Shloka 88

Śrāddha as Trans-realm Nourishment; Pitṛ-Conveyance; Piṇḍa-born Body and the ātivāhika; Bhakti-based Release

Devanagari script

चित्रगुप्तस्यवाक्येन निरयाणि भुनक्ति सः / यातनाःसमवाप्याथ पशुपक्ष्यादिकीं तनुम्

Transliteration

citraguptasyavākyena nirayāṇi bhunakti saḥ / yātanāḥsamavāpyātha paśupakṣyādikīṃ tanum

Translation

Nach dem Spruch Chitraguptas erleidet er die Höllenreiche; und nachdem er jene Qualen erfahren hat, nimmt er darauf einen Leib an, etwa den eines Tieres, eines Vogels und dergleichen.

Word by Word

• citraguptasya: of Citragupta
• citraguptasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: citragupta (चित्रगुप्त प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• vākyena: by the statement/command
• vākyena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vākya (वाक्य प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• nirayāṇi: hells
• nirayāṇi: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: niraya (निरय प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• bhunakti: experiences/enjoys (undergoes)
• bhunakti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhuj (भुज् धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• yātanāḥ: tortures, punishments
• yātanāḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yātanā (यातना प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• samavāpya: having undergone/obtained
• samavāpya: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ava-āp (अव+आप् धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययभाव (gerund/absolutive), ‘सम्’ उपसर्ग सहित: समवाप्य = having obtained/undergone

• atha: then
• atha: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अथ अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरार्थक-अव्यय

• paśu: animal
• paśu: Sambandha (Compound member/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: paśu (पशु प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध (compound member)

• pakṣi: bird
• pakṣi: Sambandha (Compound member/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pakṣin (पक्षिन् प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध (compound member)

• ādikīm: etc.-like; beginning with
• ādikīm: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ādikā (आदिका प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (तनुम्-विशेषण)

• tanum: body/form
• tanum: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tanu (तनु प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in discourse to Garuda)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Naraka

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Karmic deeds are assessed; one undergoes hellish torments, then may be reborn as animal/bird etc. according to residual karma.

Vedantic Theme: Karma-phala and saṃsāra-cakra; adṛṣṭa (unseen merit/demerit) ripening into experience and rebirth.

Application: Use fear of consequences as a restraint (niyama); cultivate virtue, repentance, and corrective conduct to avoid papa-leading trajectories.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa

Geographic Context

Type: court and hell-realms

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: Naraka descriptions and Chitragupta’s role (multiple naraka catalogues elsewhere in Pretakalpa)

Characters & Entities

• Chitragupta
• Naraka (hell realms)
• Jiva (soul)

FAQs

What is the importance of Chitragupta in the Garuda Purana?

This verse presents Chitragupta as the karmic recorder whose pronouncement determines the soul’s experience of Naraka and the subsequent direction of rebirth.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul after death?

It outlines a sequence: karmic judgment (Chitragupta’s word) → experiencing infernal punishments (niraya/yātanā) → taking rebirth in lower forms such as animals or birds.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Live with accountability—ethical conduct and restraint reduce harmful karma that, according to this teaching, leads to severe after-death suffering and degraded rebirth.