Shloka 13

Ruci and the Pitṛs: On Marriage, Debts (Ṛṇa), and Desireless Karma

Devanagari script

अनेकभवसंभूतकर्मपङ्काङ्कितो बुधैः / आत्मा तत्त्वज्ञानतोयैः प्रक्षाल्यो नियतेन्द्रियैः

Transliteration

anekabhavasaṃbhūtakarmapaṅkāṅkito budhaiḥ / ātmā tattvajñānatoyaiḥ prakṣālyo niyatendriyaiḥ

Translation

അനേകം ജന്മങ്ങളിൽ സമ്പാദിച്ച കർമചളിയിൽ മുദ്രിതമായ ആത്മാവിനെ, ഇന്ദ്രിയനിഗ്രഹമുള്ളവൻ തത്ത്വജ്ഞാനജലങ്ങളാൽ കഴുകി ശുദ്ധമാക്കണം എന്നു ജ്ഞാനികൾ പറയുന്നു.

Word by Word

• अनेकभवसंभूतकर्मपङ्काङ्कितः: marked by the mud of karma arisen from many births
• अनेकभवसंभूतकर्मपङ्काङ्कितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनेक (प्रातिपदिक) + भव (प्रातिपदिक) + सम्भूत (कृदन्त; सम्+भू धातोः क्त) + कर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + पङ्क (प्रातिपदिक) + अङ्कित (कृदन्त; अङ्क् धातोः क्त)
• Form: बहुपद-तत्पुरुष-समास (अनेकभवसम्भूतः कर्मपङ्कः येन सः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; विशेषण (of आत्मा)

• बुधैः: by the wise
• बुधैः: Karana (Agent in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), बहुवचन

• आत्मा: the self
• आत्मा: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

• तत्त्वज्ञानतोयैः: with the water of true knowledge
• तत्त्वज्ञानतोयैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक) + ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक) + तोय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (तत्त्वज्ञानस्य तोयम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), बहुवचन (Instrumental plural)

• प्रक्षाल्यः: should be cleansed
• प्रक्षाल्यः: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Predicate complement/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + क्षल् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (यत्/णीयत्-प्रत्यय; gerundive/obligative); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; विधेय (to be washed)

• नियतेन्द्रियैः: by those with controlled senses
• नियतेन्द्रियैः: Karana (Agent in passive/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नियत (कृदन्त; नि+यम् धातोः क्त) + इन्द्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि (नियतानीन्द्रियाणि येषां ते); पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), बहुवचन; कर्तृ-विशेषण (qualifies implied agents)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in instruction to Garuda)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The Self appears stained by multi-birth karma; purification is through tattva-jnana, supported by indriya-nigraha (sense-control).

Vedantic Theme: Avidya/adhyasa as the apparent ‘stain’; jnana removes ignorance, while sense-mastery steadies the mind for realization.

Application: Train senses (diet, speech, attention); pursue tattva-vichara (inquiry into reality) via study, contemplation, and meditation.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.88.12 (vidya as cleansing); Garuda Purana 1.88.15-16 (nishkama karma and non-bondage)

FAQs

What is the importance of sense-control in the Garuda Purana?

This verse links purification directly to niyatendriya—without mastery of the senses, even true knowledge does not effectively cleanse the karmic stains gathered over many lives.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

It presents the jīva as carrying karmic residue across births, and teaches that liberation-oriented purification happens through tattva-jñāna supported by disciplined restraint.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Cultivate ethical restraint (speech, food, desire) and pursue clear self-inquiry/study that leads to tattva-jñāna, treating knowledge as the primary purifier of long-held karmic habits.