Shloka 72

An exposition on the fruits of charity and on entry into a body

Garbhotpatti, Piṇḍa-śarīra, and Antya-kāla-kriyā

Devanagari script

कदाचित्स्वर्गमाप्नोति कदाचिन्निरयं नरः / स्वर्गं च निरयं चैव स्वकर्मफलमश्नुते

Transliteration

kadācitsvargamāpnoti kadācinnirayaṃ naraḥ / svargaṃ ca nirayaṃ caiva svakarmaphalamaśnute

Translation

At times a person attains heaven, and at times he falls into hell; indeed, he experiences both heaven and hell as the fruits of his own actions.

Word by Word

• कदाचित्: sometimes
• कदाचित्: Adhikarana (Temporal/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदाचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (sometimes)

• स्वर्गम्: heaven
• स्वर्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

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

• कदाचित्: sometimes
• कदाचित्: Adhikarana (Temporal/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदाचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (sometimes)

• निरयम्: hell
• निरयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निरय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• स्वर्गम्: heaven
• स्वर्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

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

• निरयम्: hell
• निरयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निरय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

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

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (indeed/just)

• स्व-कर्म-फलम्: the fruit of one’s own actions
• स्व-कर्म-फलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + कर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; समासः (तत्पुरुष)

• अश्नुते: enjoys, experiences
• अश्नुते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Naraka

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Svarga and naraka are experienced as direct fruits of one’s own karma; the jīva alternates according to merit and demerit.

Vedantic Theme: Karma-phala-bhoga within saṃsāra; īśvara as dispenser of fruits (karma-phala-dātā) while agency remains with the doer.

Application: Adopt accountability: align choices with dharma, reduce harmful actions, and cultivate punya through service, truthfulness, restraint, and devotion.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Geographic Context

Type: post-mortem destinations

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 2.32.71 (saṃsāra-cakra); Garuda Purana Pretakalpa sections describing narakas and karma-phala in detail (general internal linkage)

Characters & Entities

• Svarga
• Niraya

FAQs

What is the importance of karma (sva-karma-phala) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse states that both heavenly enjoyment and hellish suffering arise from one’s own deeds, making karma the direct cause of post-death experience.

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

It presents the soul’s post-mortem destination as variable—svarga or niraya—depending on accumulated actions, implying moral causality rather than random fate.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Live with restraint and dharma: choose actions that reduce harm and increase virtue, since future pleasure or suffering is portrayed as the natural outcome of conduct.