Shloka 95
उक्तानि वाच्यानि मया नराणामतः शृणुष्वावहितो ऽपि पक्षिन् / स्त्रीणां शरीरं प्रतिलभ्य देही ब्रवीति कर्माणि कृतानि पूर्वम्
uktāni vācyāni mayā narāṇāmataḥ śṛṇuṣvāvahito 'pi pakṣin / strīṇāṃ śarīraṃ pratilabhya dehī bravīti karmāṇi kṛtāni pūrvam
I have spoken the words that must be spoken concerning human beings; therefore listen attentively, O winged one. Having obtained a woman’s body, the embodied soul speaks of the actions it had performed in the past.
Lord Vishnu
Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey
Concept: Karmic self-report: understanding one’s past actions is part of moral knowledge leading to correction.
Vedantic Theme: Viveka through śravaṇa (listening) and reflection on karma; narrative as a means to awaken discrimination.
Application: Listen attentively to dharma teachings; conduct periodic self-review of actions and their consequences to reform conduct.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: Garuda addressed as ‘pakṣin’ and urged to listen in multiple didactic transitions
FAQs
The verse highlights that the jīva carries its past deeds forward; rebirth occurs under karmic influence, and the soul’s experience is shaped by actions done previously.
It implies continuity of the embodied soul (dehī): after leaving one body, it attains another (here, a woman’s body) and remains connected to prior karma, which determines its subsequent life experience.
Live with awareness that actions have long-term consequences: cultivate dharma, avoid harmful deeds, and practice disciplines that purify intention, since karma follows the soul beyond a single lifetime.