Shloka 17

Ruci and the Pitṛs: On Marriage, Debts (Ṛṇa), and Desireless Karma

Devanagari script

पूर्वकर्म कृतं बोगैः क्षीयते ह्यनिशन्तथा / सुखदुः खात्मकैर्वत्स पुण्या पुण्यात्मकं नृणाम्

Transliteration

pūrvakarma kṛtaṃ bogaiḥ kṣīyate hyaniśantathā / sukhaduḥ khātmakairvatsa puṇyā puṇyātmakaṃ nṛṇām

Translation

Perbuatan lampau sentiasa terhapus melalui pengalaman—kenikmatan dan penderitaan. Maka, wahai anak, melalui pengalaman yang berupa suka dan duka, pahala dan dosa manusia dilunaskan sedikit demi sedikit.

Word by Word

• पूर्वकर्म: previous karma
• पूर्वकर्म: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पूर्वस्य कर्म = earlier deed)

• कृतम्: done, performed
• कृतम्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कृत (कृदन्त/क्त)
• Form: कृत-प्रत्ययान्त (क्त/PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (पूर्वकर्मणः)

• भोगैः: by enjoyments/experiences
• भोगैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भोग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• क्षीयते: is exhausted, diminishes
• क्षीयते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्षि (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• हि: indeed, for
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अव्यय; हेत्वर्थ/निश्चयार्थ

• अनिशम्: constantly
• अनिशम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अनिशम् (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• तथा: thus, in that way
• तथा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• सुखदुःखात्मकैः: by those consisting of pleasure and pain
• सुखदुःखात्मकैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुख (प्रातिपदिक) + दुःख (प्रातिपदिक) + आत्मक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; (सुख-दुःख) इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व + आत्मक (having the nature of)

• वत्स: O child
• वत्स: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वत्स (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• पुण्याः: merits, virtuous deeds
• पुण्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• पुण्यात्मकम्: of meritorious nature
• पुण्यात्मकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक) + आत्मक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पुण्यस्य आत्मा/स्वभावः)

• नृणाम्: of men, of humans
• नृणाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vainateya)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Karma is depleted (kshiyate) through the inevitable fruition of pleasure and pain; both punya and papa are worked off via experience.

Vedantic Theme: Prarabdha-karma as the operative residue that ripens as sukha-duhkha; endurance with discernment supports inner purification.

Application: Meet pleasure and pain with steadiness; interpret experiences as karmic fruition rather than personal injustice; reduce fresh karma by ethical action and non-reactivity.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa discussions on karmaphala and post-mortem consequences (general thematic parallel)

FAQs

What is the importance of karma exhaustion (kṣaya) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse states that accumulated past karma does not remain static—it is steadily consumed through lived experiences, especially pleasure and pain, which “work off” both merit and demerit.

How does this verse explain why people experience happiness and suffering?

It frames happiness (sukha) and suffering (duḥkha) as the concrete modes through which earlier puṇya and pāpa ripen and are gradually depleted.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Meet pleasure and pain with steadiness: treat them as karmic results, avoid creating fresh harm, and cultivate dharmic actions that purify future outcomes.