن الإنسان، وإن كان أسرع من هؤلاء، فمن ذا ينجو من عاقبة كرماه هو؟
Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)
Concept: Karma-phala is unavoidable; no speed, strategy, or hiding can outrun one’s own actions.
Vedantic Theme: Moral causality (ṛta/dharma order) governing experience; the inevitability of prārabdha and the necessity of right action.
Application: Act with foresight: avoid harmful deeds assuming one can ‘get away’; cultivate responsibility, confession, and corrective action early.
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: raudra
Related Themes: Garuda Purana Preta-kalpa: repeated insistence that the soul meets its karma in Yama’s domain; Garuda Purana ethical aphorisms on inevitability of karma-phala
FAQs
This verse stresses that karma is inescapable: regardless of one’s cleverness or speed, the results of actions inevitably follow, shaping suffering or well-being.
By declaring that no one can flee karma, it implies the soul’s post-death journey is governed by accumulated deeds—one’s experiences after death reflect one’s actions rather than chance.
Live with accountability: choose dharmic actions, avoid harm, and cultivate virtue, knowing that consequences—seen or unseen—cannot be outrun.