Vamana Purana — Karmic Causes of Narakas, Shloka 29

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

Devanagari script

न्यासापहारिणः पापा बध्यन्ते निगडैरपि श्रुत्क्षामाः शुष्कताल्वोष्ठाः पात्यन्ते वृश्चिकाशने

Transliteration

nyāsāpahāriṇaḥ pāpā badhyante nigaḍairapi śrutkṣāmāḥ śuṣkatālvoṣṭhāḥ pātyante vṛścikāśane

Translation

Sündige, die anvertraute Hinterlagen stehlen oder veruntreuen, werden selbst mit Fesseln gebunden; vom Hunger ausgezehrt, mit trockenem Gaumen und spröden Lippen, werden sie in die Qual/Hölle namens „Skorpionfresser“ geworfen.

Word by Word

• न्यासापहारिणः: those who steal entrusted deposits
• न्यासापहारिणः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: न्यास+अपहारिन् (प्रातिपदिक); अपहारिन् = √हृ (धातु) + णिनि (agent)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः: न्यासस्य अपहारिणः (stealers of deposits/trusts)

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

• बध्यन्ते: are bound
• बध्यन्ते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √बन्ध् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive)

• निगडैः: with fetters
• निगडैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निगड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

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

• श्रुत्क्षामाः: emaciated by hunger
• श्रुत्क्षामाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रुत्+क्षाम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः: श्रुत्-क्षाम (hunger-thinned)

• शुष्कताल्वोष्ठाः: with dry palate and lips
• शुष्कताल्वोष्ठाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुष्क+तालु+ओष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः: शुष्के ताले च ओष्ठे च यस्य (dry palate and lips)

• पात्यन्ते: are made to fall / are cast
• पात्यन्ते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पत् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive)

• वृश्चिकाशने: in the scorpion-eating (hell)
• वृश्चिकाशने: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृश्चिक+आशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः: वृश्चिकानाम् आशनम् (scorpion-eating/place of scorpions as food)

Speakers

• Not specified in input (often Pulastya ↔ Nārada
• but not asserted here).

Key Themes

• Trust and social ethics
• Theft and betrayal of deposit (nyāsa)
• Naraka descriptions

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Misappropriating what is entrusted (nyāsa) is treated as a grave breach of trust; the Purāṇa frames social reliability as a pillar of dharma, with severe karmic consequences for betrayal.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

Primarily dharma/ācāra and karmavipāka instruction within Purāṇic discourse, not a genealogical or cosmogenic section.

What is the symbolic significance?

Hunger and dryness mirror the inner ‘emptiness’ produced by greed and breach of trust; ‘scorpion’ imagery conveys the sharp, stinging return of harmful actions.