Shloka 7
Praise of Vṛṣotsarga (Bull-release), Worthy Dāna, and the Procedure for Kṣayāha & Ūrdhva-daihika Rites
कुलैकविंशतियुतं ग्रहीतारं च पातयेत् / देहान्तरं परिप्राप्य स्वहस्तेन कृतं च यत्
kulaikaviṃśatiyutaṃ grahītāraṃ ca pātayet / dehāntaraṃ pariprāpya svahastena kṛtaṃ ca yat
Setelah memperoleh tubuh yang lain (sesudah mati), seseorang dibuat jatuh ke dalam penderitaan bersama penerima (harta yang tidak patut) dan bersama dua puluh satu anggota keluarga—akibat perbuatan yang dilakukan oleh tangannya sendiri.
Lord Vishnu (narrating to Garuda/Vinata-putra)
Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey
Concept: Karmic responsibility persists across rebirth; shared wrongdoing implicates giver/receiver and can affect family line—actions ‘done by one’s own hand’ mature as suffering.
Vedantic Theme: Karma-bandha and saṃsāra: embodied agency (kartṛtva) yields inevitable phala; association (saṅga) in adharma amplifies bondage.
Application: Avoid participating in unethical exchanges; refuse ill-gotten gifts; cultivate clean livelihood (śuddha-ājīva) to prevent intergenerational harm.
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Type: post-mortem moral landscape (implied)
Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: repeated emphasis that karma follows the jīva beyond death; warnings about shared sin and consequences
FAQs
This verse highlights that certain grave wrongs can ripple beyond the individual, implicating the recipient of the wrongdoing and symbolically extending consequences to the family line, emphasizing ethical responsibility and social harm.
It states that after the soul attains another embodiment, the karmic results of actions done personally (“by one’s own hand”) can manifest as a fall into punitive suffering, indicating post-death accountability.
Avoid unethical gains and do not accept suspicious benefits (e.g., bribes or stolen wealth); the text frames such acts as spiritually dangerous for both giver and receiver, with broader harm to one’s household and reputation.