Shloka 68
Nīti-saṅgraha: Conduct, Association, Kali-yuga Decline, and the Supremacy of Vidyā
कुतो निद्रा दरिद्रस्य परप्रेष्यवरस्य च / परनारीप्रसक्तस्य परद्रव्यहरस्य च
kuto nidrā daridrasya parapreṣyavarasya ca / paranārīprasaktasya paradravyaharasya ca
How can there be sleep for the poor, for one who lives by serving others, for one addicted to another man’s wife, and for one who steals another’s property?
Lord Viṣṇu (in dialogue with Garuḍa/Vinatā-putra)
Dosha: Vata
Concept: Adharma and insecurity destroy nidrā (peaceful sleep): poverty and dependence breed worry; adultery and theft breed fear and guilt.
Vedantic Theme: Aśānti as fruit of pāpa and craving; inner peace arises from dharma and contentment (santoṣa).
Application: Seek honest livelihood, reduce dependence that humiliates, avoid exploitation and infidelity, and refrain from theft; cultivate contentment and ethical clarity for mental rest.
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa
Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.115 (nīti on nidrā and moral causality)
FAQs
It links adharma—especially stealing and illicit attachment—with loss of inner peace, showing that unethical living destroys rest even before any afterlife consequences.
By emphasizing that sinful tendencies create agitation and bondage in life, it sets the moral foundation for later Garuda Purana discussions on karma and the post-death results of such actions.
Cultivate honest livelihood, avoid exploiting others, remain faithful, and never take what is not given—these directly protect mental calm and dharmic stability.