Shloka 3

Karma, Varṇa-Dharma, and Dāna as the Soul’s True Companion on the Path to Yama

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच / श्रुत्वाथ देवो गरुडं त्ववोचत् स्मृत्वा वपुः कर्मभयञ्च रूपम् / सृष्टा धरा येन चराचरं जगत्स येन शस्ता विहितो यमो विभुः

Transliteration

sūta uvāca / śrutvātha devo garuḍaṃ tvavocat smṛtvā vapuḥ karmabhayañca rūpam / sṛṣṭā dharā yena carācaraṃ jagatsa yena śastā vihito yamo vibhuḥ

Translation

Sūta sprach: Nachdem der Herr Garudas Worte vernommen hatte, wandte Er sich an Garuda, eingedenk der Natur des verkörperten Leibes und der aus dem Karma entspringenden Furcht. Durch Ihn wurde die Erde erschaffen, und die Welt des Bewegten und Unbewegten entstand; und durch Ihn wurde der mächtige Yama eingesetzt und als Züchtiger (Richter) verordnet.

Word by Word

• sūtaḥ: Sūta (narrator)
• sūtaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sūta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

• śrutvā: having heard
• śrutvā: Pūrvakāla (पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: śru (धातु) → śrutvā (क्त्वा)
• Form: Absolutive/gerund (क्त्वान्त अव्यय)

• atha: then
• atha: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunctive adverb (अव्यय)

• devaḥ: the god (Lord)
• devaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

• garuḍam: Garuḍa
• garuḍam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: garuḍa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन)

• tu: indeed/but
• tu: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात) contrast/emphasis

• avocat: spoke to
• avocat: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

• smṛtvā: having remembered
• smṛtvā: Pūrvakāla (पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: smṛ (धातु) → smṛtvā (क्त्वा)
• Form: Absolutive/gerund (क्त्वान्त अव्यय)

• vapuḥ: body/form
• vapuḥ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vapus (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन)

• karma-bhayam: fear of karma
• karma-bhayam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karma (प्रातिपदिक) + bhaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन); तत्पुरुषः (कर्मजन्यं भयम् / कर्मस्य भयम्)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चय)

• rūpam: appearance/form
• rūpam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन)

• sṛṣṭā: was created
• sṛṣṭā: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sṛj (धातु) → sṛṣṭa (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); agrees with dharā; passive sense 'was created'

• dharā: the earth
• dharā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

• yena: by whom
• yena: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental (तृतीया/3), Singular (एकवचन); relative pronoun

• carācaram: moving and unmoving
• carācaram: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: cara (प्रातिपदिक) + acara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन); द्वन्द्वः (चर + अचर) used as adjective of jagat

• jagat: the world
• jagat: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jagat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

• yena: by whom
• yena: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental (तृतीया/3), Singular (एकवचन); relative pronoun

• śastā: the ruler/ordainer
• śastā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śās (धातु) → śastṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); agent noun 'ruler/teacher'

• vihitaḥ: was appointed/established
• vihitaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi-dhā (धातु) → vihita (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); agrees with yamaḥ

• yamaḥ: Yama
• yamaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

• vibhuḥ: the mighty one
• vibhuḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vibhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

Speaker

Sūta (narrator), introducing Lord Vishnu’s reply to Garuda

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Karma’s fear arises within embodiment; the Lord who creates the world also establishes Yama as the ordained chastiser, ensuring moral order and just recompense.

Vedantic Theme: Īśvara as jagat-kāraṇa and dharma-niyantā; karmaphala is administered within a divinely instituted system, not random chance.

Application: Replace fatalism with accountability: accept moral causality, act ethically, and approach death/afterlife teachings with seriousness and trust in order (not chaos).

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: cosmic/administrative realm reference

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 2.48 (opening of karmavipāka exposition; Yama’s role as śāstā)

Characters & Entities

• Garuda
• Yama
• Deva (Lord/Vishnu)
• Sūta

FAQs

What is the importance of Yama being “ordained” in the Garuda Purana?

This verse frames Yama’s authority as divinely instituted, meaning karmic judgment is not arbitrary but part of a cosmic moral order (dharma) established by the Lord.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul after death?

By highlighting “the fear arising from karma” tied to embodied existence, it introduces the Garuda Purana’s afterlife framework: the jīva’s post-death experience is shaped by karma, with Yama functioning as the appointed adjudicator.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Live with accountability: actions have consequences (karma-bhaya). Ethical conduct, truthfulness, and restraint reduce fear and confusion around death by aligning one’s life with dharma.