Shloka 1
Bhūmi-dāna, Satya-dharma, and the Non-cancellation of Sin by Charity
वृषोत्सर्गनिरूपणं नामै कचत्वारिंशत्तमो ऽध्यायः श्रीविष्णुरुवाच / यथा धेनुसहस्रेषु वत्सो विन्दति मातरम् / तथा पूर्वकृतं कर्म कर्तारमनुगच्छति
vṛṣotsarganirūpaṇaṃ nāmai kacatvāriṃśattamo 'dhyāyaḥ śrīviṣṇuruvāca / yathā dhenusahasreṣu vatso vindati mātaram / tathā pūrvakṛtaṃ karma kartāramanugacchati
Śrī Viṣṇu said: “Just as, among thousands of cows, a calf finds its own mother, so one’s previously performed karma inevitably follows its doer.”
Lord Vishnu
Concept: Karma is inescapably connected to its agent; prior actions inevitably pursue and fructify for the doer.
Vedantic Theme: Karma-phala-niyati within saṃsāra; moral causality; impetus toward vairāgya and right action.
Application: Act with foresight and restraint; cultivate puṇya and avoid pāpa knowing consequences are personally inescapable.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: rural/pasture (simile)
Related Themes: Garuda Purana: karma-phala and inevitability of consequences frequently reiterated in Pretakalpa and dharma sections (2.42 thematic opening)
FAQs
This verse states that karma unfailingly “tracks” the individual—like a calf recognizing its mother—implying that post-death experiences are shaped by one’s own prior actions.
It emphasizes that external status or concealment cannot prevent consequences; the accumulated karma itself follows the doer and becomes the determining factor in the post-mortem journey described in the Preta Kanda.
Live with accountability: prioritize dharmic conduct, truthfulness, compassion, and restraint, understanding that one’s choices create results that cannot be separated from oneself.