Shloka 32

Devanagari script

किञ्चाशुभं कृतं कर्म येन प्राप्ताः स्थ वैकृतम् / कथं वा चैकतः कर्म प्रस्थिताः कुत्र निश्चितम्

Transliteration

kiñcāśubhaṃ kṛtaṃ karma yena prāptāḥ stha vaikṛtam / kathaṃ vā caikataḥ karma prasthitāḥ kutra niścitam

Translation

“Apakah perbuatan tidak suci yang telah kamu lakukan sehingga kamu sampai ke keadaan sengsara dan berubah begini? Dan bagaimana pula kamu berangkat semata-mata kerana karma—ke manakah sebenarnya tujuanmu telah ditentukan?”

Word by Word

• किम्: what
• किम्: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; interrogative used with 'अशुभम्' = 'what'

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक (conjunction)

• अशुभम्: inauspicious/evil
• अशुभम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अशुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; qualifies 'कर्म'

• कृतम्: done
• कृतम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत (कृ धातु, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; past passive participle qualifying 'कर्म' = 'done'

• कर्म: deed/action
• कर्म: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• येन: by which
• येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; relative pronoun = 'by which'

• प्राप्ताः: have attained
• प्राप्ताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + आप् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; used predicatively with 'स्थ'

• स्थ: are
• स्थ: Kriya (Copula/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), मध्यमपुरुष, बहुवचन; 'स्थ' = 'you are'

• वैकृतम्: a deformed state
• वैकृतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैकृत (प्रातिपदिक; from विकृत)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; predicate complement/object of attainment

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Alternative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-निपात (disjunctive particle)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक (conjunction)

• एकतः: together/at once
• एकतः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एकतः (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb) = 'together/from one side/at once'

• कर्म: deed/action
• कर्म: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; object with implied verb of doing/undertaking

• प्रस्थिताः: set out
• प्रस्थिताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + स्था (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; predicative = 'having set out'

• कुत्र: where
• कुत्र: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कुत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb of place)

• निश्चितम्: fixed/decided
• निश्चितम्: Kriya-vishesana/Predicate (प्रत्ययार्थ)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निश्चित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; नि + चि धातु, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; past participle = 'decided/fixed' (predicate/elliptic)

Speaker

Garuda (Vinata-putra), questioning Lord Vishnu about the cause and destination of souls driven by karma

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Specific actions (aśubha karma) yield specific states (vikṛti) and determine gati (destination); karma functions as the driver of post-death movement.

Vedantic Theme: Karma-niyama (moral causality) governing saṃsāra; gati determined by vāsanā and deeds; impetus toward viveka and ethical living.

Application: Reflect on how choices shape future conditions; adopt accountability—identify harmful actions, correct them, and support others in remediation.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: karuna

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: liminal roadside clearing

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: karma-based classification of post-death states, preta causes, and destinations (general internal link); Garuda Purana: Yama’s adjudication and gati determination motifs (general)

Characters & Entities

• Garuda
• Karma
• Preta (implied)
• Vikrti/afflicted state (concept)

FAQs

What is the importance of karma in Garuda Purana’s after-death teachings?

This verse frames karma as the decisive force behind a being’s afflicted post-death condition and the direction of its journey, prompting inquiry into which actions produce which outcomes.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul after death?

It suggests that the soul’s post-death movement is not random: its condition and destination are ‘fixed’ (niścitam) by prior deeds, motivating the text’s later details on routes, judgments, and experiences.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Live with ethical restraint and responsibility: harmful actions are portrayed as shaping future suffering, while mindful conduct and corrective practices help prevent an “afflicted state” after death.