Shloka 3

Pātāla and Naraka Enumeration; Brahmāṇḍa-Āvaraṇa and Nārāyaṇa’s Pervasion

Devanagari script

कृष्णा शुक्लारुणा पीता शर्करा शैलकाञ्चना / भूयस्तत्र दैतेया वसन्ति च भुजङ्गमाः

Transliteration

kṛṣṇā śuklāruṇā pītā śarkarā śailakāñcanā / bhūyastatra daiteyā vasanti ca bhujaṅgamāḥ

Translation

There are tracts that are black, white, reddish, and yellow—some like gravel, some rocky, and some golden. Moreover, Daityas dwell there, and also serpents of the Nāga kind.

Word by Word

• kṛṣṇāḥ: black (in color)
• kṛṣṇāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective to daiteyāḥ/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛṣṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; वर्णवाचक

• śukla-aruṇāḥ: white and reddish
• śukla-aruṇāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śukla (प्रातिपदिक) + aruṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; द्वन्द्व (white and reddish)

• pītāḥ: yellow
• pītāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pīta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; वर्णवाचक

• śarkarāḥ: sugar(-colored) / gravel-like
• śarkarāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śarkarā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; उपमान/गुणवाचक (sugar-like/gravel-like)

• śaila-kāñcanāḥ: mountain-golden (gold-like as a mountain)
• śaila-kāñcanāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śaila (प्रातिपदिक) + kāñcana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (शैलस्य काञ्चनम् इव/शैल-काञ्चन)

• bhūyaḥ: moreover / again
• bhūyaḥ: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: bhūyas (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक-निपात)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरर्थक/अधिक (again/moreover)

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (locative adverb)

• daiteyāḥ: Daityas (demons)
• daiteyāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daiteya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• vasanti: dwell / live
• vasanti: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vas (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• bhujaṅgamāḥ: serpents
• bhujaṅgamāḥ: Karta (Co-subject/सहकर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhujaṅgama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The lower realms can be splendid (golden) yet spiritually perilous; appearance and value diverge.

Vedantic Theme: Viveka between satya and māyika ābhāsa; sensory brilliance does not equal auspiciousness.

Application: Practice discernment: do not equate wealth/shine with goodness; be cautious of environments that amplify fear, aggression, or obsession.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Geographic Context

Type: subterranean landscapes

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana descriptions of nāgas/daityas and subterranean regions (cosmology context)

Characters & Entities

• Daityas
• Bhujangamas (serpents)

FAQs

What is the importance of these landscape descriptions in the Garuda Purana?

They function as a cosmographic map of Yama’s domain, conveying the dread and otherworldly nature of the post-death path and framing the moral seriousness of karma.

How does this verse relate to the soul’s journey after death?

It depicts the kind of terrifying, non-human regions said to be encountered in Yama’s realm—settings that contextualize why dharma and proper rites are emphasized elsewhere in the text.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Use it as a reminder to live ethically (dharma) and to take death-related duties seriously—such as prayer, charity, and family rites—so fear and confusion around death are reduced.