Shloka 39

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

Devanagari script

करार्पितं यत्सुकृतं समस्तं स्वर्गस्तदा स्यात्तव किङ्करोपमः / यो धर्मवान् प्राप्स्यति सो ऽतिसौख्यं पापी समस्तं विविधञ्च दुःखम्

Transliteration

karārpitaṃ yatsukṛtaṃ samastaṃ svargastadā syāttava kiṅkaropamaḥ / yo dharmavān prāpsyati so 'tisaukhyaṃ pāpī samastaṃ vividhañca duḥkham

Translation

Alles Verdienst (sukṛta), das mit eigener Hand dargebracht wird, wird dann zu einem Himmel, der dir wie ein Diener zuarbeitet. Der Rechtschaffene erlangt höchstes Glück, der Sünder hingegen trifft gänzlich auf mannigfaches Leid.

Word by Word

• kara-arpitam: offered by hand
• kara-arpitam: Karma (कर्म; qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kara (कर-प्रातिपदिक) + arpita (अर्पित-प्रातिपदिक; √arp (अर्प्-धातु) क्त)
• Form: तृतीया/सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषार्थे (kare arpitaṃ), क्त-कृदन्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (of sukṛtam)

• yat: which/whatever
• yat: Karma (कर्म; correlating with tat)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (यद्-प्रातिपदिक, सर्वनाम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक-सर्वनाम

• sukṛtam: merit/good deed
• sukṛtam: Karta (कर्ता; subject of syāt)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sukṛta (सुकृत-प्रातिपदिक; सु+√kṛ (कृ-धातु) क्त)
• Form: क्त-कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• samastam: entire/complete
• samastam: Karta (कर्ता; qualifier of sukṛtam)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: samasta (समस्त-प्रातिपदिक; √as (अस्-धातु) क्त with सम्)
• Form: क्त-कृदन्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• svargaḥ: heaven
• svargaḥ: Karta (कर्ता; predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svarga (स्वर्ग-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• tadā: then
• tadā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time: then)

• syāt: would be
• syāt: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √as (अस्-धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• tava: of you/your
• tava: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (त्वद्-प्रातिपदिक, सर्वनाम)
• Form: षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन

• kiṅkara-upamaḥ: like a servant
• kiṅkara-upamaḥ: Karta (कर्ता; predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kiṅkara (किङ्कर-प्रातिपदिक) + upama (उपम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (kiṅkara iva upamaḥ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (of svargaḥ)

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ya (य-प्रातिपदिक, सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक-सर्वनाम

• dharma-vān: righteous
• dharma-vān: Karta (कर्ता; qualifier of yaḥ)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dharma (धर्म-प्रातिपदिक) + -vant (वन्त्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: वन्त-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• prāpsyati: will attain
• prāpsyati: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√āp (प्र+आप्/आप्नोति-धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद्-प्रातिपदिक, सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• ati-saukhyam: great happiness
• ati-saukhyam: Karma (कर्म/object of prāpsyati)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ati (अति-प्रातिपदिक/उपसर्गार्थ) + saukhya (सौख्य-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (ati ca tat saukhyam), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• pāpī: a sinner
• pāpī: Karta (कर्ता; subject implied: pāpī)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpin (पापिन्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; गुणवाचक-नाम

• samastam: entire
• samastam: Karma (कर्म; qualifier of duḥkham)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: samasta (समस्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-कृदन्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• vividham: various
• vividham: Karma (कर्म; qualifier of duḥkham)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vividha (विविध-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (and)

• duḥkham: suffering
• duḥkham: Karma (कर्म/object: what is attained/experienced)
• Type: Noun
• Root: duḥkha (दुःख-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

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

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Sukṛta personally offered (karārpita) matures into supportive heavenly benefit; dharma yields ati-sukha, pāpa yields manifold duḥkha.

Vedantic Theme: Karma-phala-niyati (inexorable fruition of action) under īśvara-niyama; ethical causality governing experience.

Application: Prioritize intentional giving and righteous conduct; treat every act as future ‘companion’—choose deeds that will support you at death and beyond.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: general karma-phala and yamadūta/yama adjudication passages (chapter-level parallel, exact verse varies by recension); Garuda Purana on dāna as post-mortem aid (dāna-mahātmyas)

Characters & Entities

• Svarga
• Dharma
• Papa (sin)

FAQs

What is the importance of charity (dāna) and merit (puṇya) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse states that merit personally offered becomes a supportive “heaven-like” aid after death, implying that dāna and puṇya directly shape the soul’s comfort and protection in the post-mortem journey.

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

It summarizes the moral law governing the afterlife: the dharmic soul experiences heightened bliss, while the sinful soul encounters diverse sufferings—outcomes determined by one’s accumulated actions.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Live by dharma, reduce harmful actions, and practice sincere giving and service; the Garuda Purana frames these as investments that become spiritual support when facing death and its aftermath.