Shloka 6

Vaitaraṇī: Torments of the Sinful, Sins Enumerated, and the Vaitaraṇī Go-dāna Rite

Devanagari script

उद्यान्ति द्वादशादित्याः प्रलयान्ते तथा हि ते / तपन्ति तत्र वै मर्त्याः क्रन्द मानास्तु पापिनः

Transliteration

udyānti dvādaśādityāḥ pralayānte tathā hi te / tapanti tatra vai martyāḥ kranda mānāstu pāpinaḥ

Translation

Am Ende des Pralaya steigen die zwölf Sonnen empor—so ist es wahrlich. Dort werden die Sterblichen von Glut versengt; und die Sünder, laut klagend, erleiden jenes brennende Leid.

Word by Word

• उद्यान्ति: rise / come forth
• उद्यान्ति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद्-या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन

• द्वादश-आदित्याः: the twelve suns
• द्वादश-आदित्याः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वादश (संख्या/प्रातिपदिक) + आदित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; कर्ता

• प्रलय-अन्ते: at the end of dissolution
• प्रलय-अन्ते: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रलय (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; कालाधिकरण

• तथा: thus / likewise
• तथा: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb)

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

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; ‘आदित्याः’ इत्यस्य पुनरुक्ति/सर्वनाम

• तपन्ति: burn / scorch
• तपन्ति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तप् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• मर्त्याः: mortals
• मर्त्याः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; कर्ता

• क्रन्दमानाः: crying out
• क्रन्दमानाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्रन्द् (धातु) → क्रन्दमान (कृदन्त)
• Form: शतृ/शानच्-वर्तमानकृदन्त (present participle, Ātmanepada sense), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; ‘मर्त्याः’ इत्यस्य विशेषण

• तु: but / and
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (contrastive particle)

• पापिनः: sinners
• पापिनः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पापिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; ‘मर्त्याः’ इत्यस्य विशेष्य (apposition)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Naraka

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Papa leads to intense suffering; cosmic order manifests as retributive heat and burning for the sinful.

Vedantic Theme: Rta/niyati governing karmaphala; impermanence of embodied security under cosmic cycles.

Application: Restrain harmful actions, cultivate sattvic conduct, and adopt expiatory/virtuous practices to avoid papa-driven suffering.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: raudra

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: descriptions of narakas with heat/fire torments; Garuda Purana: Yama’s realm punishments for papa

Characters & Entities

• Dvādasha Ādityas (Twelve Suns)
• Pāpinaḥ (Sinners)
• Martyāḥ (Mortals)

FAQs

What is the importance of the “twelve suns” imagery in this Garuda Purana verse?

It conveys an extreme, pralaya-like heat to emphasize the intensity of karmic retribution—sinners experience suffering as if scorched by multiple suns.

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

Within the Preta Kanda’s narrative of post-death states, it indicates that sinful beings encounter painful conditions created by their karma, marked by burning torment and lamentation.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Treat the verse as a warning to avoid harmful actions and cultivate dharma—ethical conduct, self-restraint, truthfulness, and compassion—to reduce pāpa and its consequences.