Garuda Purana — Preta Kalpa, Shloka 37

Vaitaraṇī: Torments of the Sinful, Sins Enumerated, and the Vaitaraṇī Go-dāna Rite

Devanagari script

सुकृतस्य प्रभावेण सुखञ्चेह परत्र च / स्वस्थे सहस्रगुणितमातुरे शतसंमितम्

Transliteration

sukṛtasya prabhāveṇa sukhañceha paratra ca / svasthe sahasraguṇitamāture śatasaṃmitam

Translation

ด้วยอานุภาพแห่งสุกริตะ (บุญกุศล) ย่อมได้สุขทั้งในโลกนี้และโลกหน้า กล่าวกันว่าเมื่อสุขภาพดี ผลบุญทวีพันเท่า และเมื่อเจ็บป่วยนับเป็นร้อยเท่า.

Word by Word

• सुकृतस्य: of good deed/merit
• सुकृतस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुकृत (प्रातिपदिक; सु + कृत)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (कर्म/पुण्य), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• प्रभावेण: by the power/effect
• प्रभावेण: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन

• सुखम्: happiness
• सुखम्: Karma (कर्म/फल)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अत्र फलरूपेण (object/result sense)

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

• इह: here (in this world)
• इह: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• परत्र: hereafter/in the next world
• परत्र: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देश/कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: in the other world/thereafter)

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

• स्वस्थे: in health/when healthy
• स्वस्थे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वस्थ (प्रातिपदिक; स्व + स्थ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुष (स्वे स्थः = स्वस्थः)

• सहस्र-गुणितम्: multiplied a thousandfold
• सहस्र-गुणितम्: Karma (कर्म/फल-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक) + गुणित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √गुण्/गण्? ‘गुणयति’ से क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुष (सहस्रेण गुणितम् = thousandfold)

• आतुरे: when ill
• आतुरे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आतुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• शत-संमितम्: reckoned as a hundredfold
• शत-संमितम्: Karma (कर्म/फल-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शत (प्रातिपदिक) + संमित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; सम् + मा (धातु) क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुष (शतेन संमितम् = measured as a hundredfold)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Sukrita yields happiness in both worlds; the efficacy/fruit of merit is amplified depending on one’s condition (healthy vs ill).

Vedantic Theme: Karma-phala-niyama: moral causality across lifetimes; also hints at the preciousness of embodied capacity (health) for dharmic action.

Application: Use periods of health to intensify dharmic acts (dana, vrata, seva); when ill, maintain whatever is possible—small acts still count, but capacity differs.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: repeated iha–paratra framing of karma-phala (general); Garuda Purana: dana-mahatmya and sukrita-phala enumerations (general)

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Garuda

FAQs

What is the importance of sukṛta (merit) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse states that sukṛta directly generates happiness both in worldly life and in the afterlife, making merit a central preparation for one’s post-death journey.

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

It frames the afterlife experience as karma-shaped: the soul’s comfort “there” (paratra) is supported by sukṛta accumulated “here” (iha), linking ethical action to post-mortem well-being.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Prioritize consistent good deeds and dharmic conduct while healthy, since the text emphasizes greater compounding of merit in health and still affirms meaningful benefit even during illness.