Shloka 119

Devanagari script

चौर्याय कृष्णमांसाश्च दीर्घा भुर्तुश्च मृत्यवे / क्रव्यादरूपैर्हस्तैश्च वृककाकादिसन्निभैः

Transliteration

cauryāya kṛṣṇamāṃsāśca dīrghā bhurtuśca mṛtyave / kravyādarūpairhastaiśca vṛkakākādisannibhaiḥ

Translation

For the sin of theft, the sinner is made dark of flesh and long of limb, and is delivered over to Death—seized by flesh-eating hands, like those of wolves and crows.

Word by Word

• चौर्याय: for theft
• चौर्याय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चौर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• कृष्णमांसाः: black-fleshed (ones)
• कृष्णमांसाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + मांस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• दीर्घाः: tall/long
• दीर्घाः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दीर्घ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying कर्ष्णमांसाः)

• भर्तुः: of the husband
• भर्तुः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भर्तृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• मृत्यवे: to death
• मृत्यवे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत्यु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• क्रव्यादरूपैः: with flesh-eating-like forms
• क्रव्यादरूपैः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्रव्याद (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying हस्तैः)

• हस्तैः: with hands
• हस्तैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हस्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• वृककाकादिसन्निभैः: resembling wolves, crows, etc.
• वृककाकादिसन्निभैः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृक (प्रातिपदिक) + काक (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + सन्निभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying हस्तैः)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Naraka

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Adharma (theft) ripens into embodied suffering and dehumanizing transformation.

Vedantic Theme: Karma-phala and the binding power of adharma upon the jiva’s embodied experience.

Application: Cultivate asteya (non-stealing), restitution, and ethical livelihood to avoid papa and its harsh fruition.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: theft (steya) as papa leading to fearful post-mortem experiences; Garuda Purana: Yama-dutas/kravyada imagery in naraka descriptions

Characters & Entities

• Mṛtyu (Death)
• kravyāda (flesh-eaters)
• vṛka (wolf)
• kāka (crow)

FAQs

What is the importance of describing punishments for theft in the Garuda Purana?

This verse links theft (caurya) to specific post-death suffering, reinforcing karmic accountability and urging ethical restraint in worldly life.

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

It presents a consequence-driven afterlife scenario where the wrongdoer encounters terrifying agents of death—imagery used to convey the inevitability of karmic results after departing the body.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Avoid taking what is not given—materially, socially, or professionally—and cultivate honest livelihood, since the text frames theft as a serious karmic offense with grave consequences.