Shloka 21

Karmic Causality, Fate, and the Supremacy of Food-Charity

within Guru-tīrtha Glorification

Devanagari script

सुशीघ्रमनुधावंतं विधानमनुधावति । शोभते संनिपातेन यथाकर्म पुराकृतम्

Transliteration

suśīghramanudhāvaṃtaṃ vidhānamanudhāvati | śobhate saṃnipātena yathākarma purākṛtam

Translation

જે પુરુષ ઝડપથી દોડે છે, તેને દૈવનું વિધાન પણ ઝડપથી અનુસરે છે. બંને મળતાં જ પૂર્વકૃત કર્મ અનુસાર ફળ પ્રગટ થાય છે.

Word by Word

• सुशीघ्रम्: very quickly
• सुशीघ्रम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सु-शीघ्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण/adverb); कर्मधारय-समासः (सु + शीघ्रम्)

• अनुधावन्तम्: one who is running after/following
• अनुधावन्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनु-धाव् (धातु) → धावन्त् (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ/Present active participle); पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; उपसर्गः अनु-

• विधानम्: ordinance; destiny; arrangement
• विधानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• अनुधावति: follows; runs after
• अनुधावति: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनु-धाव् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्; उपसर्गः अनु-

• शोभते: shines; appears fitting
• शोभते: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शुभ्/शोभ् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

• संनिपातेन: by conjunction/meeting
• संनिपातेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संनिपात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• यथाकर्म: according to (one's) deeds
• यथाकर्म: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय) + कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समासः; अव्यय (adverbial compound)

• पुराकृतम्: done formerly; previously performed
• पुराकृतम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय) + कृ (धातु) → कृत (कृदन्त)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समासः (पुरा + कृतम्); भूतकृदन्त (क्त/Past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (contextually predicate)

Speaker

Unspecified (narrative voice within Bhūmi-khaṇḍa; exact dialogue pair not provided in the input)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: सुशीघ्रम् = सु + शीघ्रम् (कर्मधारय). यथाकर्म = यथा + कर्म (अव्ययीभाव). पुराकृतम् = पुरा + कृतम् (अव्ययीभाव).

FAQs

What is the main teaching of this verse?

It teaches karmaphala: outcomes arise when one’s past deeds and the ‘ordinance’ (vidhāna/daiva) converge, and the result manifests according to prior action.

Does the verse support fatalism or moral responsibility?

It emphasizes moral responsibility: even if ‘fate’ is spoken of as pursuing a person, the determining measure is “yathā-karma purākṛtam”—in accordance with what was done before.

What ethical lesson can a reader take from this line?

Running from consequences is futile; therefore one should act carefully now, since future circumstances will ‘meet’ one in forms shaped by earlier choices.