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Shloka 23

Karma-vipāka: Truth, Yama’s Judgment, and the Marks of Sin in Rebirth

Devanagari script

मृतस्यैकादशाहे तु भुञ्जानश्चाभिजायते / प्रतिश्रुत्य द्विजेभ्योर्ऽथमददज्जम्बुको भवेत्

Transliteration

mṛtasyaikādaśāhe tu bhuñjānaścābhijāyate / pratiśrutya dvijebhyor'thamadadajjambuko bhavet

Translation

میت کے بعد گیارہ دن کے عرصے میں جو کھاتا ہے وہ اگلے جنم میں مردار خور بن جاتا ہے۔ اور جو برہمنوں سے مال دینے کا وعدہ کرکے نہ دے، وہ گیدڑ بن جاتا ہے۔

Word by Word
मृतस्यof a dead (person)
मृतस्य:
सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
TypeNoun
Rootमृत (कृदन्त; √मृ धातु)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; 'मृत' (dead person) as noun
एकादश-अहेon the eleventh day
एकादश-अहे:
अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Locative)
TypeNoun
Rootएकादश (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + अहन्/अह (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; द्विगु-समासार्थः (numeral compound sense)
तुindeed
तु:
सम्बन्ध (Particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतु (अव्यय)
Formविशेषार्थक अव्यय
भुञ्जानःeating
भुञ्जानः:
कर्ता (Agent of participle)
TypeVerb
Rootभुञ्जत्/भुञ्जान (कृदन्त; √भुज् धातु)
Formवर्तमान-कृदन्त (शानच्/आत्मनेपदी), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'eating'
चand
च:
समुच्चय (Connector)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चयबोधक अव्यय
अभि-जायतेis born/reborn
अभि-जायते:
क्रिया (Kriyā)
TypeVerb
Rootअभि + √जन् (धातु)
Formलट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद
प्रतिश्रुत्यhaving promised
प्रतिश्रुत्य:
पूर्वकालक्रिया (Prior action)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootप्रतिश्रुत्य (अव्यय; तुमुन्/ल्यप्-भावे from प्रति+√श्रु)
Formक्त्वान्त/ल्यपन्त अव्यय (gerund): 'having promised'
द्विजेभ्यःto the twice-born (Brahmins)
द्विजेभ्यः:
सम्प्रदान (Sampradāna/Recipient)
TypeNoun
Rootद्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), बहुवचन
अर्थम्wealth/money
अर्थम्:
कर्म (Karma/Object)
TypeNoun
Rootअर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन
अददत्did not give
अददत्:
क्रिया (Kriyā)
TypeVerb
Root√दा (धातु)
Formलङ् (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; नकारार्थे (with implied negation by context)
जम्बुकःa jackal
जम्बुकः:
कर्तृ-समाना (Predicate nominative)
TypeNoun
Rootजम्बुक (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
भवेत्would become
भवेत्:
क्रिया (Kriyā)
TypeVerb
Root√भू (धातु)
Formविधिलिङ्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन
Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in instruction to Garuda)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Pretayoni

Shraddha Ritual

Ritual Type: Ekoddishta

Beneficiary: Pitr

Timing: During the eleven-day aśauca period (ekādaśāha) following death

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Violation of death-impurity discipline and breach of promised dāna to brāhmaṇas produce specific adverse rebirths.

Vedantic Theme: Karma-phala-niyati (moral causality) operating through saṃskāra and adharma; bondage through unethical action and false speech.

Application: Observe ekādaśāha restrictions after a death; avoid eating in prohibited periods; keep vows and fulfill promised gifts to qualified recipients promptly.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bibhatsa

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Geographic Context

Type: household/cremation-impurity context

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa/Preta-khaṇḍa themes on aśauca, śrāddha discipline, and karma-based rebirths; Adjacent verses in 2.46 listing nimitta/cihna and rebirth results

Characters & Entities
D
Dwijas (Brahmins)

FAQs

This verse treats the ekādaśāha as a strict ritual window requiring restraint; violating it (by improper eating/indulgence) is said to create heavy demerit leading to a degraded rebirth.

It links two concrete actions—improper conduct during the post-death period and reneging on promised gifts to Brahmins—to specific animal rebirths, illustrating karma as precise moral cause-and-effect.

Maintain discipline during mourning observances and avoid making religious/charitable promises you cannot fulfill; integrity in vows and offerings is presented as essential dharma.

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