Shloka 22

Karma-vipāka: Truth, Yama’s Judgment, and the Marks of Sin in Rebirth

Devanagari script

अविक्रेयक्रयाच्चैव बको गृध्रो भवेन्नरः / अयोनिगो वृको हि स्यादुलूकः क्रयवञ्चनात्

Transliteration

avikreyakrayāccaiva bako gṛdhro bhavennaraḥ / ayonigo vṛko hi syādulūkaḥ krayavañcanāt

Translation

By buying what ought not to be sold, a man is reborn as a heron or a vulture. By engaging in improper sexual conduct he becomes a wolf; and by cheating in buying and selling he becomes an owl.

Word by Word

• अ-विक्रेय-क्रयात्: from buying what is not for sale
• अ-विक्रेय-क्रयात्: हेतु (Hetu/Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अ (नञ्) + विक्रेय (कृदन्त; √क्री/विक्रि) + क्रय (प्रातिपदिक; √क्री)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे (cause): 'अविक्रेयस्य क्रयः' (purchase of what should not be sold)

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय

• एव: indeed
• एव: अवधारण (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• बकः: a crane/heron
• बकः: कर्तृ-समाना (Predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• गृध्रः: a vulture
• गृध्रः: कर्तृ-समाना (Predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृध्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• भवेत्: would become
• भवेत्: क्रिया (Kriyā)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

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

• अ-योनि-गः: one who goes to improper women/illicitly
• अ-योनि-गः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ (नञ्) + योनि (प्रातिपदिक) + ग (प्रातिपदिक; √गम् धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: 'अयोनिं गच्छति' (going to improper womb/illicit intercourse)

• वृकः: a wolf
• वृकः: कर्तृ-समाना (Predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: सम्बन्ध (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतौ/निश्चये अव्यय (particle: for/indeed)

• स्यात्: would be
• स्यात्: क्रिया (Kriyā)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• उलूकः: an owl
• उलूकः: कर्तृ-समाना (Predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उलूक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• क्रय-वञ्चनात्: from cheating in buying/selling
• क्रय-वञ्चनात्: हेतु (Hetu/Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रय (प्रातिपदिक) + वञ्चन (प्रातिपदिक; √वञ्च् धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष; हेत्वर्थे (cause): 'क्रये वञ्चनम्' (cheating in purchase)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in discourse to Garuda)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Pretayoni

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Adharma in commerce (selling/buying prohibited goods, cheating) and sexual impropriety lead to degraded rebirths reflecting predation/scavenging.

Vedantic Theme: Lobha (greed) and kāma (misdirected desire) intensify tamas and bind the jīva to lower gati; dharma sustains loka-saṅgraha.

Application: Follow ethical commerce; avoid exploitative markets; practice honesty in trade; uphold sexual propriety and consent.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: trade fraud and sexual misconduct leading to tiryak rebirths (adjacent verses)

FAQs

What is the importance of ethical trade in the Garuda Purana?

This verse links commercial dishonesty—especially cheating in buying/selling and dealing in improper goods—to adverse rebirths, emphasizing that livelihood must follow dharma.

How does this verse explain karmic consequences after death?

It presents a direct karma-to-rebirth mapping: specific unethical actions (forbidden trade, fraud, sexual misconduct) ripen into corresponding non-human births, illustrating moral causality beyond death.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Avoid fraudulent weights/prices, misrepresentation, and trading in prohibited or harmful goods; keep sexual conduct within ethical bounds—these are framed as safeguards for one’s karmic future.