Shloka 93

Vṛṣotsarga (Bull-Release Gift): Procedure, Merit, and Narratives on Dharma, Karma, and Liberation

Devanagari script

एवं गत्वा ह्यसंख्याता योनीस्ताः कर्मभूरपि / मानुष्यं दुर्लभं लब्ध्वा कदाचिद्दैवयोगतः

Transliteration

evaṃ gatvā hyasaṃkhyātā yonīstāḥ karmabhūrapi / mānuṣyaṃ durlabhaṃ labdhvā kadāciddaivayogataḥ

Translation

So erlangt man, nachdem man durch unzählige Schoße gegangen ist—jeder ein Feld, auf dem das Karma seine Frucht trägt—nur bisweilen, durch das Zusammenwirken von Schicksal und göttlicher Fügung, die seltene Geburt als Mensch.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (indeclinable adverb of manner)

• गत्वा: having gone
• गत्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having gone)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha-bodhaka (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निपात (particle of emphasis/indeed)

• असंख्याता: countless
• असंख्याता: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-संख्यात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषण (feminine nominative plural adjective)

• योनीः: wombs; births; forms of existence
• योनीः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन (feminine accusative plural)

• ताः: those
• ताः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम (feminine accusative plural pronoun)

• कर्मभूः: the realm/ground of karma
• कर्मभूः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्म + भू (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (कर्मणः भूः) (feminine nominative singular)

• अपि: also; even
• अपि: Sambandha-bodhaka (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय/अपेक्षार्थक निपात (also/even)

• मानुष्यम्: human state; humanity (human birth)
• मानुष्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानुष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन (neuter accusative singular)

• दुर्लभम्: rare; hard to obtain
• दुर्लभम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्लभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (neuter accusative singular adjective)

• लब्ध्वा: having obtained
• लब्ध्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having obtained)

• कदाचित्: sometimes; at some time
• कदाचित्: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Temporal adverbial/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदाचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, कालवाचक (adverb of time: at some time)

• दैवयोगतः: due to divine conjunction/fate
• दैवयोगतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दैव + योग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पञ्चमी-तत्पुरुष (दैवस्य योगः), तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb: due to/by virtue of)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Countless births occur as karmic fruition; human birth is rare and arises through daiva-yoga (a convergence of destiny and merit).

Vedantic Theme: Saṃsāra as beginningless; human birth as adhikāra (fitness) for liberation through viveka and sādhanā.

Application: Cultivate urgency (saṃvega): use human life for dharma, self-inquiry, and devotion rather than sense-indulgence; reflect daily on the rarity of this opportunity.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana (Pretakalpa): recurring motif of saṃsāra and the rarity of manuṣya-janma as prerequisite for śrāddha, dharma, and mokṣa teachings

Characters & Entities

• Garuda
• Karma
• Daiva (fate/divine ordinance)
• Yoni (wombs/forms of birth)

FAQs

What is the importance of the rarity of human birth in Garuda Purana?

This verse stresses that after innumerable births driven by karma, human life is exceptionally hard to obtain; therefore it should be used for dharma and liberation-oriented effort rather than wasted in harmful actions.

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

It portrays samsara as a long passage through countless yonis where karma matures, and indicates that arriving at human birth is not guaranteed—arising only when karmic conditions and daiva (destiny) align.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Treat human life as a rare opportunity: reduce harmful karma, practice dharma (truthfulness, compassion, restraint), and pursue spiritual disciplines that aim beyond repeated rebirth.