Shloka 25

Varṇāśrama-ācāra, Aśauca (Sūtaka) Regulations, and Prāyaścitta with Funeral-Rite Notes

Devanagari script

अदुष्टापतितं भार्या यौवने या परित्यजेत् / सप्तजन्म भवेत्स्त्रीत्वं वैधव्यं च पुनः पुनः

Transliteration

aduṣṭāpatitaṃ bhāryā yauvane yā parityajet / saptajanma bhavetstrītvaṃ vaidhavyaṃ ca punaḥ punaḥ

Translation

Sesiapa yang meninggalkan isterinya ketika muda, sedangkan isterinya tidak jahat dan tidak jatuh daripada dharma, dikatakan akan lahir semula tujuh kelahiran sebagai wanita dan menanggung kedukaan janda berulang-ulang.

Word by Word

• अदुष्ट-अपतितम्: a blameless, not-fallen (husband)
• अदुष्ट-अपतितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अदुष्ट (प्रातिपदिक) + अपतित (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त-भाव)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (one who is not wicked and not fallen)

• भार्या: wife
• भार्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भार्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• यौवने: in youth
• यौवने: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यौवन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• या: who (she who)
• या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• परित्यजेत्: should abandon/deserts
• परित्यजेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि+त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सप्तजन्म: seven births
• सप्तजन्म: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सप्त + जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; समासः—द्विगु (seven births)

• भवेत्: would be/comes to be
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• स्त्रीत्वम्: womanhood (being a woman)
• स्त्रीत्वम्: Karta (Subject-complement/कर्ता-समासार्थ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्रीत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• वैधव्यम्: widowhood
• वैधव्यम्: Karta (Subject-complement/कर्ता-समासार्थ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैधव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Avyaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Avyaya (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: again)

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Avyaya (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरुक्ति-बल (again and again)

Speaker

Lord Viṣṇu (teaching Garuḍa)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Unjust abandonment of a virtuous wife yields karmic retribution: repeated female births and repeated widowhood across seven lives.

Vedantic Theme: Karma-phala as moral causality shaping embodiment (yoni) and life-situations; dharma-violation binds saṃsāra.

Application: Do not abandon a faithful spouse; resolve conflicts through dharmic counsel, responsibility, and protection of dependents.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: raudra

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Geographic Context

Type: household/social sphere

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.107 (gṛhastha transgressions and karmic results)

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Garuḍa

FAQs

What is the importance of marital duty (gṛhastha-dharma) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse treats faithful marital responsibility as a core dharma: abandoning a blameless wife is framed as a grave ethical breach that yields repeated suffering through karmic rebirth.

How does this verse explain karmic consequence in the Garuda Purana?

It links a specific wrongful act—deserting a virtuous wife—to a defined karmic result: repeated rebirth and recurring widowhood, emphasizing moral causality rather than randomness.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Maintain responsibility and fairness in intimate commitments; if separation is unavoidable, act with integrity, protection, and due care rather than abandonment.