Shloka 52

Mukti-tattva Upadeśa: Knowledge as the Direct Cause of Liberation

Devanagari script

हिताहितं न जानन्तो नित्यमुन्मार्गगामिनः / कुक्षिपूरणनिष्ठा ये ते नरा नारकाः खग

Transliteration

hitāhitaṃ na jānanto nityamunmārgagāminaḥ / kukṣipūraṇaniṣṭhā ye te narā nārakāḥ khaga

Translation

Ó Ave (Garuda), os homens que não discernem o benéfico do nocivo, que seguem sempre o caminho errado e se dedicam apenas a encher o ventre—tais pessoas tornam-se habitantes do inferno.

Word by Word

• हित-अहितम्: good and bad (right and wrong)
• हित-अहितम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हित (प्रातिपदिक) + अहित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; द्वन्द्वसमास (itaretara-dvandva)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• जानन्तः: knowing
• जानन्तः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (present active participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb)

• उन्मार्ग-गामिनः: going on the wrong path
• उन्मार्ग-गामिनः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उन्मार्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + गामिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; षष्ठी/सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषभावः (उन्मार्गं गच्छन्ति इति)

• कुक्षि-पूरण-निष्ठाः: devoted to filling the belly
• कुक्षि-पूरण-निष्ठाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कुक्षि (प्रातिपदिक) + पूरण (प्रातिपदिक) + निष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (कुक्षेः पूरणे निष्ठा येषाम्/कुक्षिपूरणे निष्ठा)

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक-यत् (relative pronoun)

• ते: those
• ते: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; तद्-प्रत्यय (correlative pronoun)

• नराः: men
• नराः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• नारकाः: hellish
• नारकाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नारक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण (नरान् विशेषयति)

• खग: O bird (Garuda)
• खग: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: खग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

Speaker

Lord Vishnu

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Naraka

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Failure to discern hita/ahita and habitual wrong-path living—especially belly-centered life—leads to naraka; viveka and right conduct are essential.

Vedantic Theme: Viveka (discrimination) as the gateway to śreyas; identification with the body (dehābhimāna) produces bondage and downfall.

Application: Cultivate daily ethical discernment: ask ‘Is this hita or ahita?’; moderate food, avoid harmful livelihoods, keep company with the wise, and follow dharmic routines.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: raudra

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Geographic Context

Type: infernal realm

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: catalogues of narakas for specific vices; this verse provides the general causal principle (thematic); Garuda Purana: repeated emphasis on hita/ahita-viveka and sadācāra as protection from Yama (thematic)

Characters & Entities

• Garuda
• Naraka

FAQs

What is the importance of knowing hita and ahita in the Garuda Purana?

This verse frames moral discernment (hita vs. ahita) as essential to dharma; lacking it and choosing wrong conduct is presented as a direct cause of falling into naraka.

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

It links habitual adharma—especially persistent wrong-path living and sense-indulgent fixation—to a post-death destination in hell realms, emphasizing karmic consequence rather than mere belief.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Cultivate daily ethical discrimination, avoid habitual harmful choices, and restrain life from being centered only on consumption and pleasure—aligning conduct with dharma to reduce negative karmic outcomes.