Shloka 37
The Extent of Questions: Deathbed Rites, Kāla (Time), and Karma-Vipāka Rebirths
सात्त्विका राजसाश्चैव तामसा ये च केचन / भावाः कालात्मकाः सर्वे प्रवर्तन्ते हि जन्तुषु
sāttvikā rājasāścaiva tāmasā ye ca kecana / bhāvāḥ kālātmakāḥ sarve pravartante hi jantuṣu
ساتتوِک، راجسک اور تامسک—جو بھی کیفیات ہوں—سب کَال ہی کی صورت سے ڈھلی ہوئی ہیں؛ اور یہی حالتیں جانداروں کے اندر کارفرما رہتی ہیں۔
Lord Vishnu (in instruction to Garuda)
Concept: All sattvic/rajasic/tamasic bhāvas are Kāla-ātmaka (time-conditioned) and operate in beings.
Vedantic Theme: Guṇa-pariṇāma (transformations of nature) under time; witness-consciousness distinct from changing states; impetus for vairāgya.
Application: Observe mental states as transient; avoid identifying with moods; cultivate sattva through diet, conduct, and devotion while remembering even sattva is conditioned.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Related Themes: Garuda Purana: guṇa-based explanations of conduct and post-mortem outcomes appear across dharma and preta sections (general parallel).
FAQs
The verse states that all guṇa-based conditions in beings are kālātmakāḥ—operating under the governance of Time—highlighting Time as a regulating principle behind changing mental and behavioral states.
By explaining that guṇa-driven dispositions arise and function within beings, it implies that actions (karma) are colored by these shifting states—an underlying cause for the results experienced after death in the Preta Kanda narrative.
Observe how moods and impulses change over time; cultivate sattva (clarity, restraint, compassion) through disciplined conduct and avoid acting impulsively under rajas or tamas, since such states condition future karmic outcomes.