Shloka 28
Nītisāra: Virtuous Association, Household Dharma, and Kāla (Time) as the Supreme Regulator
सक्तिः सुतोके सुकृतं कृतघ्ने शतिं च वह्नौ (सीतापहौ ह्यतपयैव)?हैमे / उत्पद्यते दैववशात्कदाचिद्वेश्यासु रागो न भवेत्कदाचित्
saktiḥ sutoke sukṛtaṃ kṛtaghne śatiṃ ca vahnau (sītāpahau hyatapayaiva)?haime / utpadyate daivavaśātkadācidveśyāsu rāgo na bhavetkadācit
Sự luyến ái có thể khởi lên ngay cả đối với con ruột; công đức cũng có thể hiện ra nơi kẻ vô ơn; sự mát lạnh cũng có thể thấy ngay trong lửa; và đôi khi, do sức mạnh của nghiệp số, dục tình có thể khởi đối với kỹ nữ—hoặc đôi khi lại hoàn toàn không khởi.
Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)
Concept: Daiva (fate) and the instability of raga/dvesha; worldly emotions and moral qualities can arise contrary to expectation.
Vedantic Theme: Anityatva of mental modifications (vrittis) and the unreliability of samsaric attachments; impetus toward vairagya.
Application: Do not build life-decisions solely on fluctuating attraction/aversion; cultivate discernment and steadiness through self-observation and ethical restraint.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Related Themes: Garuda Purana (Preta-khanda): teachings on anityata, vairagya, and the fickleness of desire preceding death-awareness passages
FAQs
This verse highlights that attraction and aversion can manifest unpredictably due to daiva, reminding seekers to cultivate discernment and not justify actions merely by impulse.
By pointing to the volatility of rāga and attachment, it implies that uncontrolled desires shape karma, which in turn conditions post-death outcomes described elsewhere in the Garuda Purana.
Treat desires as transient; practice restraint (saṃyama), choose dharmic actions consistently, and avoid rationalizing harmful conduct as “inevitable.”