Vamana Purana — Karmic Causes of Narakas, Shloka 28

Karmic Causes of Narakas and the Irremediability of Ingratitude (Kṛtaghna-doṣa)

Devanagari script

क्लेशयन्ति हि विप्रादीन् ये ह्यकर्मसु पापिनः ते पिष्यन्ते शिलापेषे शोष्यनते ऽपि च शोषकैः

Transliteration

kleśayanti hi viprādīn ye hyakarmasu pāpinaḥ te piṣyante śilāpeṣe śoṣyanate 'pi ca śoṣakaiḥ

Translation

Indeed, those sinners who afflict Brahmins and others, and who engage in wrongful/forbidden conduct, are ground in a stone-press; they are also dried up by “dryers” (tormentors).

Word by Word

• क्लेशयन्ति: torment
• क्लेशयन्ति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √क्लिश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन; णिच्-प्रत्यय (causative) भावः: क्लेशयति (causes pain)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/for, indeed)

• विप्रादीन्: brahmins and others
• विप्रादीन्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; 'आदि' अर्थे समासार्थ-समुच्चय (vipras and others)

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• अकर्मसु: in wrongful acts
• अकर्मसु: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अकर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; नञ्-समास (negation): अकर्म = non-duty/forbidden acts

• पापिनः: sinners
• पापिनः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पापिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• पिष्यन्ते: are ground/crushed
• पिष्यन्ते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पिष् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive)

• शिलापेषे: in a stone-mill/grinding (torture)
• शिलापेषे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिला+पेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः: शिलया पेषः / शिलायां पेषः (stone-grinding)

• शोष्यन्ते: are dried up
• शोष्यन्ते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √शुष् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/additive)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• शोषकैः: by the dryers/drying agents (tormentors)
• शोषकैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शोषक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

Speakers

• Not specified in input (Vāmana Purāṇa commonly frames as Pulastya ↔ Nārada
• but not asserted here).

Key Themes

• Karma and retribution
• Ethics (non-harm toward vipras)
• Naraka descriptions

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

{ "primaryRasa": "bhayanaka", "secondaryRasa": "raudra", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The verse reinforces dharma by warning that harming socially/religiously protected persons (vipras) and engaging in prohibited conduct rebounds as intense suffering; moral injury to others becomes karmic injury to oneself.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

This is not sarga/pratisarga/vamśa material; it aligns best with dharma/ācāra and karmaphala teaching often embedded within Purāṇic narration (a didactic subsection rather than a core pañcalakṣaṇa item).

What is the symbolic significance?

Grinding in a stone-press and forced desiccation symbolize the ‘compression’ and ‘drying up’ of merit and vitality caused by cruelty and adharma—inner hardness (stone-like cruelty) yields stone-like punishment.