Shloka 86
The Extent of Questions: Deathbed Rites, Kāla (Time), and Karma-Vipāka Rebirths
तान्नरान्कर्णमूलो ऽयं व्याप्नुयान्नेतराञ्जनान् / परस्याननसंस्थं यो ग्रासं हरि मन्दधीः
tānnarānkarṇamūlo 'yaṃ vyāpnuyānnetarāñjanān / parasyānanasaṃsthaṃ yo grāsaṃ hari mandadhīḥ
Dieses Leiden, das bis zur Wurzel des Ohres reicht, ergreift nur jene Männer — und keine anderen —, die in dumpfer Torheit den Bissen eines anderen rauben, der schon an dessen Mund ist.
Lord Vishnu (in instruction to Garuda/Vinata-putra)
Concept: Specific papa (stealing food at the moment of consumption) yields a specific bodily affliction; karma is precise and proportionate.
Vedantic Theme: Adharma rooted in tamas (mandadhī) produces embodied suffering; ethical restraint supports sattva.
Application: Practice non-stealing and empathy in daily life; ensure food security and fairness; cultivate mindfulness before acting from impulse.
Primary Rasa: bibhatsa
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Related Themes: Garuda Purana 2.2 (disease/affliction as karma-vipāka mapping)
FAQs
This verse treats another’s food as protected by dharma: to snatch a morsel already at someone’s mouth is a grave harm, bringing a specific karmic affliction rather than an ordinary fault.
It links a precise wrongdoing (stealing a ready-to-eat morsel) with a precise result (an affliction affecting the ear-root region), illustrating the Purana’s doctrine that karma yields targeted, experienceable consequences.
Do not deprive others of their basic sustenance—avoid exploiting, snatching, or humiliating people over food or livelihood; practice fairness and generosity, especially toward the vulnerable.