Shloka 37

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

Devanagari script

अकर्मविहिते घोरे कामक्रोधार्जिते ऽशुभे / पतेद्वै नरके भूयो तस्योत्तारो न विद्यते

Transliteration

akarmavihite ghore kāmakrodhārjite 'śubhe / patedvai narake bhūyo tasyottāro na vidyate

Translation

In that dreadful, unrighteous state—born of neglected duty and of inauspicious deeds amassed through lust and anger—one falls again into hell; for such a person, no deliverance is found.

Word by Word

• अकर्मविहिते: in what is not enjoined as duty (forbidden/unauthorized)
• अकर्मविहिते: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अकर्मविहित (प्रातिपदिक; अ + कर्म + विहित)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Locative singular; विशेषण of implied ‘(कर्म/कृत्ये)’

• घोरे: terrible
• घोरे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Locative singular; विशेषण (same locus)

• कामक्रोधार्जिते: acquired through desire and anger
• कामक्रोधार्जिते: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कामक्रोधार्जित (प्रातिपदिक; काम + क्रोध + अर्जित)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Locative singular; विशेषण

• अशुभे: inauspicious/evil
• अशुभे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अशुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Locative singular; विशेषण

• पतेत्: would fall
• पतेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; Parasmaipada

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• नरके: in hell
• नरके: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Locative singular

• भूयः: again/further
• भूयः: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भूयस् (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक-निपातवत्)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• तस्य: of him/of that (person)
• तस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Genitive singular

• उत्तारः: deliverance/rescue
• उत्तारः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उत्तार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• विद्यते: exists/is found
• विद्यते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (धातु; विद्-ज्ञाने, ‘to exist/ be found’ as passive-like usage)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; Ātmanepada

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (teaching Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Naraka

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Neglect of prescribed action and accumulation of aśubha through lust and anger causes repeated fall into hell; such a trajectory lacks easy rescue.

Vedantic Theme: Kāma-krodha as binding forces (rajas/tamas) intensifying papa and obscuring viveka; necessity of purification and restraint.

Application: Treat lust/anger as spiritual emergencies: adopt restraint, confession/atonement, and corrective habits before patterns harden into destructive karma.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa

Geographic Context

Type: underworld-realm

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: detailed naraka descriptions and causes rooted in kāma, krodha, and adharma; Garuda Purana: emphasis on prāyaścitta, dāna, and Viṣṇu-smaraṇa as remedies elsewhere (contextual counterpoint)

Characters & Entities

• Naraka

FAQs

What is the importance of kama (lust) and krodha (anger) in Garuda Purana teachings on sin?

This verse treats lust and anger as drivers that accumulate aśubha (inauspicious karma), leading the soul toward naraka rather than upliftment through dharma.

How does this verse explain repeated suffering after death?

It states that when one abandons prescribed duty (akarma-vihita) and acts under lust and anger, one “falls again” into hell—implying recurring consequences until such tendencies are corrected.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Practice dharmic discipline: restrain lust and anger, avoid harmful actions, and commit to rightful duties—so karma does not mature into severe afterlife suffering.