Shloka 21

Karma-vipāka: Truth, Yama’s Judgment, and the Marks of Sin in Rebirth

Devanagari script

गुरुदाराभिलाषी च कृकलासो भवेद्ध्रुवम् / जलप्रस्त्रवणं यस्तु भिन्द्यान्मत्स्यो भवेन्नरः

Transliteration

gurudārābhilāṣī ca kṛkalāso bhaveddhruvam / jalaprastravaṇaṃ yastu bhindyānmatsyo bhavennaraḥ

Translation

Wer die Frau seines Gurus begehrt, wird gewiss eine Eidechse. Und der Mann, der einen Wasserkanal zerbricht, wird ein Fisch.

Word by Word

• गुरु-दार-अभिलाषी: one who desires the guru’s wife
• गुरु-दार-अभिलाषी: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुरु (प्रातिपदिक) + दार (प्रातिपदिक) + अभिलाषिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: 'गुरोः दारान् अभिलाषते' (desiring the wife of the teacher)

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय

• कृकलासः: a lizard
• कृकलासः: कर्तृ-समाना (Predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृकलास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• भवेत्: would become
• भवेत्: क्रिया (Kriyā)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• ध्रुवम्: certainly
• ध्रुवम्: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ध्रुव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक अव्यय (adverb of certainty)

• जल-प्रस्त्रवणम्: water-outlet/drain
• जल-प्रस्त्रवणम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रस्त्रवण (प्रातिपदिक; √स्रु धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष

• यः: who
• यः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक (relative pronoun)

• तु: however/indeed
• तु: सम्बन्ध (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषार्थक अव्यय (particle: but/indeed)

• भिन्द्यात्: would break/pierce
• भिन्द्यात्: क्रिया (Kriyā)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भिद् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मत्स्यः: a fish
• मत्स्यः: कर्तृ-समाना (Predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मत्स्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• भवेत्: would become
• भवेत्: क्रिया (Kriyā)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• नरः: a man
• नरः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

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

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Pretayoni

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Violating guru-related sexual boundaries and harming communal water systems are grave adharma leading to degraded rebirth.

Vedantic Theme: Guru-droha and social harm deepen bondage; dharma protects both sacred relationships and shared lifelines (jala).

Application: Maintain strict respect for teacher’s family; protect public infrastructure and water access; cultivate integrity and non-harm.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: guru-droha and public-harm sins with tiryak outcomes (adjacent catalog)

Characters & Entities

• Garuda
• Guru

FAQs

What is the importance of guru-dharma in the Garuda Purana?

This verse treats desiring the guru’s wife as a grave breach of guru-dharma, leading to a degrading rebirth, emphasizing strict ethical boundaries around the guru relationship.

How does this verse explain karmic consequences after death?

It links specific actions (sexual misconduct toward the guru’s household and damaging water infrastructure) to specific animal rebirths, illustrating the Garuda Purana’s cause-and-effect model of karma.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Maintain integrity and restraint in teacher-student relationships, and avoid harming shared resources like water systems—treating both personal ethics and public welfare as dharmic duties.