Shloka 91

Vṛṣotsarga (Bull-Release Gift): Procedure, Merit, and Narratives on Dharma, Karma, and Liberation

Devanagari script

निबद्धाः कर्मपशैस्ते भुञ्जन् भोगान् पृथग्विधान् / देवत्वं याति सत्त्वेन रजसा च मनुष्यताम्

Transliteration

nibaddhāḥ karmapaśaiste bhuñjan bhogān pṛthagvidhān / devatvaṃ yāti sattvena rajasā ca manuṣyatām

Translation

เขาทั้งหลายถูกผูกมัดด้วยบ่วงแห่งกรรมของตน จึงเสวยภพผลอันหลากหลายคือสุขและทุกข์ เมื่อสัทตวะเด่นย่อมถึงภาวะเทวดา และด้วยรชัสย่อมถึงภาวะมนุษย์

Word by Word

• निबद्धाः: bound
• निबद्धाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-बन्ध् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय (भूतकृदन्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘bound’

• कर्मपाशैः: by the bonds of karma
• कर्मपाशैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्म + पाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (कर्मणः पाशाः), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• भुञ्जन्: enjoying/experiencing
• भुञ्जन्: Kriya (Participial action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुज् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्यय (वर्तमानकाले कर्तरि), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन/बहुवचन-प्रयोगे (here agreeing with ते = बहुवचन sense)

• भोगान्: enjoyments
• भोगान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भोग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), बहुवचन

• पृथक्: separately/variously
• पृथक्: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पृथक् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• विधान्: of different kinds
• विधान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; विशेषण (भोगान्)

• देवत्वम्: godhood
• देवत्वम्: Gati/Karma (Goal/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म/गति-लक्ष्य), एकवचन

• याति: goes/attains
• याति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• सत्त्वेन: by (the quality of) sattva
• सत्त्वेन: Karana/Hetu (Instrument/Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण/हेतु), एकवचन

• रजसा: by rajas
• रजसा: Karana/Hetu (Instrument/Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय (conjunction)

• मनुष्यताम्: human state
• मनुष्यताम्: Gati/Karma (Goal/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनुष्यता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म/गति-लक्ष्य), एकवचन

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Karma-pāśa: beings are bound by their actions and experience varied bhogas; guṇa predominance shapes rebirth—sattva to devatva, rajas to manuṣyatā.

Vedantic Theme: Guṇa-traya conditioning of jīva; saṃsāra as experiential consequence of action and disposition; uplift through sattva.

Application: Reduce rajasic agitation (greed, restlessness) and cultivate sattva (clarity, compassion, discipline) through diet, conduct, study, and devotion.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 2.6.92 (tamas leading to animal birth; repeated death and rebirth)

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Garuda
• Karma
• Sattva
• Rajas

FAQs

What is the importance of karma-bondage (karmapaśa) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse frames karma as a binding ‘noose’ that compels the jīva to undergo specific results (bhoga), making moral action and purification central to shaping one’s post-death trajectory and future birth.

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

It teaches that the soul’s experiences are not random: bound by its past deeds, it undergoes varied karmic outcomes, and its next state is determined by the predominance of qualities—sattva elevates toward deva-status, while rajas leads toward human rebirth.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Cultivate sattva—truthfulness, compassion, self-control, purity, and dharmic living—while reducing rajasic agitation and selfish striving, so that actions create uplifting karmic tendencies rather than binding ones.