Shloka 28
Nītisāra: Virtuous Association, Household Dharma, and Kāla (Time) as the Supreme Regulator
सक्तिः सुतोके सुकृतं कृतघ्ने शतिं च वह्नौ (सीतापहौ ह्यतपयैव)?हैमे / उत्पद्यते दैववशात्कदाचिद्वेश्यासु रागो न भवेत्कदाचित्
saktiḥ sutoke sukṛtaṃ kṛtaghne śatiṃ ca vahnau (sītāpahau hyatapayaiva)?haime / utpadyate daivavaśātkadācidveśyāsu rāgo na bhavetkadācit
Kelekatan dapat timbul bahkan kepada anak sendiri; kebajikan dapat tampak bahkan pada orang yang tak tahu berterima kasih; kesejukan seakan ada bahkan dalam api; dan oleh kuasa takdir, kadang gairah muncul kepada pelacur, kadang tidak muncul sama sekali.
Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)
Concept: Daiva (fate) and the instability of raga/dvesha; worldly emotions and moral qualities can arise contrary to expectation.
Vedantic Theme: Anityatva of mental modifications (vrittis) and the unreliability of samsaric attachments; impetus toward vairagya.
Application: Do not build life-decisions solely on fluctuating attraction/aversion; cultivate discernment and steadiness through self-observation and ethical restraint.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Related Themes: Garuda Purana (Preta-khanda): teachings on anityata, vairagya, and the fickleness of desire preceding death-awareness passages
FAQs
This verse highlights that attraction and aversion can manifest unpredictably due to daiva, reminding seekers to cultivate discernment and not justify actions merely by impulse.
By pointing to the volatility of rāga and attachment, it implies that uncontrolled desires shape karma, which in turn conditions post-death outcomes described elsewhere in the Garuda Purana.
Treat desires as transient; practice restraint (saṃyama), choose dharmic actions consistently, and avoid rationalizing harmful conduct as “inevitable.”