Shloka 115
क्व माता क्व पिता मूढ क्व जाया क्व सुतः सुहृत् / स्वकर्मोपार्जिते भुङ्क्ष्वं मूर्ख याताश्चिरं पथि
kva mātā kva pitā mūḍha kva jāyā kva sutaḥ suhṛt / svakarmopārjite bhuṅkṣvaṃ mūrkha yātāściraṃ pathi
Where now are your mother and father, deluded one? Where are your wife, your son, your friend? O fool—now that you have set out upon the long road, you must endure and experience only what you have earned by your own actions.
Lord Vishnu (in discourse to Garuda/Vinata-putra, describing the soul’s condition after death)
Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey
Concept: Svakarma alone bears fruit; relatives cannot substitute for one’s deeds once the journey has begun.
Vedantic Theme: Karma as the binding force; vairāgya from dependence on external supports; the jīva’s solitary encounter with consequence.
Application: Live with ethical responsibility; reduce harmful actions; cultivate practices that purify karma (dāna, satya, ahiṃsā, bhakti) rather than relying on social safety nets.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Type: path (preta-mārga)
Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: repeated refrain that only karma follows the soul; Garuda Purana: Yama-dūta admonitions to the preta about svakarma-bhoga
FAQs
It states that after death one must undergo the results of one’s own deeds (svakarmopārjita), not relying on relatives or social ties.
It portrays the post-death journey as a “long road” where the departed proceeds effectively alone, experiencing only the fruits of prior actions.
Cultivate ethical conduct and spiritual practice now, and reduce attachment by remembering that accountability is personal and karma-driven.