Garuda Purana — Preta Kalpa, Shloka 86
The Extent of Questions: Deathbed Rites, Kāla (Time), and Karma-Vipāka Rebirths
तान्नरान्कर्णमूलो ऽयं व्याप्नुयान्नेतराञ्जनान् / परस्याननसंस्थं यो ग्रासं हरि मन्दधीः
tānnarānkarṇamūlo 'yaṃ vyāpnuyānnetarāñjanān / parasyānanasaṃsthaṃ yo grāsaṃ hari mandadhīḥ
यह पीड़ा, जो कान की जड़ तक फैलती है, उन्हीं पुरुषों को पकड़ती है—अन्यों को नहीं—जो मंदबुद्धि होकर दूसरे के मुख तक पहुँचे हुए कौर को छीन लेते हैं।
Lord Vishnu (in instruction to Garuda/Vinata-putra)
Concept: Specific papa (stealing food at the moment of consumption) yields a specific bodily affliction; karma is precise and proportionate.
Vedantic Theme: Adharma rooted in tamas (mandadhī) produces embodied suffering; ethical restraint supports sattva.
Application: Practice non-stealing and empathy in daily life; ensure food security and fairness; cultivate mindfulness before acting from impulse.
Primary Rasa: bibhatsa
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Related Themes: Garuda Purana 2.2 (disease/affliction as karma-vipāka mapping)
FAQs
This verse treats another’s food as protected by dharma: to snatch a morsel already at someone’s mouth is a grave harm, bringing a specific karmic affliction rather than an ordinary fault.
It links a precise wrongdoing (stealing a ready-to-eat morsel) with a precise result (an affliction affecting the ear-root region), illustrating the Purana’s doctrine that karma yields targeted, experienceable consequences.
Do not deprive others of their basic sustenance—avoid exploiting, snatching, or humiliating people over food or livelihood; practice fairness and generosity, especially toward the vulnerable.