Shloka 28

Nītisāra: Virtuous Association, Household Dharma, and Kāla (Time) as the Supreme Regulator

Devanagari script

सक्तिः सुतोके सुकृतं कृतघ्ने शतिं च वह्नौ (सीतापहौ ह्यतपयैव)?हैमे / उत्पद्यते दैववशात्कदाचिद्वेश्यासु रागो न भवेत्कदाचित्

Transliteration

saktiḥ sutoke sukṛtaṃ kṛtaghne śatiṃ ca vahnau (sītāpahau hyatapayaiva)?haime / utpadyate daivavaśātkadācidveśyāsu rāgo na bhavetkadācit

Translation

స్వసుతునిపట్ల కూడా ఆసక్తి కలుగుతుంది; కృతఘ్నునిలో కూడా ఎప్పుడో పుణ్యం కనిపిస్తుంది; అగ్నిలో కూడా ఎప్పుడో శీతలత వలె అనిపిస్తుంది; అలాగే దైవవశాత్ కొన్నిసార్లు వేశ్యలపై రాగం పుడుతుంది, మరికొన్నిసార్లు పుట్టదు।

Word by Word

• सक्तिः: attachment, clinging
• सक्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; भाववाचक-संज्ञा

• सुतोके: in/for one’s child/offspring
• सुतोके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुतोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• सुकृतम्: good deed, merit
• सुकृतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु-कृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; समासः—उपपद-तत्पुरुष (सु + कृत)

• कृतघ्ने: in/for an ungrateful person
• कृतघ्ने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृतघ्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (कृतस्य घ्नः = कृतघ्नः)

• शतिम्: a hundredfold measure / hundred
• शतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• वह्नौ: in fire
• वह्नौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वह्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• उत्पद्यते: arises, is produced
• उत्पद्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उत्+पद् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• दैववशात्: due to fate’s control
• दैववशात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दैव-वश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पञ्चमी-अर्थे अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोगः; समासः—तत्पुरुष (दैवस्य वशः); तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverb)

• कदाचित्: sometimes
• कदाचित्: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदाचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: काल-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• वेश्यasu: in/among prostitutes
• वेश्यasu: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेश्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), बहुवचन

• रागः: passion, attachment
• रागः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• भवेत्: may be / would occur
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• कदाचित्: sometimes
• कदाचित्: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदाचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: काल-अव्यय (adverb of time)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Daiva (fate) and the instability of raga/dvesha; worldly emotions and moral qualities can arise contrary to expectation.

Vedantic Theme: Anityatva of mental modifications (vrittis) and the unreliability of samsaric attachments; impetus toward vairagya.

Application: Do not build life-decisions solely on fluctuating attraction/aversion; cultivate discernment and steadiness through self-observation and ethical restraint.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana (Preta-khanda): teachings on anityata, vairagya, and the fickleness of desire preceding death-awareness passages

FAQs

What is the importance of fate (daiva) and desire (rāga) in Garuda Purana?

This verse highlights that attraction and aversion can manifest unpredictably due to daiva, reminding seekers to cultivate discernment and not justify actions merely by impulse.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

By pointing to the volatility of rāga and attachment, it implies that uncontrolled desires shape karma, which in turn conditions post-death outcomes described elsewhere in the Garuda Purana.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Treat desires as transient; practice restraint (saṃyama), choose dharmic actions consistently, and avoid rationalizing harmful conduct as “inevitable.”