Shloka 19
Nīti for Calamity, Wealth, Friendship, Charity, and Restraint of Kāma
सुहृत्स्वजनबन्धुर्न बुद्धिर्यस्य न चात्मनि / यस्मिन्कर्मणि सिद्धे ऽपि न दृश्येत फलोदयः / विपत्तौ च महद्दुःखं तद्वुधः कथमाचरेत्
suhṛtsvajanabandhurna buddhiryasya na cātmani / yasminkarmaṇi siddhe 'pi na dṛśyeta phalodayaḥ / vipattau ca mahadduḥkhaṃ tadvudhaḥ kathamācaret
หากผู้ใดไร้กัลยาณมิตร ไร้ญาติพี่น้องและสหาย ขาดปัญญาและความมั่นคงในอาตมัน และแม้ทำกิจสำเร็จแล้วก็ไม่เห็นผลบังเกิด—เมื่อเคราะห์ภัยมาและทุกข์ใหญ่เกิดขึ้น บัณฑิตพึงประพฤติอย่างไร?
Lord Vishnu (in instruction to Garuda/Vinatā-putra)
Concept: When external supports (friends/kin) and inner supports (buddhi, ātma-niṣṭhā) are absent and results do not manifest, the wise must rely on discernment, patience, and right conduct in adversity.
Vedantic Theme: Antarātmā-āśraya (taking refuge in the Self) and karma-phala-anityatā (unpredictability/latency of results) prompting vairāgya and steadiness.
Application: Cultivate discernment and inner steadiness before crises; do not collapse when outcomes are delayed; seek wise counsel, simplify desires, and act without panic in calamity.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.109.20-23 (on place, wealth, and the after-effect of greed)
FAQs
This verse highlights that even completed actions may not show immediate results, urging patience and discernment rather than despair when outcomes are unseen.
By stressing karma’s sometimes unseen fruition, it supports the Garuda Purana’s broader view that consequences can manifest later—often in suffering or relief across time, including post-death states—so one should live wisely and ethically now.
Cultivate buddhi (clear judgment), avoid impulsive reactions when results are delayed, and respond to hardship with disciplined conduct and dharmic choices rather than blaming fate or abandoning effort.