Shloka 71

Devanagari script

पुनश्च तद्वन्मरणं जन्म प्राप्नोति मानवः / ततः संसारचक्रे ऽस्मिन् भ्राम्यते घटयन्त्रवत्

Transliteration

punaśca tadvanmaraṇaṃ janma prāpnoti mānavaḥ / tataḥ saṃsāracakre 'smin bhrāmyate ghaṭayantravat

Translation

And again, in the same manner, a human being attains death and then birth; thereafter, within this wheel of worldly existence, he keeps revolving like a water-wheel mechanism.

Word by Word

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Adhikarana (Temporal/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: पुनरावृत्तिवाचक अव्यय (again)

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

• तद्वत्: likewise
• तद्वत्: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् + वत् (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: उपमानवाचक अव्यय (like that, similarly)

• मरणम्: death
• मरणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• जन्म: birth
• जन्म: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्मन्/जन्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• प्राप्नोति: attains, undergoes
• प्राप्नोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आप् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• मानवः: the human being
• मानवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• ततः: then
• ततः: Adhikarana (Temporal/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रमवाचक अव्यय (thereafter)

• संसार-चक्रे: in the wheel of transmigration
• संसार-चक्रे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संसार (प्रातिपदिक) + चक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; समासः (तत्पुरुष)

• अस्मिन्: in this
• अस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• भ्राम्यते: wanders, revolves
• भ्राम्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भ्रम् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• घट-यन्त्र-वत्: like a water-wheel device
• घट-यन्त्र-वत्: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: घट (प्रातिपदिक) + यन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक) + वत् (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: उपमानवाचक अव्यय; समासः (तत्पुरुष) + वत्-प्रत्यय (like a water-wheel mechanism)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Without liberating knowledge, the human repeats death and birth, revolving helplessly in saṃsāra like a mechanical water-wheel.

Vedantic Theme: Saṃsāra as beginningless due to avidyā; need for mokṣa through jñāna/bhakti to break the cycle.

Application: Strengthen daily disciplines that interrupt mechanical living—regular svādhyāya, japa, ethical restraint, and remembrance of mortality (maraṇa-smṛti).

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: cosmic/temporal mechanism (ghaṭa-yantra metaphor)

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 2.32.72 (svarga/naraka as karma-phala)

Characters & Entities

• Human (mānava)
• Saṃsāra (cycle of rebirth)

FAQs

What is the importance of the saṃsāra-cakra (wheel of rebirth) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse highlights that without liberation, a person repeatedly undergoes death and birth, endlessly rotating in saṃsāra like a mechanical wheel—underscoring the urgency of spiritual practice and right living.

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

It presents the post-death outcome in principle: death is followed by another birth, and the being continues to revolve through embodied states, driven by the momentum of worldly existence (saṃsāra) rather than reaching final freedom.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Live with dharma and self-restraint, reduce attachment, and pursue liberating knowledge/devotion so life is not spent merely repeating the same cycle of anxiety, death, and rebirth.