Shloka 16

Saṃsāra-cakra, Preta’s 12-day Transit to Yama, Re-embodiment, and Karma-Vipāka Catalog of Sins and Rebirths

Devanagari script

सो ऽपि मोहसमापन्नो जायते वानरो मृतः / न्यासापहर्ता नरकाद्विमुक्तो जायते कृमिः

Transliteration

so 'pi mohasamāpanno jāyate vānaro mṛtaḥ / nyāsāpahartā narakādvimukto jāyate kṛmiḥ

Translation

Even he, having fallen into delusion, is reborn as a monkey and dies so. But the one who steals what has been entrusted (nyāsa), after being released from hell, is born again as a worm.

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात; also/even

• मोहसमापन्नः: fallen into delusion
• मोहसमापन्नः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मोह (प्रातिपदिक) + समापन्न (कृदन्त; सम्-आ√पद् + क्त)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (मोहं समापन्नः), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'having fallen into delusion'

• जायते: is born/becomes
• जायते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• वानरः: monkey
• वानरः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वानर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular (predicate noun)

• मृतः: dead
• मृतः: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √मृ (धातु) → मृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'dead' (qualifier)

• न्यासापहर्ता: one who steals a deposit/trust
• न्यासापहर्ता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: न्यास (प्रातिपदिक) + अपहर्तृ (प्रातिपदिक; अप√हृ + तृ)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (न्यासस्य अपहर्ता), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; agent noun

• नरकात्: from hell
• नरकात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Ablative singular

• विमुक्तः: freed
• विमुक्तः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि√मुच् (धातु) → विमुक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; freed

• जायते: is born
• जायते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• कृमिः: worm
• कृमिः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृमि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (narrating to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Naraka

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Moha and breach of entrusted property (nyāsa-apahāra) generate degrading embodiments; release from hell does not erase residual karmic seeds.

Vedantic Theme: Avidyā/moha as root of downfall; karma’s latency (bīja-bhāva) persists across realms until exhausted.

Application: Cultivate clarity and accountability; never misappropriate entrusted funds/property; implement transparent stewardship.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Geographic Context

Type: cosmic justice realm to animal/low birth

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: nyāsa-apahāra and other thefts mapped to naraka and yoni outcomes (adjacent lists)

Characters & Entities

• Naraka

FAQs

What is the importance of nyāsa (entrusted deposit) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse treats stealing an entrusted deposit (nyāsa-apahāra) as a grave breach of dharma, leading to hell and then a low rebirth, emphasizing the sanctity of trust and guardianship.

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

It presents a sequence: sinful action leads to naraka (hellish suffering), and after release the jīva takes a correspondingly degraded rebirth (here, as a worm), showing karmic continuity beyond death.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Do not misuse money, documents, or valuables kept in your care; treat fiduciary duty and promises as sacred, since betrayal of trust is portrayed as spiritually destructive.