Shloka 19

Mukti-tattva Upadeśa: Knowledge as the Direct Cause of Liberation

Devanagari script

पुनर्ग्रामः पुनः क्षेत्र पुनर्वित्तं पुनर्गृहम् / पुनः शुभाशुभं कर्म न शरीरं पुनः पुनः

Transliteration

punargrāmaḥ punaḥ kṣetra punarvittaṃ punargṛham / punaḥ śubhāśubhaṃ karma na śarīraṃ punaḥ punaḥ

Translation

再び村は得られ、再び田畑も得られよう。再び財も、再び家も得られよう。吉と凶の業もまた行われる—しかしこの同じ身体は、幾度も幾度も戻っては来ない。

Word by Word

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: सम्बन्ध (Sambandha/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरावृत्ति-वाचक क्रियाविशेषण ‘again’

• ग्रामः: village/homeplace
• ग्रामः: कर्ता (Kartā/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: grāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: सम्बन्ध (Sambandha/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; ‘again’

• क्षेत्रम्: field/land
• क्षेत्रम्: कर्ता (Kartā/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣetra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: सम्बन्ध (Sambandha/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; ‘again’

• वित्तम्: wealth
• वित्तम्: कर्ता (Kartā/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vitta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: सम्बन्ध (Sambandha/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; ‘again’

• गृहम्: house
• गृहम्: कर्ता (Kartā/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gṛha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: सम्बन्ध (Sambandha/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; ‘again’

• शुभाशुभम्: good and bad
• शुभाशुभम्: विशेषण (Viśeṣaṇa/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śubha + aśubha (प्रातिपदिक; शुभ + अशुभ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (कर्म) विभक्ति; एकवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (शुभं च अशुभं च)

• कर्म: action/deed
• कर्म: कर्म (Karma/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (कर्म) विभक्ति; एकवचन

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

• शरीरम्: body
• शरीरम्: कर्म (Karma/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śarīra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (कर्म) विभक्ति; एकवचन

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: सम्बन्ध (Sambandha/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; ‘again’

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: सम्बन्ध (Sambandha/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; ‘again’ (पुनरुक्ति for emphasis)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vainateya)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Worldly circumstances recur, karma repeats, but the same body does not; therefore do not postpone śreyas—practice detachment and purposeful living now.

Vedantic Theme: Anityatā (impermanence) leading to vairāgya; saṃsāra as repetitive cycle; urgency for liberation-oriented effort.

Application: Reduce attachment to property/status; prioritize practices that outlast the body (character, devotion, knowledge); plan life with mortality-awareness.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: karuna

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: anityatā and saṃsāra repetition as motivation for dharma and bhakti; Garuda Purana: warnings against attachment to gṛha-vitta and neglect of śreyas

Characters & Entities

• Garuda
• Vishnu
• Karma

FAQs

What is the importance of rebirth and impermanence in the Garuda Purana?

This verse stresses that worldly situations can recur across lives—home, wealth, land—but the physical body is not regained; therefore one should prioritize dharma and purifying karma before death.

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

It implies continuity of karmic causation across births: the jiva carries results of śubha and aśubha karma forward, while the gross body is left behind and does not repeat in the same form.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Treat the body and possessions as temporary, reduce harmful actions, increase dharmic conduct and charity, and live with awareness that karma continues even when this body ends.