Shloka 31

Āyuḥ-kṣaya by Vikarma; Impermanence of the Body; Aśauca and Child Śrāddha Procedures; Dāna as Remedy

Devanagari script

प्राकृतैः कर्मपाशैस्तु मृत्युमाप्नोति मानवः / आधानात्पञ्च वर्षाणि स्वल्पपापैर्विपच्यते

Transliteration

prākṛtaiḥ karmapāśaistu mṛtyumāpnoti mānavaḥ / ādhānātpañca varṣāṇi svalpapāpairvipacyate

Translation

സാധാരണ കർമപാശങ്ങളാൽ ബന്ധിതനായ മനുഷ്യൻ മരണത്തെ പ്രാപിക്കുന്നു; ഗർഭാധാനത്തിൽ നിന്ന് അഞ്ചു വർഷം വരെ ചെറിയ പാപങ്ങളുടെ ഫലത്താലും അവൻ ‘വിപച്യते’—ഭോഗിച്ച് കെടുന്നു।

Word by Word

• प्राकृतैः: by ordinary (natural)
• प्राकृतैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राकृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (eng: by natural/ordinary)

• कर्मपाशैः: by the bonds of karma
• कर्मपाशैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + पाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कर्मणः पाशाः) (eng: bonds of actions)

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• मृत्युम्: death
• मृत्युम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत्यु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• आप्नोति: attains
• आप्नोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आप् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; धातु: आप् (eng: attains/reaches)

• मानवः: a human being
• मानवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• आधानात्: from conception
• आधानात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आधान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; (eng: from conception/impregnation; lit. from placing/implantation)

• पञ्च: five
• पञ्च: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पञ्च (अव्यय/संख्याशब्द)
• Form: संख्या-अव्यय (numeral; indeclinable in this use)

• वर्षाणि: years
• वर्षाणि: Kala-adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (or प्रथमा) बहुवचन; कालपरिमाण (eng: years; duration)

• स्वल्पपापैः: by minor sins
• स्वल्पपापैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वल्प (प्रातिपदिक) + पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः (स्वल्पानि पापानि) (eng: by minor sins)

• विपच्यते: is tormented/undergoes (ripening)
• विपच्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + पच् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive) (eng: is cooked/tormented; undergoes ripening)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in dialogue with Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Humans are bound by ‘prākṛta’ karmic fetters leading to death; karmic maturation begins from conception, with even minor sins ripening early.

Vedantic Theme: Prārabdha-karma unfolding from the very start of embodied existence; saṃsāra as bondage through karma-pāśa.

Application: Cultivate vigilance in conduct and intention; support prenatal/early-life sanctity through dharmic living, saṃskāras, and compassionate care, recognizing long causal chains.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Geographic Context

Type: womb/embodied-life context

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana passages on karma-pāśa, death, and embryonic suffering (general thematic parallel)

Characters & Entities

• Karma
• Mrityu (Death)

FAQs

What is the importance of karma-fetters (karmapāśa) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse states that death is reached while bound by karmic nooses—meaning post-death experience and destiny are governed by accumulated actions, not merely by chance.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul in relation to early life?

It indicates that karmic results begin to ‘ripen’ from conception itself, implying the jīva carries prior impressions and begins experiencing their outcomes even in the earliest years.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Live with ethical restraint and purification practices, because even ‘small’ wrongs have consequences that mature over time and shape one’s life and death.