Shloka 62

The Extent of Questions: Deathbed Rites, Kāla (Time), and Karma-Vipāka Rebirths

Devanagari script

कृमिकीटपतङ्गत्वं स्वर्णहारी समाप्नुयात् / तृणगुल्मतात्वं च क्रमशो गुरुतल्पगः

Transliteration

kṛmikīṭapataṅgatvaṃ svarṇahārī samāpnuyāt / tṛṇagulmatātvaṃ ca kramaśo gurutalpagaḥ

Translation

سونا چرانے والا کیڑے، حشرات اور پتنگوں کی یونی پاتا ہے۔ اور جو گرو کی شَیّا کی بے حرمتی کرے وہ بتدریج گھاس اور پھر جھاڑی بن جاتا ہے۔

Word by Word

• कृमिकीटपतङ्गत्वम्: the state of being worms, insects, and moths
• कृमिकीटपतङ्गत्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृमि (प्रातिपदिक) + कीट (प्रातिपदिक) + पतङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + त्व (तद्धित-प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व + तद्धित ‘त्व’ = ‘state of being’

• स्वर्णहारी: a stealer of gold
• स्वर्णहारी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + हारिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष ‘स्वर्णस्य हारी’

• समाप्नुयात्: would attain
• समाप्नुयात्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + √आप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तृणगुल्मतात्वम्: the state of being grass and shrubs
• तृणगुल्मतात्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तृण (प्रातिपदिक) + गुल्म (प्रातिपदिक) + तात्व (भाववाचक-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व + भाववाचक ‘तात्व’

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

• क्रमशः: in due order, successively
• क्रमशः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्रमशस् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• गुरुतल्पगः: one who violates the guru’s bed (incest/adultery with teacher’s wife)
• गुरुतल्पगः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरुतल्प (प्रातिपदिक) + ग (प्रातिपदिक; from √गम्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष ‘गुरोः तल्पं गच्छति’ = one who goes to teacher’s bed

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in discourse to Garuda)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Pretayoni

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Gold theft leads to insect rebirth; guru-talpa (sexual violation of guru’s bed) leads to vegetal rebirth in sequence (grass then shrub).

Vedantic Theme: Adharma contracts consciousness into lower embodiments; karma shapes the field of experience (yoni) and capacity for dharma.

Application: Practice integrity with others’ property; maintain strict ethical boundaries in teacher-student relations; seek confession, restitution, and prāyaścitta to arrest karmic descent.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bibhatsa

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Geographic Context

Type: terrestrial micro-habitats / vegetal existence

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana mahāpātaka taxonomy: brahmahatyā, surāpāna, suvarṇa-steya, guru-talpa (often grouped)

Characters & Entities

• Garuda
• Guru

FAQs

What is the importance of describing punishments for sins in the Garuda Purana?

This verse links specific unethical acts (gold theft and violating the guru’s marital sanctity) to specific low rebirths, reinforcing dharma through the doctrine of karma-phala (results of actions).

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

It portrays post-death karmic progression into lower forms of existence—first as small creatures and even as plant life—indicating that the jīva’s next embodiment is shaped by the moral weight of actions.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Practice strict honesty with others’ wealth and maintain reverence for teacher-student boundaries; ethical restraint is presented as protection from severe karmic decline.