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Shloka 24

Jīva-yonis (84 Lakhs), Rarity of Human Birth, Sense-Restraint, Craving, and Śraddhā-based Dharma

Devanagari script

एको ऽपि भुङ्क्ते सुकृतमेक एव च दुष्कृतम् / मृतं शरीरमुत्सृज्य काष्ठलोष्टसमङ्क्षितौ

Transliteration

eko 'pi bhuṅkte sukṛtameka eva ca duṣkṛtam / mṛtaṃ śarīramutsṛjya kāṣṭhaloṣṭasamaṅkṣitau

Translation

മനുഷ്യൻ ഒറ്റയ്ക്കുതന്നെ പുണ്യഫലവും ഒറ്റയ്ക്കുതന്നെ പാപഫലവും അനുഭവിക്കുന്നു. മരിച്ച ശരീരം ഉപേക്ഷിച്ചാൽ അത് ഭൂമിയിൽ മരക്കഷണം അല്ലെങ്കിൽ മണ്ണുകട്ടപോലെ തുച്ഛമാകും.

Word by Word
एकःone (alone)
एकः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootएक (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन
अपिeven/also
अपि:
Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअपि (अव्यय)
Formनिपात (particle; concessive/additive)
भुङ्क्तेexperiences/enjoys
भुङ्क्ते:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√भुज् (धातु)
Formलट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; 'enjoys/experiences'
सुकृतम्good deed/merit
सुकृतम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootसु-कृत (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; सु + कृत (good + deed)
एकःone (alone)
एकः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootएक (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन
एवonly/indeed
एव:
Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootएव (अव्यय)
Formनिपात (particle/emphasis)
चand
च:
Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)
दुष्कृतम्bad deed/demerit
दुष्कृतम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootदुस्-कृत (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; दुस् + कृत (bad + deed)
मृतम्dead
मृतम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeAdjective
Rootमृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √मृ (धातु))
Formभूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; 'dead'
शरीरम्body
शरीरम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootशरीर (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन
उत्सृज्यhaving cast off
उत्सृज्य:
Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
TypeVerb
Root√सृज् (धातु) + उत्- (उपसर्ग)
Formक्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); 'having abandoned/cast off'
काष्ठलोष्टसमङ्क्षितौ(two) covered with wood and clods
काष्ठलोष्टसमङ्क्षितौ:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootकाष्ठ + लोष्ट + सम + अङ्क्षित (कृदन्त; √अङ्क्ष्/अङ्क् (धातु) 'to mark/cover')
Formबहुपद-समासः; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन; काष्ठ-लोष्ट-सम-अङ्क्षितौ = 'covered/marked with wood and clods (together)'
Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in instruction to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Karma-phala is personally borne; the body is a discardable upādhi, not the self.

Vedantic Theme: Kartṛtva-bhoktṛtva at the jīva level; dehābhimāna (body-identification) is undermined; anityatā and asāratā of the body.

Application: Own consequences of actions; cultivate ethical discipline; reduce body-obsession; prepare for death with dharmic living and remembrance of the self beyond the body.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: repeated assertion that karma alone accompanies the jīva (cf. 2.12.25–26).

Characters & Entities
G
Garuda
A
Atman
K
Karma

FAQs

This verse states that merit and sin are experienced by the individual alone; neither relatives nor possessions can share or remove one’s karma-phala after death.

It distinguishes the departing self from the discarded corpse: the soul proceeds with its karmic burden, while the body is left behind as inert matter, like wood or a lump of earth.

Live with accountability—prioritize dharmic actions, reduce harmful conduct, and cultivate detachment by remembering that only one’s deeds accompany one beyond death.

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