Shloka 3

Preta-mārga Supports (Dāna), Chitragupta’s Accounting, and the Enumeration of Narakas

Devanagari script

वाचैव यत्कृतं कर्म कृतं चैव तु कायिकम् / मानसं च तथा कर्म कृतं भुङ्क्ते शुभाशुभम्

Transliteration

vācaiva yatkṛtaṃ karma kṛtaṃ caiva tu kāyikam / mānasaṃ ca tathā karma kṛtaṃ bhuṅkte śubhāśubham

Translation

వాక్కుతో చేసిన కర్మ, శరీరంతో చేసిన కర్మ, అలాగే మనస్సుతో చేసిన కర్మ—వాటి ఫలితాన్ని జీవుడు తప్పక అనుభవించాలి; అది శుభమైనా అశుభమైనా।

Word by Word

• vācā: by speech
• vācā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāc (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन

• eva: indeed/only
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम् (emphatic particle)

• yat: whatever/that which
• yat: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धक-विशेषणम्

• kṛtam: done
• kṛtam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √kṛ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• karma: action/deed
• karma: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता/विषय), एकवचन

• kṛtam: done
• kṛtam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √kṛ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

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

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम् (emphatic particle)

• tu: but/and also
• tu: Sambandha (Contrast/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम् (contrastive particle)

• kāyikam: bodily/physical
• kāyikam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kāyika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• mānasam: mental
• mānasam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mānasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

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

• tathā: likewise/so
• tathā: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम् (adverb: manner)

• karma: action
• karma: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता/विषय), एकवचन

• kṛtam: done
• kṛtam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √kṛ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• bhuṅkte: experiences/enjoys/suffers
• bhuṅkte: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhuj (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

• śubha-aśubham: good and bad (results)
• śubha-aśubham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śubha (प्रातिपदिक) + aśubha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्व-समास; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in instruction to Garuda/Vinatā-putra)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Karma is threefold—vācika, kāyika, mānasa—and its fruits (śubha/aśubha) must be experienced.

Vedantic Theme: Karma-bandha through mind-speech-body; saṃskāra formation and the continuity of agency (kartṛtva) until knowledge/bhakti dissolves bondage.

Application: Practice tri-karaṇa-śuddhi: align thought, speech, and action; monitor inner intentions, not only outward behavior.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: repeated triad of mental/verbal/physical sins and corresponding punishments/merits

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Garuda

FAQs

What is the importance of karma of speech, body, and mind in the Garuda Purana?

This verse states that karma is threefold—verbal, physical, and mental—and that a person inevitably experiences the fruits of all three, not just outward acts.

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

It establishes the governing principle behind post-death experiences described in the Preta Kanda: the soul (jīva) encounters outcomes shaped by accumulated auspicious and inauspicious actions across thought, word, and deed.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Cultivate restraint in speech, discipline in actions, and purity of intention—because even unseen mental and verbal choices are treated as real karma with real consequences.