Shloka 25

Varṇāśrama-ācāra, Aśauca (Sūtaka) Regulations, and Prāyaścitta with Funeral-Rite Notes

Devanagari script

अदुष्टापतितं भार्या यौवने या परित्यजेत् / सप्तजन्म भवेत्स्त्रीत्वं वैधव्यं च पुनः पुनः

Transliteration

aduṣṭāpatitaṃ bhāryā yauvane yā parityajet / saptajanma bhavetstrītvaṃ vaidhavyaṃ ca punaḥ punaḥ

Translation

യൗവനത്തിൽ ദുഷ്ടയല്ലാത്തതും പതിതയല്ലാത്തതുമായ ഭാര്യയെ ആരെങ്കിലും ഉപേക്ഷിച്ചാൽ, അവൻ ഏഴ് ജന്മം സ്ത്രീത്വം പ്രാപിക്കുകയും വീണ്ടും വീണ്ടും വൈധവ്യം അനുഭവിക്കുകയും ചെയ്യും.

Word by Word

• अदुष्ट-अपतितम्: a blameless, not-fallen (husband)
• अदुष्ट-अपतितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अदुष्ट (प्रातिपदिक) + अपतित (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त-भाव)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (one who is not wicked and not fallen)

• भार्या: wife
• भार्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भार्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• यौवने: in youth
• यौवने: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यौवन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• या: who (she who)
• या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• परित्यजेत्: should abandon/deserts
• परित्यजेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि+त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सप्तजन्म: seven births
• सप्तजन्म: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सप्त + जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; समासः—द्विगु (seven births)

• भवेत्: would be/comes to be
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• स्त्रीत्वम्: womanhood (being a woman)
• स्त्रीत्वम्: Karta (Subject-complement/कर्ता-समासार्थ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्रीत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• वैधव्यम्: widowhood
• वैधव्यम्: Karta (Subject-complement/कर्ता-समासार्थ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैधव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Avyaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Avyaya (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: again)

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Avyaya (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरुक्ति-बल (again and again)

Speaker

Lord Viṣṇu (teaching Garuḍa)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Unjust abandonment of a virtuous wife yields karmic retribution: repeated female births and repeated widowhood across seven lives.

Vedantic Theme: Karma-phala as moral causality shaping embodiment (yoni) and life-situations; dharma-violation binds saṃsāra.

Application: Do not abandon a faithful spouse; resolve conflicts through dharmic counsel, responsibility, and protection of dependents.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: raudra

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Geographic Context

Type: household/social sphere

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.107 (gṛhastha transgressions and karmic results)

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Garuḍa

FAQs

What is the importance of marital duty (gṛhastha-dharma) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse treats faithful marital responsibility as a core dharma: abandoning a blameless wife is framed as a grave ethical breach that yields repeated suffering through karmic rebirth.

How does this verse explain karmic consequence in the Garuda Purana?

It links a specific wrongful act—deserting a virtuous wife—to a defined karmic result: repeated rebirth and recurring widowhood, emphasizing moral causality rather than randomness.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Maintain responsibility and fairness in intimate commitments; if separation is unavoidable, act with integrity, protection, and due care rather than abandonment.