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Shloka 36

Babhruvāhana Meets a Preta: Vṛṣotsarga, Heirless Death, and the Signs of Preta-Affliction

Devanagari script

न कार्यस्तेषु विश्रम्भ स्वकृतं भुज्यतेयतः / गृहेष्वर्था निवर्न्त्तन्ते श्मशाने चैव बान्धवाः

Transliteration

na kāryasteṣu viśrambha svakṛtaṃ bhujyateyataḥ / gṛheṣvarthā nivarnttante śmaśāne caiva bāndhavāḥ

Translation

तेषु विश्रम्भो न कार्यः; यतः स्वकृतं कर्मैव भुज्यते। गृहेष्वर्था निवर्तन्ते, श्मशाने चैव बान्धवाः।

Word by Word
नnot
न:
Pratiṣedha (Negation)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootन (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय, निषेध (Negation particle)
कार्यःto be done (i.e., should be made)
कार्यः:
Vidhi (Obligation predicate)
TypeAdjective
Rootकृ (धातु) + यत् (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
Formयत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (Gerundive), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण
तेषुin/among them
तेषु:
Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formसप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), बहुवचन, सर्वनाम
विश्रम्भःtrust, confidence
विश्रम्भः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootविश्रम्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन
स्वकृतम्one's own deed
स्वकृतम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootस्व (प्रातिपदिक) + कृत (कृ धातु + क्त)
Formकर्मधारय-समास ('स्वं कृतम्'), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन
भुज्यतेis experienced, is undergone
भुज्यते:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootभुज् (धातु)
Formलट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive sense: 'is experienced/enjoyed')
यतःbecause
यतः:
Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootयतः (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय, कारणार्थक (Causal: 'because')
गृहेषुin houses
गृहेषु:
Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootगृह (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन
अर्थाःwealth, possessions
अर्थाः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootअर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन
निवर्तन्तेturn back, remain/return
निवर्तन्ते:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootनि + वृत् (धातु)
Formलट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन
श्मशानेin the cremation ground
श्मशाने:
Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootश्मशान (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन
चand
च:
Samuccaya (Coordination)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय, समुच्चय (Conjunction)
एवindeed, only
एव:
Avadharana (Emphasis)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootएव (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय, अवधारण (Emphatic particle)
बान्धवाःrelatives
बान्धवाः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootबान्धव (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन
Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in discourse to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: One must experience one’s own actions; wealth and relatives do not accompany one beyond the cremation ground.

Vedantic Theme: Karma as inescapable; anityatā of artha and bandhu; viveka leading to vairāgya.

Application: Prioritize ethical conduct, charity, and spiritual practice over hoarding and overreliance on social ties.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Geographic Context

Type: cremation ground

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: ‘karma alone follows’ motif; descriptions of the soul’s solitary journey

Characters & Entities
G
Garuda
K
Karma
Ś
Śmaśāna (cremation ground)

FAQs

This verse teaches that at death, external supports—money and even family—cannot accompany the soul; therefore, detachment helps one focus on dharma and good karma, which alone bear fruit.

It emphasizes the soul’s solitary accountability: the departed experiences only the results of personal actions, while worldly possessions stay at home and relatives return from the cremation ground.

Live responsibly and ethically, prioritize dharma over accumulation, and remember that preparing through good deeds and right conduct matters more than relying on wealth or social ties.

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