Shloka 82

Ācāra-Nirṇaya: Varṇa-Āśrama Dharma, Śauca, Snāna, Sandhyā, Japa, Tarpaṇa, and Gṛhastha-Dinacaryā

Devanagari script

जीवन्तो मृतकास्त्वन्ये पुरुषाः स्वोदरम्भराः / स्वकीयोदरपूर्तिश्च कुक्कुरस्यापि विद्यते

Transliteration

jīvanto mṛtakāstvanye puruṣāḥ svodarambharāḥ / svakīyodarapūrtiśca kukkurasyāpi vidyate

Translation

جو لوگ صرف اپنا پیٹ بھرنے کے لیے جیتے ہیں، وہ زندہ ہو کر بھی مردہ کے مانند ہیں؛ کیونکہ اپنا پیٹ تو کتا بھی بھر لیتا ہے۔

Word by Word

• जीवन्तः: living (ones)
• जीवन्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जीवत् (कृदन्त, √जीव् धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त (present active participle)

• मृतकाः: dead (men), corpses
• मृतकाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृतक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• तु: but, indeed
• तु: Sambandha/Discourse particle (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle); विरोध/विशेषार्थे ‘but/indeed’

• अन्ये: other
• अन्ये: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• पुरुषाः: men, persons
• पुरुषाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• स्वोदरम्भराः: those who fill only their own belly (selfish)
• स्वोदरम्भराः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व + उदर + भर (प्रातिपदिक); ‘स्वोदर’ + ‘म्भर’
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (स्वस्य उदरम् भरति इति)

• स्वकीयोदरपूर्तिः: filling of one’s own belly
• स्वकीयोदरपूर्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वकीय + उदर + पूर्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (स्वकीयस्य उदरस्य पूर्तिः)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• कुक्कुरस्य: of a dog
• कुक्कुरस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुक्कुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• अपि: even, also
• अपि: Sambandha/Emphasis particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle); ‘also/even’

• विद्यते: exists, is found
• विद्यते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √विद् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: A life devoted only to self-maintenance (svodarambhara) is spiritually barren; human birth is meant for higher aims beyond mere feeding.

Vedantic Theme: Durlabha-manushya-janma and viveka: distinguishing animal-level survival from dharmic/puruṣārtha-oriented living.

Application: Audit one’s daily priorities; allocate time/means to dana, seva, study, and devotion so life is not reduced to consumption.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bibhatsa

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana (Dharma/Acara sections): repeated critique of svārtha and praise of dāna, yajña, atithi-sevā (exact adhyāya parallels vary by recension)

Characters & Entities

• Garuda
• Vishnu

FAQs

What is the importance of condemning a self-centered life in the Garuda Purana?

This verse teaches that mere survival and self-feeding is not true human purpose; without dharma, generosity, and responsibility, one is ‘alive but dead’ in spiritual terms.

How does this verse relate to karma and one’s fate after death?

By implying that a selfish, belly-centered life lacks dharmic merit, it points to diminished punya and weaker spiritual progress—key concerns throughout the Garuda Purana’s karma-centered discourse.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Live beyond self-maintenance: practice charity (dāna), service (seva), truthfulness, and duty to family and society so human life is not reduced to mere consumption.