Shloka 9

Devanagari script

क्लेशबोधैककं पुत्र अन्यायेन भवेत्तव / मृतस्य नरकं त्यक्त्वा क्लेश एवान्यजन्मनि

Transliteration

kleśabodhaikakaṃ putra anyāyena bhavettava / mṛtasya narakaṃ tyaktvā kleśa evānyajanmani

Translation

O son, if you act unrighteously, you will gain only the awareness of suffering: after death, even if one leaves hell behind, suffering alone follows into another birth.

Word by Word

• क्लेशबोधैककम्: a mere awareness of suffering
• क्लेशबोधैककम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्लेश + बोध + एकक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: (क्लेशस्य बोधः) + एककः → क्लेशबोध-एकक (बहु-तत्पुरुष-सन्निवेश); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; here प्रथमा (भवेत्-सम्बन्ध)

• पुत्र: O son
• पुत्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th case), एकवचन

• अन्यायेन: by injustice
• अन्यायेन: Karana/Hetu (Instrument/Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्याय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), एकवचन; करण/हेतु-अर्थे (by injustice)

• भवेत्: would be; may become
• भवेत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• तव: of you; your
• तव: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th case), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध

• मृतस्य: of the dead
• मृतस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √मृ)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th case), एकवचन; ‘of the dead (person)’

• नरकम्: hell
• नरकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन

• त्यक्त्वा: having abandoned; leaving
• त्यक्त्वा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial participle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: त्यज् (धातु) → त्यक्त्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त; पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having abandoned)

• क्लेशः: suffering; affliction
• क्लेशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्लेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

• एव: only; indeed
• एव: Emphasis (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात; अवधारण (only/indeed)

• अन्यजन्मनि: in another birth
• अन्यजन्मनि: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य + जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: अन्यं जन्म (कर्मधारय: ‘other birth’); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th case), एकवचन

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Naraka

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Adharma yields duḥkha as its ‘knowledge/realization’; suffering persists through naraka and into subsequent births until karma is exhausted/transformed.

Vedantic Theme: Saṃsāra-duḥkha and karma-bandha: actions imprint saṃskāras that carry forward; liberation requires uprooting adharma and attachment.

Application: Choose dharmic means; practice restraint, truthfulness, non-harm; undertake prāyaścitta when wrongdoing occurs; cultivate sattva through devotion and ethical living.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: karuna

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Preta-kalpa: detailed naraka descriptions and karma-phala continuity; Garuda Purana: teachings on rebirth driven by residual karma (śeṣa-karma)

FAQs

What is the importance of karma and dharma in the Garuda Purana?

This verse stresses that unrighteous action (anyāya) yields suffering that persists beyond death—through naraka experiences and even into subsequent births—so dharma is the practical safeguard.

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

It implies continuity of karmic consequences: the jīva may undergo naraka due to wrongdoing, and even after those punishments end, the residue of suffering can manifest again in another birth.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Avoid injustice and harm; cultivate dharmic conduct so that one does not accumulate karmic causes of prolonged suffering across death and rebirth.