Shloka 95
Yamamārga, Antyeṣṭi-vidhi, and Daśāhika Piṇḍa-dāna
Road to Yama and Ten-Day Offerings
उक्तानि वाच्यानि मया नराणामतः शृणुष्वावहितो ऽपि पक्षिन् / स्त्रीणां शरीरं प्रतिलभ्य देही ब्रवीति कर्माणि कृतानि पूर्वम्
uktāni vācyāni mayā narāṇāmataḥ śṛṇuṣvāvahito 'pi pakṣin / strīṇāṃ śarīraṃ pratilabhya dehī bravīti karmāṇi kṛtāni pūrvam
Ta đã nói những điều cần nói về loài người; vậy hãy lắng nghe chăm chú, hỡi chim có cánh. Khi đã thọ thân nữ, linh hồn mang thân liền thuật lại những nghiệp đã làm trong quá khứ.
Lord Vishnu
Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey
Concept: Karmic self-report: understanding one’s past actions is part of moral knowledge leading to correction.
Vedantic Theme: Viveka through śravaṇa (listening) and reflection on karma; narrative as a means to awaken discrimination.
Application: Listen attentively to dharma teachings; conduct periodic self-review of actions and their consequences to reform conduct.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: Garuda addressed as ‘pakṣin’ and urged to listen in multiple didactic transitions
FAQs
The verse highlights that the jīva carries its past deeds forward; rebirth occurs under karmic influence, and the soul’s experience is shaped by actions done previously.
It implies continuity of the embodied soul (dehī): after leaving one body, it attains another (here, a woman’s body) and remains connected to prior karma, which determines its subsequent life experience.
Live with awareness that actions have long-term consequences: cultivate dharma, avoid harmful deeds, and practice disciplines that purify intention, since karma follows the soul beyond a single lifetime.