Shloka 49

Devanagari script

नाप्राप्तकालो म्रियते विद्धः शरशतैरपि / कुशाग्रेण तु संस्पृष्टं प्राप्तकालो न जीवति

Transliteration

nāprāptakālo mriyate viddhaḥ śaraśatairapi / kuśāgreṇa tu saṃspṛṣṭaṃ prāptakālo na jīvati

Translation

જેનુ નિર્ધારિત કાળ હજી આવ્યો નથી, તે સૈકડો બાણોથી વિંધાયો છતાં મરતો નથી; પરંતુ જેને કાળ આવી ગયો છે, તે કૂશ ઘાસની અગ્ર ટોચના સ્પર્શથી પણ જીવતો નથી.

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात (negation)

• अप्राप्त: not yet arrived
• अप्राप्त: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a-prāpta (प्रातिपदिक; a- + √prāp (धातु) + kta)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; 'कालः' इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• कालः: time (appointed time)
• कालः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• म्रियते: dies
• म्रियते: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √mṛ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

• विद्धः: pierced, struck
• विद्धः: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √vyadh (धातु) + kta → viddha (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; 'कालः' (अथवा जनः) इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• शर: by arrows
• शर: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; समासपूर्वपदम्

• शतैः: by hundreds (of them)
• शतैः: Karana (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; 'शरशतैः' = शराणां शतैः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अपि-कार (particle: 'even/also')

• कुश: by a kuśa grass
• कुश: Karana (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kuśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; समासपूर्वपदम्

• अग्रेण: by the tip
• अग्रेण: Karana (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: agra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; 'कुशाग्रेण' = कुशस्य अग्रेण (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• तु: but
• तु: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/अवधानार्थक-निपात

• संस्पृष्टम्: touched
• संस्पृष्टम्: Kriya-viseshana (Predicate participle)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam√spṛś (धातु) + kta → saṃspṛṣṭa (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; भावे/कर्मणि प्रयोगः (as predicate: 'when touched')

• प्राप्त: arrived
• प्राप्त: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prāpta (प्रातिपदिक; √prāp + kta)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; 'कालः' इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• कालः: time (appointed time)
• कालः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात

• जीवति: lives
• जीवति: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √jīv (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Death occurs only when the destined time ripens; external causes are secondary to kāla/karma’s maturation.

Vedantic Theme: Kāla as an instrument of īśvara; prārabdha-karma determining the span of embodied experience.

Application: Reduce anxiety by focusing on right action and inner preparedness rather than obsessive control; cultivate remembrance of the transient body and steadiness in risk.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Geographic Context

Type: universal (no specific place)

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.113.50–51 (destined attainments; karma ripens in its own time).

FAQs

What is the importance of prāptakāla (the appointed time) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse states that death occurs when one’s destined time—shaped by karma—has arrived; until then, even severe injury may not result in death.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul after death?

By emphasizing that death happens at prāptakāla, the text frames the soul’s departure as karmically timed, after which post-death rites and the onward journey (preta-related teachings) become relevant.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Live with dharma and awareness of impermanence: avoid recklessness, but also reduce fear by understanding that life and death are portrayed as governed by karma and time.