Shloka 72

The Extent of Questions: Deathbed Rites, Kāla (Time), and Karma-Vipāka Rebirths

Devanagari script

भक्ष्याभक्ष्यो गण्डमाली महारोगी प्रजायते / न्यासापहारी काणः स्यास्त्रीजीवः खञ्जको भवेत्

Transliteration

bhakṣyābhakṣyo gaṇḍamālī mahārogī prajāyate / nyāsāpahārī kāṇaḥ syāstrījīvaḥ khañjako bhavet

Translation

Wer Erlaubtes zusammen mit Verbotenem isst, wird mit Skrofulose (geschwollenen Drüsen) und schwerer Krankheit geboren. Wer ein anvertrautes Depositum stiehlt, wird einäugig geboren; und wer von einer Frau wie ein Parasit lebt, wird lahm geboren.

Word by Word

भक्ष्याभक्ष्यः(one who treats) edible and inedible (alike)

गण्डमालीone with swollen glands/with goitre-like garlands

महारोगीone with a great disease

प्रजायतेis born/comes into being

न्यासापहारीstealer of deposits/trust property

काणःone-eyed

स्यात्would be

स्त्रीजीवःone who lives off women (pimp)

खञ्जकःa lame person

भवेत्would become

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in discourse to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Mixing bhakṣya with abhakṣya, stealing entrusted deposits (nyāsa), and living parasitically off a woman yield specific bodily afflictions (glandular disease, one-eyedness, lameness).

Vedantic Theme: Karma shaping the subtle body’s tendencies into gross bodily outcomes; ethical ‘trust’ (nyāsa) as a dharmic pillar.

Application: Maintain dietary discipline per dharma; never misappropriate entrusted property; cultivate self-reliance and non-exploitation in relationships.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bibhatsa

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 2.2 (karma-vipāka lists: diet, theft, social exploitation)

Characters & Entities

Garuda

Vishnu

FAQs

What is the importance of forbidden food (abhakṣya) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse links food discipline to karma: knowingly consuming what is prohibited is said to manifest as serious bodily afflictions in a future birth, emphasizing dharmic restraint in diet and conduct.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul through karma?

Rather than describing a geography of the afterlife here, the verse highlights karmic causality: specific unethical actions (dietary transgression, breach of trust, exploitative dependence) shape the conditions of rebirth, including disease and disability.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Maintain integrity in what you consume (ethically and ritually), never misuse entrusted money/property, and avoid exploitative dependence in relationships—these are presented as core dharmic safeguards against harmful karmic outcomes.