Shloka 16

Nīti-saṅgraha: Conduct, Association, Kali-yuga Decline, and the Supremacy of Vidyā

Devanagari script

वणिक्प्रमादी भृकश्च मानी भिक्षुर्विलासी ह्यधनश्च कामी / वराङ्गना चाप्रियवादिनी च न ते च कर्माणि समारभन्ते

Transliteration

vaṇikpramādī bhṛkaśca mānī bhikṣurvilāsī hyadhanaśca kāmī / varāṅganā cāpriyavādinī ca na te ca karmāṇi samārabhante

Translation

A negligent merchant, a deceitful rogue, a proud man, a pleasure-seeking mendicant, a penniless yet lust-driven person, a courtesan, and one who speaks harshly—such people do not truly undertake righteous actions in accord with dharma.

Word by Word

• वणिक्: merchant
• वणिक्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वणिज्/वणिक् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासाङ्ग (पूर्वपद)

• प्रमादी: a careless merchant
• प्रमादी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रमादिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः ‘वणिक्प्रमादी’ (कर्मधारय: प्रमादी वणिक्)

• भृकः: a wolf
• भृकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भृक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-निपात

• मानी: a proud (man)
• मानी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मानिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• भिक्षुः: a mendicant
• भिक्षुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भिक्षु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• विलासी: a pleasure-seeking mendicant
• विलासी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विलासिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः ‘भिक्षुर्विलासी’ (कर्मधारय: विलासी भिक्षुः)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic/causal particle)

• अधनः: poor
• अधनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अधन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-निपात

• कामी: lustful
• कामी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कामिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः ‘अधनश्च कामी’ (समुच्चयार्थे; कामी इति विशेषण)

• वर: beautiful/excellent
• वर: Compound member (समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: विशेषण; समासाङ्ग (पूर्वपद)

• अङ्गना: a beautiful woman
• अङ्गना: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्गना (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः ‘वराङ्गना’ (कर्मधारय: वराऽङ्गना)

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-निपात

• अप्रिय: unpleasant
• अप्रिय: Compound member (समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अप्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: विशेषण; समासाङ्ग (पूर्वपद)

• वादिनी: one who speaks harshly
• वादिनी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वादिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः ‘अप्रियवादिनी’ (कर्मधारय: अप्रियं वदति)

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-निपात

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• च: also
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-निपात

• कर्माणि: actions/deeds
• कर्माणि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• समारभन्ते: undertake
• समारभन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-रभ् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

Speaker

Lord Viṣṇu (in instruction to Garuḍa/Vinatā-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Adharma arises from pramada (negligence), mana (pride), kama (lust), and harsh speech; roles do not guarantee righteousness.

Vedantic Theme: Kleshas (kama, ahankara) and tamas/rajas overpowering sattva; outer ashrama/vesha without inner purification is hollow.

Application: Audit one’s motives: reduce negligence, pride, indulgence, and harsh speech; align livelihood and conduct with integrity.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bibhatsa

Secondary Rasa: raudra

Geographic Context

Type: social landscape (town/market/monastic setting implied)

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: satpurusha-lakshana vs durjana-lakshana lists in niti/dharma portions

FAQs

What is the importance of self-discipline in the Garuda Purana?

This verse highlights that inner faults—negligence, pride, indulgence, lust, and harsh speech—block a person from sincerely beginning and sustaining dharmic actions.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

By stressing that dharmic action depends on character, it implies that a life driven by careless or unethical tendencies weakens one’s karmic foundation, which later shapes one’s post-death trajectory described elsewhere in the Garuda Purana.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Cultivate steadiness (avoid pramāda), humility (drop māna), restraint (control kāma), and kind speech—so daily duties, worship, and service are performed sincerely and consistently.