Shloka 66
The Extent of Questions: Deathbed Rites, Kāla (Time), and Karma-Vipāka Rebirths
गत्वा दारान्परेषाञ्च ब्रह्मस्वमपहृत्य च / अरण्ये निर्जने देशे जायते ब्रह्मराक्षसः
gatvā dārānpareṣāñca brahmasvamapahṛtya ca / araṇye nirjane deśe jāyate brahmarākṣasaḥ
دوسروں کی بیویوں کے پاس جا کر اور برہمن کی ملکیت چرا کر، آدمی ویران جنگل کے علاقے میں برہمرکشس کے روپ میں پیدا ہوتا ہے۔
Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)
Afterlife Stage: Pretayoni
Concept: Severe adharma—paradāra-gamana and brahmasva-apahāra—yields a degraded, haunted rebirth as brahma-rākṣasa.
Vedantic Theme: Karma as moral causality shaping embodiment; violation of dharma toward others and toward sacred property obstructs sattva and binds the jīva to tamasic births.
Application: Uphold marital ethics and non-appropriation; treat religious/educational institutions’ resources as inviolable; practice restitution and prāyaścitta when wrong is done.
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: raudra
Type: wilderness/forest
Related Themes: Garuda Purana 2.2 (karmaphala catalogue of sins and resultant births)
FAQs
This verse links specific grave transgressions—violating another’s marriage and stealing a Brāhmaṇa’s property—to a fearful non-human rebirth, emphasizing strict karmic accountability in the Preta Kanda.
It presents a karmic outcome where severe unethical actions shape the soul’s next embodiment, resulting in a degraded birth (brahma-rākṣasa) and an isolated habitat, reflecting how conduct determines post-mortem destiny.
Maintain sexual ethics and respect marital boundaries, avoid exploitation and theft—especially of religious/charitable assets—and cultivate integrity in dealings with spiritual institutions and teachers.