Shloka 72
An exposition on the fruits of charity and on entry into a body
Garbhotpatti, Piṇḍa-śarīra, and Antya-kāla-kriyā
कदाचित्स्वर्गमाप्नोति कदाचिन्निरयं नरः / स्वर्गं च निरयं चैव स्वकर्मफलमश्नुते
kadācitsvargamāpnoti kadācinnirayaṃ naraḥ / svargaṃ ca nirayaṃ caiva svakarmaphalamaśnute
کبھی انسان سُوَرگ کو پاتا ہے اور کبھی نرک میں جا پڑتا ہے۔ اپنے ہی اعمال کے پھل سے وہ سُوَرگ اور نرک دونوں کا بھوگ کرتا ہے۔
Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)
Afterlife Stage: Naraka
Concept: Svarga and naraka are experienced as direct fruits of one’s own karma; the jīva alternates according to merit and demerit.
Vedantic Theme: Karma-phala-bhoga within saṃsāra; īśvara as dispenser of fruits (karma-phala-dātā) while agency remains with the doer.
Application: Adopt accountability: align choices with dharma, reduce harmful actions, and cultivate punya through service, truthfulness, restraint, and devotion.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Type: post-mortem destinations
Related Themes: Garuda Purana 2.32.71 (saṃsāra-cakra); Garuda Purana Pretakalpa sections describing narakas and karma-phala in detail (general internal linkage)
FAQs
This verse states that both heavenly enjoyment and hellish suffering arise from one’s own deeds, making karma the direct cause of post-death experience.
It presents the soul’s post-mortem destination as variable—svarga or niraya—depending on accumulated actions, implying moral causality rather than random fate.
Live with restraint and dharma: choose actions that reduce harm and increase virtue, since future pleasure or suffering is portrayed as the natural outcome of conduct.