Shloka 106

Jñāna-hetu-nirūpaṇa

On the Causes/Means of Knowledge

Devanagari script

तस्माच्छतगुणैर्हीनः कर्ममानसुरः स्मृतः / कल्पाद्यैः प्रेरिताः सर्वे रुद्राद्या अधिकारिणः

Transliteration

tasmācchataguṇairhīnaḥ karmamānasuraḥ smṛtaḥ / kalpādyaiḥ preritāḥ sarve rudrādyā adhikāriṇaḥ

Translation

അതുകൊണ്ട് ‘കർമ്മമാനാസുരൻ’ നൂറിരട്ടി ഗുണങ്ങളിൽ ഹീനൻ എന്നു സ്മരിക്കപ്പെടുന്നു; രുദ്രാദികളായ എല്ലാ അധികാരികളും കല്പാദി നിയമങ്ങളുടെ പ്രേരണയാൽ മാത്രമേ പ്രവർത്തിക്കൂ।

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: from that; therefore
• तस्मात्: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun (सर्वनाम), Masculine/Neuter, Ablative (5th/पञ्चमी), Singular (एकवचन)

• शत-गुणैः: by a hundred qualities; by hundredfold measures
• शत-गुणैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत (प्रातिपदिक) + गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural (बहुवचन)

• हीनः: devoid; lacking
• हीनः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; adjective qualifying the subject

• कर्म-मानसुरः: the asura named/characterized as ‘karma-māna’
• कर्म-मानसुरः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + मान (प्रातिपदिक) + असुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; compound noun (समास)

• स्मृतः: is said; is remembered as
• स्मृतः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु)
• Form: Past passive participle (कृत्: क्त), Masculine, Nominative, Singular; used predicatively ‘is said/considered’

• कल्प-आद्यैः: by Kalpa and others
• कल्प-आद्यैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कल्प (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural; ‘beginning with Kalpa’

• प्रेरिताः: impelled; prompted
• प्रेरिताः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-ईर्/ईर् (धातु)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Masculine, Nominative, Plural; agrees with ‘sarve’

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural

• रुद्र-आद्याः: Rudra and others
• रुद्र-आद्याः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural; ‘beginning with Rudra’

• अधिकारिणः: those having authority; officials
• अधिकारिणः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अधिकारिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural

Speaker

Lord Vishnu

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: All adhikārins (cosmic functionaries), even Rudra and others, act as impelled by the ordained cosmic order; agency is framed within niyati/ṛta-like regulation.

Vedantic Theme: Ishvara’s governance of cosmic functions; limitation of individual doership (kartṛtva) within the manifest order; alignment with dharma/niyama.

Application: Reduce egoic doership: perform one’s duties as ‘appointed work’ (adhikāra) aligned with order; accept outcomes as structured by larger causality while maintaining ethical effort.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 3.12 (discussion of cosmic functionaries and graded principles)

Characters & Entities

• Rudra
• Adhikaris (cosmic authorities)

FAQs

What is the importance of karmic governance (kalpa-vidhi) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse stresses that karmic outcomes are not arbitrary: cosmic authorities act under the established ordinance of the kalpa, ensuring deeds and mental dispositions yield fitting results.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

It implies that the soul’s post-death experience follows lawful karmic administration, carried out by authorized divine agents (adhikāris) rather than personal whim.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Cultivate inner virtue and mental discipline, since the text highlights that a degraded, asuric mentality is a major deficiency that shapes one’s karmic consequences.