Shloka 91
Vṛṣotsarga (Bull-Release Gift): Procedure, Merit, and Narratives on Dharma, Karma, and Liberation
निबद्धाः कर्मपशैस्ते भुञ्जन् भोगान् पृथग्विधान् / देवत्वं याति सत्त्वेन रजसा च मनुष्यताम्
nibaddhāḥ karmapaśaiste bhuñjan bhogān pṛthagvidhān / devatvaṃ yāti sattvena rajasā ca manuṣyatām
Terikat oleh jerat karma mereka sendiri, mereka mengalami pelbagai jenis nikmat dan derita. Dengan dominasi sattva seseorang mencapai keadaan dewa; dengan dominasi rajas seseorang mencapai keadaan manusia.
Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)
Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey
Concept: Karma-pāśa: beings are bound by their actions and experience varied bhogas; guṇa predominance shapes rebirth—sattva to devatva, rajas to manuṣyatā.
Vedantic Theme: Guṇa-traya conditioning of jīva; saṃsāra as experiential consequence of action and disposition; uplift through sattva.
Application: Reduce rajasic agitation (greed, restlessness) and cultivate sattva (clarity, compassion, discipline) through diet, conduct, study, and devotion.
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Related Themes: Garuda Purana 2.6.92 (tamas leading to animal birth; repeated death and rebirth)
FAQs
This verse frames karma as a binding ‘noose’ that compels the jīva to undergo specific results (bhoga), making moral action and purification central to shaping one’s post-death trajectory and future birth.
It teaches that the soul’s experiences are not random: bound by its past deeds, it undergoes varied karmic outcomes, and its next state is determined by the predominance of qualities—sattva elevates toward deva-status, while rajas leads toward human rebirth.
Cultivate sattva—truthfulness, compassion, self-control, purity, and dharmic living—while reducing rajasic agitation and selfish striving, so that actions create uplifting karmic tendencies rather than binding ones.