Shloka 20
फलार्थो फलिनं वृक्षं यश्छिन्द्याद्दुर्मतिर्नरः / निष्फलं तस्य वै कार्यां महादोषमवाप्नुयात्
phalārtho phalinaṃ vṛkṣaṃ yaśchindyāddurmatirnaraḥ / niṣphalaṃ tasya vai kāryāṃ mahādoṣamavāpnuyāt
A foolish man who, desiring fruit, cuts down a fruit-bearing tree makes his own purpose fruitless and thereby incurs a great fault (sin).
Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)
Concept: Short-sighted action destroys the very source of benefit; harmful means negate desired results and accrue pāpa.
Vedantic Theme: Karma bound to intention and consequence; tamasic impulsiveness leads to self-harm and bondage.
Application: Practice sustainable gain: protect sources (relationships, ecosystems, skills); avoid ‘asset stripping’ for immediate reward.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Type: forest/garden
Related Themes: Garuda Purana: general karma-phala discussions where himsa and greed lead to sin and loss; niti passages on preserving sources of prosperity.
FAQs
It frames unethical, short-sighted action as self-defeating karma: harming a life-sustaining source for immediate gain becomes a “mahādoṣa” and destroys one’s own intended benefit.
The verse uses a simple example—cutting a fruit tree for fruit—to show that adharmic means negate the desired result and produce negative karmic fallout (doṣa).
Seek results through preserving and supporting what produces them—avoid destructive shortcuts, practice non-harm, and choose sustainable, dharmic means to achieve goals.