Shloka 77
The Extent of Questions: Deathbed Rites, Kāla (Time), and Karma-Vipāka Rebirths
मूत्रकृच्छ्री दूषकस्तु कन्यायाः क्लीबतामियात् / द्वीपी स्याद्वेदविक्रेता वराहो ऽयाज्ययाजकः
mūtrakṛcchrī dūṣakastu kanyāyāḥ klībatāmiyāt / dvīpī syādvedavikretā varāho 'yājyayājakaḥ
Celui qui souffre d’une miction douloureuse devient calomniateur d’une jeune fille; et le calomniateur d’une jeune fille atteint l’impuissance. Le vendeur du Veda renaît en léopard, et celui qui accomplit des sacrifices pour des personnes indignes d’être desservies renaît en sanglier.
Lord Vishnu (narrating to Garuda)
Concept: Suffering and rebirth mirror ethical violations: urinary pain ↔ harmful speech; slander of a maiden ↔ impotence; commodifying Veda ↔ predatory rebirth; misdirected priestcraft ↔ impure animal rebirth.
Vedantic Theme: Misuse of vāk and sacred knowledge (śruti) binds the jīva; dharma of speech and sacred stewardship as purifiers of antaḥkaraṇa.
Application: Do not malign women’s character; treat sacred learning as responsibility not merchandise; ensure ritual officiation aligns with dharma (eligibility and intention).
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Related Themes: Garuda Purana 2.2 (karma-vipāka: speech-sins, Veda commerce, improper yajña officiation)
FAQs
This verse treats defamation—especially of a vulnerable person like a maiden—as a grave misuse of speech, linking it to a karmic loss of sexual potency, emphasizing restraint, truthfulness, and protection of reputation as dharma.
It presents a cause–effect mapping: specific unethical acts (slander, commodifying sacred knowledge, improper priestly service) mature into embodied consequences, including impotence or animal rebirth, illustrating the Purana’s doctrine that karma shapes future bodies and capacities.
Avoid character assassination and sexualized rumor, treat sacred learning as a responsibility rather than merchandise, and ensure religious/ritual roles are performed with integrity—without enabling prohibited or unethical conduct.