Shloka 6

Karma-vipāka: Rebirths and Bodily Marks Resulting from Specific Sins

गुच्छं चुचुन्दरी हृत्वा धान्यहृन्मूषको भवेत् / फलं कपिः पशून्हृत्वा त्वजा काकः पयस्तथा

gucchaṃ cucundarī hṛtvā dhānyahṛnmūṣako bhavet / phalaṃ kapiḥ paśūnhṛtvā tvajā kākaḥ payastathā

Quem rouba um cacho (da colheita) renasce como rato-almiscarado; quem rouba grãos renasce como rato. Quem rouba frutos renasce como macaco; quem rouba o gado renasce como corvo; do mesmo modo, roubar leite traz renascimento igualmente degradado.

गुच्छम्a bunch/cluster
गुच्छम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootगुच्छ (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन
चुचुन्दरीa shrew (mouse-like animal)
चुचुन्दरी:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootचुचुन्दरी (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), एकवचन
हृत्वाhaving stolen/taken
हृत्वा:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootहृ (धातु)
Formक्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), ‘having taken/stolen’
धान्यहृत्grain-stealing
धान्यहृत्:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootधान्य (प्रातिपदिक) + हृत् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (‘धान्यस्य हर्ता’)
मूषकःa mouse/rat
मूषकः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootमूषक (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), एकवचन
भवेत्would become
भवेत्:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootभू (धातु)
Formविधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन
फलम्fruit
फलम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootफल (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन
कपिःa monkey
कपिः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootकपि (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), एकवचन
पशून्animals/cattle
पशून्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootपशु (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), बहुवचन
हृत्वाhaving stolen/taken
हृत्वा:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootहृ (धातु)
Formक्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), ‘having taken/stolen’
त्वजाa thief/robber (rare term; as read)
त्वजा:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootत्वज (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), एकवचन; (पाठभेद/दुर्लभ-शब्दः)
काकःa crow
काकः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootकाक (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), एकवचन
पयःmilk
पयः:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootपयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन
तथाlikewise/also
तथा:
Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतथा (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb) ‘likewise/so’

Lord Vishnu (in instruction to Garuda)

Afterlife Stage: Pretayoni

Concept: Specific acts of theft yield corresponding degraded rebirths (tiryak-yoni) by karmic correspondence.

Vedantic Theme: Karma-phala and saṃskāra shaping embodiment; bondage through adharma.

Application: Practice asteya (non-stealing), cultivate contentment, make restitution/charity if wrongdoing occurred, and restrain acquisitive impulses.

Primary Rasa: bibhatsa

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: karma-phala lists for theft and resultant yonis (adjacent verses in 1.104)

FAQs

This verse frames theft as a direct cause of lower rebirths, mapping specific stolen items (grain, fruit, cattle, milk) to specific animal embodiments, emphasizing moral causality.

It presents karmic retribution operating through rebirth: harmful acquisition creates tendencies and debts that mature into an embodied experience matching the act—here, degraded animal births.

Practice scrupulous non-stealing (including misappropriation or exploitation), make restitution where possible, and cultivate honest livelihood to avoid karmic decline.