Shloka 23

Post-cremation Ripening of Karma and the Principal Narakas

Devanagari script

कुलालचक्राणि तत्र भ्राम्यन्त्यविरतं खग / तेष्वापाष्ये निकृष्यन्ते कालसूत्रेण मानवाः

Transliteration

kulālacakrāṇi tatra bhrāmyantyavirataṃ khaga / teṣvāpāṣye nikṛṣyante kālasūtreṇa mānavāḥ

Translation

O Vogel, dort drehen sich die Töpferscheiben unaufhörlich; und die Menschen werden von der Schlinge namens Kālasūtra darauf geschleift und geschunden.

Word by Word

• कुलालचक्राणि: potter’s wheels
• कुलालचक्राणि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुलाल-चक्र (प्रातिपदिक; कुलालः + चक्रम्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कुलालस्य चक्राणि)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• भ्राम्यन्ति: they revolve/whirl
• भ्राम्यन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भ्रम् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद

• अविरतम्: unceasingly
• अविरतम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अविरत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् (adverbial accusative)

• खग: O bird
• खग: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: खग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन

• तेषु: in/among those (wheels)
• तेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, सप्तमी (7th), बहुवचन

• आपाष्ये: in the (so-called) Āpāṣya (place/region)
• आपाष्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आपाष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; विशेषण (teṣu ... āpāṣye)

• निकृष्यन्ते: they are dragged/pulled
• निकृष्यन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि√कृष् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive sense)

• कालसूत्रेण: by the time-thread/cord of Time
• कालसूत्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कालसूत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कालस्य सूत्रम्)

• मानवाः: men (souls)
• मानवाः: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (narrating to Garuda)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Naraka

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Papa-karma ripens into precise, repetitive suffering; punishment is depicted as impersonal and inexorable like a wheel.

Vedantic Theme: Karma-phala-niyati within saṃsāra; bondage through adharma and the necessity of purification.

Application: Restrain harmful actions, cultivate satya/ahiṃsā, and adopt expiations and devotion to avoid papa that leads to such narakas.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa

Geographic Context

Type: naraka (hell) region with torture devices

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: naraka-catalogue passages describing Kālasūtra and yantras; Garuda Purana: Yama’s messengers and karmic adjudication sections

Characters & Entities

• Garuda
• Kālasūtra

FAQs

What is the importance of Kālasūtra in the Garuda Purana?

Kālasūtra is presented as a punitive force/cord that drags beings according to karma, illustrating that time/death-bound law (kāla) enforces consequences after death.

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

It depicts a post-death karmic adjudication where humans undergo specific torments; the imagery of being dragged on spinning wheels emphasizes involuntary suffering driven by one’s own past deeds.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Treat actions as having inevitable results: practice restraint, truthfulness, and non-harm, and support dharmic living and death-rites with sincerity to reduce fear and cultivate accountability.