Shloka 54

Nīti for Calamity, Wealth, Friendship, Charity, and Restraint of Kāma

Devanagari script

अर्थाद्भ्रष्टस्तीर्थयात्रां तु गच्छेत्सत्याद्भ्रष्टो रौरवं वै व्रजेच्च / योगाद्भ्रष्टः सत्यघृतिञ्च गच्छेद्राज्याद्भ्रष्टो मृगयायां व्रजेच्च

Transliteration

arthādbhraṣṭastīrthayātrāṃ tu gacchetsatyādbhraṣṭo rauravaṃ vai vrajecca / yogādbhraṣṭaḥ satyaghṛtiñca gacchedrājyādbhraṣṭo mṛgayāyāṃ vrajecca

Translation

Wer vom Reichtum abfällt, soll eine Pilgerfahrt zu den Tīrthas antreten; wer von der Wahrhaftigkeit abfällt, gelangt wahrlich zur Hölle Raurava. Wer vom Yoga abfällt, geht nach Satyaghṛti; und wer vom Königtum abfällt, fällt in das Leben der Jagd.

Word by Word

• arthāt: from wealth/means
• arthāt: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; अपादानार्थे (source/ablative)

• bhraṣṭaḥ: fallen/deprived
• bhraṣṭaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhraṃś (धातु) + kta (क्त) → bhraṣṭa (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle)

• tīrthayātrām: pilgrimage
• tīrthayātrām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक) + yātrā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (tīrthasya yātrā)

• tu: indeed/but
• tu: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/विरोधार्थक-निपात (particle: but/indeed)

• gacchet: should go
• gacchet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gam (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• satyāt: from truth
• satyāt: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: satya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; अपादानार्थे

• bhraṣṭaḥ: fallen
• bhraṣṭaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhraṃś (धातु) + kta (क्त) → bhraṣṭa (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त

• rauravam: Raurava (hell)
• rauravam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: raurava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; गन्तव्य-स्थान (destination)

• vai: indeed
• vai: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चयार्थक-निपात (emphatic particle)

• vrajet: should go
• vrajet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vraj (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (conjunction)

• yogāt: from yoga
• yogāt: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yoga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन; अपादानार्थे

• bhraṣṭaḥ: fallen
• bhraṣṭaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhraṃś (धातु) + kta (क्त) → bhraṣṭa (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• satyaghṛtim: Satyaghṛti (a realm/name)
• satyaghṛtim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: satya (प्रातिपदिक) + ghṛti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (satyasya ghṛtiḥ)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक

• gacchet: should go
• gacchet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gam (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• rājyāt: from kingship/kingdom
• rājyāt: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन; अपादानार्थे

• bhraṣṭaḥ: fallen
• bhraṣṭaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhraṃś (धातु) + kta (क्त) → bhraṣṭa (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• mṛgayāyām: in hunting
• mṛgayāyām: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mṛgayā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; अधिकरणार्थे (location/sphere)

• vrajet: should go
• vrajet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vraj (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinatā-putra)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Naraka

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Different kinds of ‘falling away’ (from wealth, truth, yoga, kingship) have distinct remedies or karmic trajectories; truthfulness is treated as a decisive moral axis with severe afterlife result when violated.

Vedantic Theme: Karma-phala-niyati (lawful fruition of action) and viveka between dharma-sustaining virtues (satya, yoga) and their loss.

Application: Treat loss of wealth as a prompt for tīrtha-yātrā and inner reset; guard satya as non-negotiable; maintain yogic discipline; accept role-change without slipping into harmful livelihoods.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: naraka (hell) and loka/gati (destination)

Cross References

Related Themes: Pretakalpa sections enumerating narakas (including Raurava) and their causes; Passages linking satya to upliftment and anṛta to downfall; Sections prescribing tīrtha-yātrā as prāyaścitta/remedy for misfortune

Characters & Entities

• Raurava
• Satyaghṛti

FAQs

What is the importance of truthfulness (satya) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse treats satya as a core dharmic pillar: falling from truthfulness leads to severe karmic consequence, specifically Raurava, underscoring that moral integrity outweighs mere social status or wealth.

How does this verse explain karmic outcomes for different kinds of ‘fall’ (bhraṣṭa)?

It maps specific deviations to corresponding results—pilgrimage as a corrective response for loss of wealth, hell (Raurava) for loss of truth, a distinct post-mortem destination (Satyaghṛti) for loss of yoga, and a worldly decline into hunting for loss of kingship—showing karma as differentiated by the nature of one’s lapse.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Prioritize truthfulness as non-negotiable, treat setbacks in wealth as a cue for purification and reorientation (pilgrimage or disciplined spiritual practice), and maintain steady sādhanā so spiritual life doesn’t collapse under changing circumstances.