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Shloka 24

Jīva-yonis (84 Lakhs), Rarity of Human Birth, Sense-Restraint, Craving, and Śraddhā-based Dharma

Devanagari script

एको ऽपि भुङ्क्ते सुकृतमेक एव च दुष्कृतम् / मृतं शरीरमुत्सृज्य काष्ठलोष्टसमङ्क्षितौ

Transliteration

eko 'pi bhuṅkte sukṛtameka eva ca duṣkṛtam / mṛtaṃ śarīramutsṛjya kāṣṭhaloṣṭasamaṅkṣitau

Translation

Seul on goûte le fruit du mérite, et seul aussi celui du péché. Quand le corps mort est rejeté, il devient aussi insignifiant qu’un morceau de bois ou une motte de terre.

Word by Word
एकःone (alone)
एकः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootएक (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन
अपिeven/also
अपि:
Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअपि (अव्यय)
Formनिपात (particle; concessive/additive)
भुङ्क्तेexperiences/enjoys
भुङ्क्ते:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√भुज् (धातु)
Formलट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; 'enjoys/experiences'
सुकृतम्good deed/merit
सुकृतम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootसु-कृत (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; सु + कृत (good + deed)
एकःone (alone)
एकः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootएक (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन
एवonly/indeed
एव:
Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootएव (अव्यय)
Formनिपात (particle/emphasis)
चand
च:
Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)
दुष्कृतम्bad deed/demerit
दुष्कृतम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootदुस्-कृत (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; दुस् + कृत (bad + deed)
मृतम्dead
मृतम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeAdjective
Rootमृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √मृ (धातु))
Formभूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; 'dead'
शरीरम्body
शरीरम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootशरीर (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन
उत्सृज्यhaving cast off
उत्सृज्य:
Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
TypeVerb
Root√सृज् (धातु) + उत्- (उपसर्ग)
Formक्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); 'having abandoned/cast off'
काष्ठलोष्टसमङ्क्षितौ(two) covered with wood and clods
काष्ठलोष्टसमङ्क्षितौ:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootकाष्ठ + लोष्ट + सम + अङ्क्षित (कृदन्त; √अङ्क्ष्/अङ्क् (धातु) 'to mark/cover')
Formबहुपद-समासः; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन; काष्ठ-लोष्ट-सम-अङ्क्षितौ = 'covered/marked with wood and clods (together)'
Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in instruction to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Karma-phala is personally borne; the body is a discardable upādhi, not the self.

Vedantic Theme: Kartṛtva-bhoktṛtva at the jīva level; dehābhimāna (body-identification) is undermined; anityatā and asāratā of the body.

Application: Own consequences of actions; cultivate ethical discipline; reduce body-obsession; prepare for death with dharmic living and remembrance of the self beyond the body.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: repeated assertion that karma alone accompanies the jīva (cf. 2.12.25–26).

Characters & Entities
G
Garuda
A
Atman
K
Karma

FAQs

This verse states that merit and sin are experienced by the individual alone; neither relatives nor possessions can share or remove one’s karma-phala after death.

It distinguishes the departing self from the discarded corpse: the soul proceeds with its karmic burden, while the body is left behind as inert matter, like wood or a lump of earth.

Live with accountability—prioritize dharmic actions, reduce harmful conduct, and cultivate detachment by remembering that only one’s deeds accompany one beyond death.

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