Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 69
Yamapatha (The Road of Yama), Dāna-Phala, and the Imperishable Fruition of Karma
अवश्यमेव भोक्तव्यं कर्मणां ह्यक्षयं फलम् । नाभुक्तं क्षीयते कर्म कल्पकोटिशतैरपि ॥ ६९ ॥
avaśyameva bhoktavyaṃ karmaṇāṃ hyakṣayaṃ phalam | nābhuktaṃ kṣīyate karma kalpakoṭiśatairapi || 69 ||
Sesungguhnya, hasil karma yang tidak binasa mesti dialami; karma yang belum dinikmati tidak lenyap, walaupun merentasi ratusan koti kalpa.
Narada (teaching in the Narada Purana’s didactic dialogue tradition)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
FAQs
It underscores the inexorable law of karma: the latent results of actions remain until they are actually experienced, driving repeated birth and death until one seeks liberation through dharma and higher spiritual practice.
By stressing that karma’s fruits do not simply vanish with time, it implicitly points to bhakti (especially devotion to Vishnu taught across the Narada Purana) as a liberating power that can burn karmic bondage and redirect life toward moksha rather than endless karmic repayment.
The verse reflects the core karma-siddhanta underlying Vedic ritual logic (Kalpa/Vedanga): actions produce definite results, so rites, vows, and observances must be performed with precision and right intent because their fruits persist until exhausted.