Shloka 66
The Extent of Questions: Deathbed Rites, Kāla (Time), and Karma-Vipāka Rebirths
गत्वा दारान्परेषाञ्च ब्रह्मस्वमपहृत्य च / अरण्ये निर्जने देशे जायते ब्रह्मराक्षसः
gatvā dārānpareṣāñca brahmasvamapahṛtya ca / araṇye nirjane deśe jāyate brahmarākṣasaḥ
പരസ്ത്രീഗമനം ചെയ്ത് ബ്രാഹ്മണന്റെ സ്വത്ത് അപഹരിച്ചവൻ, നിർജനമായ വനപ്രദേശത്ത് ബ്രഹ്മരാക്ഷസനായി ജനിക്കുന്നു।
Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)
Afterlife Stage: Pretayoni
Concept: Severe adharma—paradāra-gamana and brahmasva-apahāra—yields a degraded, haunted rebirth as brahma-rākṣasa.
Vedantic Theme: Karma as moral causality shaping embodiment; violation of dharma toward others and toward sacred property obstructs sattva and binds the jīva to tamasic births.
Application: Uphold marital ethics and non-appropriation; treat religious/educational institutions’ resources as inviolable; practice restitution and prāyaścitta when wrong is done.
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: raudra
Type: wilderness/forest
Related Themes: Garuda Purana 2.2 (karmaphala catalogue of sins and resultant births)
FAQs
This verse links specific grave transgressions—violating another’s marriage and stealing a Brāhmaṇa’s property—to a fearful non-human rebirth, emphasizing strict karmic accountability in the Preta Kanda.
It presents a karmic outcome where severe unethical actions shape the soul’s next embodiment, resulting in a degraded birth (brahma-rākṣasa) and an isolated habitat, reflecting how conduct determines post-mortem destiny.
Maintain sexual ethics and respect marital boundaries, avoid exploitation and theft—especially of religious/charitable assets—and cultivate integrity in dealings with spiritual institutions and teachers.