Garuda Purana — Preta Kalpa, Shloka 1
Bhūmi-dāna, Satya-dharma, and the Non-cancellation of Sin by Charity
वृषोत्सर्गनिरूपणं नामै कचत्वारिंशत्तमो ऽध्यायः श्रीविष्णुरुवाच / यथा धेनुसहस्रेषु वत्सो विन्दति मातरम् / तथा पूर्वकृतं कर्म कर्तारमनुगच्छति
vṛṣotsarganirūpaṇaṃ nāmai kacatvāriṃśattamo 'dhyāyaḥ śrīviṣṇuruvāca / yathā dhenusahasreṣu vatso vindati mātaram / tathā pūrvakṛtaṃ karma kartāramanugacchati
Śrī Viṣṇu phán: “Như giữa ngàn con bò, bê con vẫn tìm được mẹ mình, cũng vậy, nghiệp đã tạo từ trước tất yếu theo sát kẻ đã làm ra nó.”
Lord Vishnu
Concept: Karma is inescapably connected to its agent; prior actions inevitably pursue and fructify for the doer.
Vedantic Theme: Karma-phala-niyati within saṃsāra; moral causality; impetus toward vairāgya and right action.
Application: Act with foresight and restraint; cultivate puṇya and avoid pāpa knowing consequences are personally inescapable.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: rural/pasture (simile)
Related Themes: Garuda Purana: karma-phala and inevitability of consequences frequently reiterated in Pretakalpa and dharma sections (2.42 thematic opening)
FAQs
This verse states that karma unfailingly “tracks” the individual—like a calf recognizing its mother—implying that post-death experiences are shaped by one’s own prior actions.
It emphasizes that external status or concealment cannot prevent consequences; the accumulated karma itself follows the doer and becomes the determining factor in the post-mortem journey described in the Preta Kanda.
Live with accountability: prioritize dharmic conduct, truthfulness, compassion, and restraint, understanding that one’s choices create results that cannot be separated from oneself.