Shloka 21
Jñāna-hetu-nirūpaṇa
On the Causes/Means of Knowledge
तव प्रसादाच्च मम प्रसादात्कालान्तरे तांश्च जानाति शेषः / दुष्कर्मलेशान्न तिरोहितान् गुणान्यानेव पूर्वं विदितान् स्वयोग्यान्
tava prasādācca mama prasādātkālāntare tāṃśca jānāti śeṣaḥ / duṣkarmaleśānna tirohitān guṇānyāneva pūrvaṃ viditān svayogyān
Nhờ ân phúc của Ngài và nhờ ân phúc của con, theo thời gian thích hợp, Śeṣa cũng biết được những điều ấy—những công đức không bị che lấp dù chỉ bởi một vết nhỏ của nghiệp ác; chính là những phẩm tính trước kia đã được nhận biết là phù hợp với năng lực riêng của mỗi hữu tình.
Lord Vishnu
Concept: Knowledge/merit becomes manifest by grace in time; pāpa can obscure perception, yet certain recognized, adhikāra-suited guṇas remain unhidden when not covered even by a trace of wrongdoing.
Vedantic Theme: Avaraṇa (obscuration) by karma; gradual unfolding (krama) of realization; purity as condition for clearer apprehension; grace as catalyst.
Application: Reduce ‘dुष्कर्म-लेश’ through ethical living and repentance; be patient with gradual spiritual maturation; trust that sincere practice preserves and clarifies earlier realizations.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Related Themes: Garuda Purana (general): karma-based obscuration and purification; emphasis on purity for post-mortem welfare and liberation
FAQs
This verse frames karmic outcomes as not merely mechanical: by the grace of Vishnu (and the addressed listener), deeper truths about a being’s merits become known in time, indicating that prasāda can clarify and uphold virtue even amid karmic complexity.
It suggests that genuine merits (guṇa) appropriate to a soul’s nature (svayogya) may remain unhidden even if there is a slight admixture of wrongdoing, supporting the Garuda Purana theme that post-death evaluation considers both demerit and enduring merit.
Cultivate stable virtues and seek inner clarity through devotion and ethical living; even if minor lapses occur, consistent good qualities and sincere alignment with dharma are portrayed as enduring and recognizable over time.