Shloka 33
Sat-saṅga, Dharma-Nīti, Karma-Phala, Śauca, and Vairāgya
Overcoming Grief
सर्पः कूपे गजः स्कन्धे बिल आखुश्च धावति / नरः शीघ्रतरादेव कर्मणः कः पलायते
sarpaḥ kūpe gajaḥ skandhe bila ākhuśca dhāvati / naraḥ śīghratarādeva karmaṇaḥ kaḥ palāyate
งูอาจหนีลงบ่อ ช้างอาจพุ่งชนด้วยบ่า หนูอาจวิ่งเข้ารู—แต่แม้มมนุษย์จะว่องไวกว่าเหล่านั้น ใครเล่าจะหนีพ้นผลแห่งกรรมของตนได้?
Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)
Concept: Karma-phala is unavoidable; no speed, strategy, or hiding can outrun one’s own actions.
Vedantic Theme: Moral causality (ṛta/dharma order) governing experience; the inevitability of prārabdha and the necessity of right action.
Application: Act with foresight: avoid harmful deeds assuming one can ‘get away’; cultivate responsibility, confession, and corrective action early.
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: raudra
Related Themes: Garuda Purana Preta-kalpa: repeated insistence that the soul meets its karma in Yama’s domain; Garuda Purana ethical aphorisms on inevitability of karma-phala
FAQs
This verse stresses that karma is inescapable: regardless of one’s cleverness or speed, the results of actions inevitably follow, shaping suffering or well-being.
By declaring that no one can flee karma, it implies the soul’s post-death journey is governed by accumulated deeds—one’s experiences after death reflect one’s actions rather than chance.
Live with accountability: choose dharmic actions, avoid harm, and cultivate virtue, knowing that consequences—seen or unseen—cannot be outrun.