Shloka 18
Karma-vipāka: Truth, Yama’s Judgment, and the Marks of Sin in Rebirth
मृतो वानरतां याति तन्मुखो गण्डवान् भवेत् / अदत्त्वा भक्ष्यमश्राति अनपत्यो भवेत्तु सः
mṛto vānaratāṃ yāti tanmukho gaṇḍavān bhavet / adattvā bhakṣyamaśrāti anapatyo bhavettu saḥ
After death, he goes to the state of a monkey; his face becomes swollen with boils. If one eats food that was not given (to him), he becomes childless.
Lord Vishnu (teaching Garuda/Vinata-putra)
Afterlife Stage: Pretayoni
Concept: Adharma in food-consumption/appropriation yields dehumanizing rebirth and bodily affliction; improper eating without rightful giving leads to loss of progeny.
Vedantic Theme: Karma-phala and saṃskāra shaping future embodiment; degradation of consciousness through tamasic acts.
Application: Accept food only when properly offered/earned; practice dana and honest livelihood; maintain śauca and restraint around consumption.
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa
Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: lists of pāpa and corresponding tiryak-yoni rebirths (adjacent verses 2.46.19–22)
FAQs
This verse treats eating what is not properly given as a moral breach with karmic consequences, showing that everyday conduct—especially around food—directly shapes post-death outcomes.
It links a specific wrongdoing (adatta-bhojana: consuming what is not given) to specific karmic results—lower rebirth (as a monkey) and bodily suffering (swollen boils)—illustrating the Garuda Purana’s cause-and-effect model of post-mortem destiny overseen in Yama’s moral order.
Avoid taking or consuming food without consent, practice respectful sharing and permission-based use, and treat food as a dharmic responsibility—supporting integrity, gratitude, and social trust.