Shloka 24

Saṃsāra-cakra, Preta’s 12-day Transit to Yama, Re-embodiment, and Karma-Vipāka Catalog of Sins and Rebirths

Devanagari script

कृमिः स्त्रीवधकर्ता च बालहन्ता च जायते / भोजनञ्चोरयित्वा तु मक्षिका जायते नरः

Transliteration

kṛmiḥ strīvadhakartā ca bālahantā ca jāyate / bhojanañcorayitvā tu makṣikā jāyate naraḥ

Translation

స్త్రీహంతకుడు, బాలహంతకుడు కృమి యోనిలో జన్మిస్తాడు; భోజనం దొంగిలించినవాడు మక్షికగా (ఈగగా) పునర్జన్మిస్తాడు।

Word by Word

• कृमिः: worm
• कृमिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृमि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• स्त्रीवधकर्ता: killer of women
• स्त्रीवधकर्ता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्री (प्रातिपदिक) + वध (प्रातिपदिक) + कर्तृ (कृ-धातु + तृच्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (स्त्रीणां वधस्य कर्ता)

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• बालहन्ता: killer of children
• बालहन्ता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाल (प्रातिपदिक) + हन्तृ (हन्-धातु + तृच्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (बालानां हन्ता)

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात

• जायते: is born/becomes
• जायते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• भोजनम्: food
• भोजनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भोजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• चोरयित्वा: having stolen
• चोरयित्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चुर्/चोरय् (धातु, चुरादि; causative) + क्त्वा (अव्यय-कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having stolen)

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/विशेषणार्थक-निपात (but/indeed)

• मक्षिका: fly
• मक्षिका: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मक्षिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• जायते: is born/becomes
• जायते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in dialogue with Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Pretayoni

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Grave hiṃsā (killing woman/child) yields worm rebirth; theft of food yields fly rebirth.

Vedantic Theme: Adharma intensifies tamas and binds the jīva to painful saṃsāra; karma is precise and inescapable.

Application: Uphold non-violence; safeguard women and children; maintain integrity around food/resources; avoid exploitation of the hungry.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Geographic Context

Type: karmic adjudication sphere

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.225.23–27: contiguous karma-vipāka mapping of theft/violence to rebirth forms; Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: hiṃsā-doṣa discussions (theme-level)

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Garuda

FAQs

What is the importance of karma-based rebirth in Garuda Purana?

This verse states that specific grave harms—killing women or children, and stealing food—produce corresponding low births (worm or fly), emphasizing moral causality across lives.

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

It presents a post-death karmic outcome where the jīva, due to paapa, does not attain a favorable human rebirth but is compelled into lower embodied forms as a consequence.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Protect life (especially the vulnerable) and avoid taking others’ sustenance; cultivate non-violence and honesty as daily disciplines to prevent harmful karmic outcomes.