Shloka 37
Vaitaraṇī: Torments of the Sinful, Sins Enumerated, and the Vaitaraṇī Go-dāna Rite
सुकृतस्य प्रभावेण सुखञ्चेह परत्र च / स्वस्थे सहस्रगुणितमातुरे शतसंमितम्
sukṛtasya prabhāveṇa sukhañceha paratra ca / svasthe sahasraguṇitamāture śatasaṃmitam
Dengan kuasa sukṛta (amal kebajikan), seseorang memperoleh kebahagiaan di dunia ini dan di alam kemudian. Buah kebajikan itu dikatakan berganda seribu kali ketika sihat, dan dihitung seratus kali ketika ditimpa sakit.
Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)
Concept: Sukrita yields happiness in both worlds; the efficacy/fruit of merit is amplified depending on one’s condition (healthy vs ill).
Vedantic Theme: Karma-phala-niyama: moral causality across lifetimes; also hints at the preciousness of embodied capacity (health) for dharmic action.
Application: Use periods of health to intensify dharmic acts (dana, vrata, seva); when ill, maintain whatever is possible—small acts still count, but capacity differs.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Related Themes: Garuda Purana: repeated iha–paratra framing of karma-phala (general); Garuda Purana: dana-mahatmya and sukrita-phala enumerations (general)
FAQs
This verse states that sukṛta directly generates happiness both in worldly life and in the afterlife, making merit a central preparation for one’s post-death journey.
It frames the afterlife experience as karma-shaped: the soul’s comfort “there” (paratra) is supported by sukṛta accumulated “here” (iha), linking ethical action to post-mortem well-being.
Prioritize consistent good deeds and dharmic conduct while healthy, since the text emphasizes greater compounding of merit in health and still affirms meaningful benefit even during illness.