Shloka 8
Praise of Vṛṣotsarga (Bull-release), Worthy Dāna, and the Procedure for Kṣayāha & Ūrdhva-daihika Rites
धनं भूमिगतं यद्वत्स्वहस्तेन निवेशितम् / तद्वत्फलमवाप्नोति ह्यहं वच्मि खगेश्वर
dhanaṃ bhūmigataṃ yadvatsvahastena niveśitam / tadvatphalamavāpnoti hyahaṃ vacmi khageśvara
Seperti harta yang ditanam di dalam bumi hanya dapat diambil kembali oleh tangan yang menanamnya, demikianlah seseorang memperoleh buah perbuatannya sendiri—demikian aku nyatakan kepadamu, wahai Raja segala burung.
Lord Vishnu
Concept: Karmaphala is personally owned and personally reaped: as one alone can retrieve what one buried, so one alone obtains the fruits of one’s deeds.
Vedantic Theme: Moral causality and personal responsibility; supports vairāgya and self-discipline by removing reliance on chance or external blame.
Application: Act with long-term accountability; keep ethical consistency even when unseen; reflect daily: ‘What I deposit by action, I will withdraw as result.’
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: didactic dialogue setting (Hari–Garuḍa implied)
Related Themes: Garuda Purana: recurring ‘karma follows the soul’ doctrine; simile-driven instruction to Garuḍa in multiple adhyāyas
FAQs
This verse stresses personal accountability: the doer alone necessarily encounters the results of deeds, just as only the one who buried wealth can retrieve it.
In the Preta Kanda’s framework, the post-death journey is shaped by one’s accumulated karma; the soul meets consequences that correspond to its own actions, not another’s.
Live ethically and consciously—since outcomes follow the doer, cultivate dharma, avoid harmful acts, and perform duties with responsibility.