Shloka 24

Karma, Varṇa-Dharma, and Dāna as the Soul’s True Companion on the Path to Yama

Devanagari script

तस्मिन्प्रनष्टे हृदि चिन्तितं पुनर्मया स्वकोशे परवञ्चनं कृतम् / द्यूतैश्छलेनापि च चौर्यवृत्त्या धर्मं व्यतिक्रम्य शरीररक्षणे

Transliteration

tasminpranaṣṭe hṛdi cintitaṃ punarmayā svakośe paravañcanaṃ kṛtam / dyūtaiśchalenāpi ca cauryavṛttyā dharmaṃ vyatikramya śarīrarakṣaṇe

Translation

เมื่อความเข้าใจอันชอบธรรมสูญหายในดวงใจ ข้าพเจ้าจึงคิดอีกว่า—เพื่อเพิ่มพูนคลังของตน ข้าพเจ้าได้ล่อลวงผู้อื่น; ด้วยการพนัน เล่ห์กล และวิถีแห่งการลักขโมย ข้าพเจ้าล่วงละเมิดธรรมะ เพียงเพื่อคุ้มครองกายนี้เท่านั้น

Word by Word

• tasmin: in that (state)
• tasmin: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun (सर्वनाम), Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन)

• pranaṣṭe: when (memory) was lost
• pranaṣṭe: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण; locative absolute with tasmin)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√naś (नश् धातु)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन)

• hṛdi: in the heart/mind
• hṛdi: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hṛd (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन)

• cintitam: thought
• cintitam: Karma (कर्म; object of implied ‘I thought’)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √cint (चिन्त् धातु)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative/Accusative (1st/2nd), Singular (एकवचन)

• punar: again
• punar: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punar (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (पुनरावृत्तिवाचक अव्यय)

• mayā: by me
• mayā: Karta (कर्ता; agent in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun (सर्वनाम), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• sva-kośe: in my own treasury/wealth
• sva-kośe: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक) + kośa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Karmadhāraya (कर्मधारय) ‘svaḥ kośaḥ’; Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग)

• para-vañcanam: deceiving others
• para-vañcanam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक) + vañcana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष) ‘parasya vañcanam’; Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• kṛtam: done
• kṛtam: Kriyā (क्रिया; predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (कृ धातु)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative/Accusative (1st/2nd), Singular (एकवचन)

• dyūtaiḥ: by gambling/dice-games
• dyūtaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dyūta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural (बहुवचन)

• chalenāpi: even by deceit
• chalenāpi: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: chala (प्रातिपदिक) + api (अव्यय)
• Form: chala: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन); api: particle (निपात) ‘even/also’

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय)

• caurya-vṛttyā: by a life of theft
• caurya-vṛttyā: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: caurya (प्रातिपदिक) + vṛtti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष) ‘cauryasya vṛttiḥ’; Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• dharmam: righteousness/duty
• dharmam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• vyatikramya: having transgressed
• vyatikramya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण; prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-ati-√kram (क्रम् धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वान्त), from √kram with prefixes vi- ati-

• śarīra-rakṣaṇe: for protecting the body
• śarīra-rakṣaṇe: Prayojana/Artha (प्रयोजन; purpose-context)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śarīra (प्रातिपदिक) + rakṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष) ‘śarīrasya rakṣaṇam’; Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (narrating to Garuda/Vinata-putra in the Preta Kanda context)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Adharma (deception, gambling, theft) done for self-preservation binds the doer; bodily maintenance is not a valid justification for violating dharma.

Vedantic Theme: Dehābhimāna (identification with the body) and moha obscure viveka; karmic bondage arises from adharma motivated by self-interest.

Application: Audit livelihood and means of gain; renounce deceitful income, gambling, and theft; adopt honest earning and restitution/charity as corrective action.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: karuna

Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: themes of self-reproach at death, karmic accounting, and consequences of adharma (general parallel motifs across 2nd khaṇḍa/pretakalpa narratives)

Characters & Entities

• Dharma

FAQs

What is the importance of confessing adharma (sinful acts) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse models honest self-assessment: recognizing deception, gambling, and theft as dharma-violations done for bodily aims, which is the first step toward understanding karmic consequences and reform.

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

By highlighting actions done ‘for the body’ while ignoring dharma, it frames why the preta experiences suffering: bodily motives end at death, but karmic results continue and must be faced.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Avoid justifying unethical income (cheating, gambling harms, theft) as “necessary for survival”; choose dharmic livelihood, transparency, and restitution where wrongdoing occurred.