Shloka 85

Devanagari script

अद्रोहेणैव भूतानामल्पद्रोहेण वा पुनः / या वृत्तिस्तां समास्थाय विप्रो जीवेदनापदि

Transliteration

adroheṇaiva bhūtānāmalpadroheṇa vā punaḥ / yā vṛttistāṃ samāsthāya vipro jīvedanāpadi

Translation

Ohne Lebewesen zu verletzen—oder zumindest mit dem geringstmöglichen Schaden—soll ein Brahmane den dazu passenden Lebensunterhalt ergreifen und danach leben, solange kein Notfall vorliegt.

Word by Word

अद्रोहेणby non-harming, without malice

एवonly, indeed

भूतानाम्of beings, of creatures

अल्पद्रोहेणby slight harm (minimal injury)

वाor

पुनःagain, alternatively

याwhich

वृत्तिःlivelihood, means of living

ताम्that (livelihood)

समास्थायhaving adopted, having resorted to

विप्रःa Brahmin

जीवेत्should live

अनापदिwhen there is no calamity, in non-emergency

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in discourse to Garuda/Vinata-putra, as part of dharma instruction)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Ahimsa-guided livelihood: adopt a means of living that avoids harming beings, or minimizes harm when unavoidable; exceptions only in āpaddharma (emergency).

Vedantic Theme: Purification of antaḥkaraṇa through sattvic conduct; karma-śuddhi as preparation for jñāna/bhakti.

Application: Choose work that reduces harm (ethical sourcing, non-exploitative practices); when harm is structurally unavoidable, minimize it and compensate through service/charity; distinguish normal duty from emergency exceptions.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana dharma/ācāra material on brāhmaṇa-vṛtti and āpaddharma exceptions (general internal link)

Characters & Entities

Vipra

Bhutas (living beings)

FAQs

What is the importance of ahimsa (non-harm) in Garuda Purana?

This verse treats non-harm (adroha) as the baseline for choosing one’s livelihood, indicating that dharma begins with minimizing injury to living beings in ordinary life.

How does this verse relate to Garuda Purana’s broader teaching on karma and consequences?

By prescribing a livelihood grounded in minimal harm, it implies that everyday actions generate karmic results; ethical restraint reduces negative karma that later manifests as suffering in post-death accounts elsewhere in the Purana.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Choose work and daily habits that avoid exploitation and unnecessary violence; when harm is unavoidable, reduce it as much as possible—especially in normal times, not only in crises.