Shloka 36
Karma-vipāka: Truth, Yama’s Judgment, and the Marks of Sin in Rebirth
देवत्वे मानुषत्वे च दानभोगादिकाः क्रियाः / या दृश्यन्ते वैनतेय तत्सर्वं कर्मजं फलम्
devatve mānuṣatve ca dānabhogādikāḥ kriyāḥ / yā dṛśyante vainateya tatsarvaṃ karmajaṃ phalam
Whether as a deva or as a human, the deeds that are seen—such as dāna (giving), enjoyment of pleasures, and the like—O Vainateya, all of that is fruit born of karma.
Lord Vishnu
Concept: Actions and experiences—giving, enjoyment, and the like—whether in divine or human status, are karma-born results.
Vedantic Theme: Bhoga as karma-phala; experiential differences across births are effects, not ultimate identity; encourages dispassion toward bhoga.
Application: Don’t envy others’ fortunes; focus on intentional wholesome action and inner discipline rather than chasing outcomes.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: cosmic-realms
Related Themes: Garuda Purana: repeated mapping of bhoga/duḥkha to prior karma in preta and naraka narratives
FAQs
This verse states that all observable states and experiences—whether divine or human, including capacities for charity and enjoyment—arise from prior karma, making karma-phala the governing law behind rebirth and lived circumstances.
It attributes both “devatva” and “mānuṣatva” to karma: one’s accumulated actions ripen into a particular birth-status and the corresponding experiences and tendencies seen in that life.
Treat present choices as future causes: cultivate dharmic actions like dāna (charity), self-restraint, and service, since the Purana frames one’s future conditions and enjoyments as direct outcomes of karma.