Shloka 97
Jñāna-hetu-nirūpaṇa
On the Causes/Means of Knowledge
तस्मादेकगुणैर्हीनौ कुंभाण्डककुपर्णकौ / दुः शासनस्तु विज्ञेयो जरासंधसमः प्रभो
tasmādekaguṇairhīnau kuṃbhāṇḍakakuparṇakau / duḥ śāsanastu vijñeyo jarāsaṃdhasamaḥ prabho
ดังนั้นกุมภาณฑกะและกุปัรณกะต่างด้อยลงหนึ่งคุณ แต่โอ้พระผู้เป็นเจ้า พึงรู้ว่าทุหศาสนะเสมอด้วยชราสันธะ
Lord Vishnu (in discourse to Garuda/Vinata-putra, within the Preta-kanda narrative context)
Concept: Relative virtue/defect shapes status and influence; notorious figures exemplify karmic patterns of hostility and ambition.
Vedantic Theme: Karma manifests as capacity and circumstance; attachment to power reinforces bondage and conflict.
Application: Identify ‘one-virtue deficits’ in oneself (truthfulness, restraint, compassion) and correct them early before they scale into major harm.
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: vira
Type: kingdom/region
Related Themes: Garuda Purana moral gradations and exempla lists (conceptual parallel)
FAQs
This verse uses well-known epic exemplars to communicate a graded moral evaluation—some individuals are described as lacking specific virtues, while others are portrayed as equally severe in wrongdoing, helping listeners grasp ethical hierarchy.
Indirectly, it supports the Garuda Purana’s broader framework that post-death consequences correspond to the moral quality of one’s actions; the text classifies individuals by virtues and faults as part of explaining karmic outcomes.
Treat ethics as measurable in conduct: cultivate virtues consistently and avoid actions that place one in the category of severe harm or adharma, since the tradition links moral quality with future consequences.