Garuda Purana — Preta Kalpa, Shloka 126

Vṛṣotsarga (Bull-Release Gift): Procedure, Merit, and Narratives on Dharma, Karma, and Liberation

Devanagari script

वृषयज्ञमपश्यन्तो ये चासूयां प्रकुर्वते / सर्वं निवेदितं राज्ञश्चरितं पूर्वजन्मनः

Transliteration

vṛṣayajñamapaśyanto ye cāsūyāṃ prakurvate / sarvaṃ niveditaṃ rājñaścaritaṃ pūrvajanmanaḥ

Translation

جو مقدّس وِرش-یَجْن کو نہ دیکھتے (یا قبول نہیں کرتے) اور جو حسد میں مبتلا رہتے ہیں—ایسے لوگوں کے پچھلے جنموں کے تمام اعمال کی خبر راجا یم کو دے دی جاتی ہے۔

Word by Word

• vṛṣa: bull
• vṛṣa: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vṛṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासपूर्वपद (compound member)

• yajñam: sacrifice, rite
• yajñam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yajña (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-एकवचन (Masculine, Accusative, Singular) — समस्तपद ‘वृषयज्ञम्’

• apaśyantaḥ: not seeing
• apaśyantaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a-√paś (धातु) + śatṛ (कृत्)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-बहुवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Plural) — ‘not seeing’

• ye: who, those who
• ye: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-बहुवचन (Pronoun, Masculine, Nominative, Plural)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय — समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• asūyām: envy, malice
• asūyām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asūyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-एकवचन (Feminine, Accusative, Singular)

• prakurvate: do, practice
• prakurvate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन (3rd person plural), आत्मनेपद

• sarvam: everything
• sarvam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-एकवचन (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular)

• niveditam: was reported
• niveditam: Kriya (Predicate/क्रियाविशेष)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ni-√vid (धातु) + kta (कृत्)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-एकवचन (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular) — ‘reported/informed’

• rājñaḥ: to/of the king
• rājñaḥ: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-एकवचन (Masculine, Genitive, Singular)

• caritam: deed, conduct, account
• caritam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: carita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-एकवचन (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular)

• pūrva: previous
• pūrva: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pūrva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासपूर्वपद (compound member)

• janmanaḥ: of (a) former birth
• janmanaḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: janman (प्रातिपदik)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-एकवचन (Neuter, Genitive, Singular) — समस्तपद ‘पूर्वजन्मनः’

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Envy and contempt toward dharmic yajña lead to accountability; karmic records span multiple births and are fully disclosed to Yama.

Vedantic Theme: Ṛta/karma-niyama: an impersonal moral order where nothing is lost; saṃskāras and actions bear inevitable fruit.

Application: Curb envy toward others’ dharmic acts; cultivate anumodanā (rejoicing in others’ merit) and respectful openness to sacred practices.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: raudra

Geographic Context

Type: court/assembly

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: Yama’s judgment, record of deeds (general internal parallel)

Characters & Entities

• Yama

FAQs

What is the importance of envy (asūyā) in Garuda Purana teachings?

This verse treats envy as a serious moral fault that marks a person for scrutiny, because it reflects inner adharma; such tendencies become part of the karmic record presented to Yama.

How does this verse explain the basis of judgment in Yama’s realm?

It states that Yama is informed of the soul’s complete conduct across previous births, implying that post-death judgment is grounded in cumulative karma rather than only the last lifetime.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Cultivate non-envious speech and conduct, and support righteous acts/rituals with respect—since attitudes like envy and rejection of dharmic practice are portrayed as karmically consequential.