Shloka 73
The Extent of Questions: Deathbed Rites, Kāla (Time), and Karma-Vipāka Rebirths
कौमारदारत्यागी च दुर्भगो ऽथै कमिष्टभुक् / वातगुल्मी विप्रयोषिद्गामी वा जम्बुको भवेत्
kaumāradāratyāgī ca durbhago 'thai kamiṣṭabhuk / vātagulmī viprayoṣidgāmī vā jambuko bhavet
Kẻ bỏ người vợ cưới từ thuở thiếu thời, hoặc kẻ bạc phận, hoặc kẻ ăn điều cấm; kẻ mắc chứng bệnh bụng do gió (phong) gây ra; hoặc kẻ lui tới với vợ của các Bà-la-môn—người ấy sẽ tái sinh làm chó rừng (jackal).
Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)
Concept: Abandoning a youthful wife, eating forbidden foods, suffering certain diseases linked to misconduct, and especially violating Brahmin women lead to jackal rebirth—symbolizing scavenging, impurity, and social marginality.
Vedantic Theme: Tamas-driven conduct shapes tamasic embodiment; adharma in sexuality and food corrupts the subtle impressions (saṃskāras).
Application: Maintain marital responsibility; practice sexual restraint and respect boundaries; avoid forbidden foods and cultivate purity and compassion.
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa
Related Themes: Garuda Purana 2.2 (sexual misconduct and dietary violations leading to animal rebirths)
FAQs
This verse uses the jackal rebirth as a concrete karmic warning: specific violations of dharma (sexual misconduct, abandoning marital duty, impure/forbidden consumption) can degrade one’s next birth into a lower yoni.
In the Preta Kanda’s framework, actions (karma) determine post-death outcomes; here, certain sinful acts are said to culminate in a non-human rebirth, indicating moral causality operating beyond a single lifetime.
Maintain fidelity and respect for others’ marriages, uphold responsibility toward one’s spouse, and practice disciplined, ethical consumption—seeing daily conduct as shaping long-term spiritual consequences.