Shloka 6
Pātāla and Naraka Enumeration; Brahmāṇḍa-Āvaraṇa and Nārāyaṇa’s Pervasion
असिपत्रवनः कृष्णो नानाभक्षश्च दारुणः / तथा पूयवहः पापो वह्निज्वालस्त्वधः शिराः
asipatravanaḥ kṛṣṇo nānābhakṣaśca dāruṇaḥ / tathā pūyavahaḥ pāpo vahnijvālastvadhaḥ śirāḥ
There is the dark hell called Asipatravana, a dreadful place where one is made to suffer many kinds of being devoured; likewise there are the sinful hell Pūyavaha, the blazing-fire hell Vahnijvāla, and Adhaḥśirā, where one is kept with the head turned downward.
Lord Vishnu (narrating to Garuda/Vinata-putra)
Afterlife Stage: Naraka
Concept: Specific karmas ripen into specific experiential worlds; suffering is structured, not random.
Vedantic Theme: Īśvara-adhīna karma-phala (results governed by cosmic order); saṃsāra as consequence of avidyā-driven action.
Application: Avoid हिंसा/क्रूरता and harmful acts; cultivate restraint, compassion, and repentance before habits harden into destiny.
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa
Type: naraka (hell-region)
Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: naraka-nāma lists and punishments (adjacent verses in 1.57; broader naraka descriptions in Pretakalpa sections)
FAQs
This verse lists specific Naraka realms to emphasize that pāpa (sinful) actions have definite karmic consequences, serving as a moral warning and a prompt toward dharmic living.
It indicates that after death, the jīva may be taken to distinct punitive realms (Narakas) corresponding to wrongdoing, where it undergoes suffering before moving on in its karmic course.
Use it as a reminder to avoid harmful acts, practice self-restraint and compassion, and follow dharma—reducing pāpa and cultivating ethical conduct that supports a better post-death trajectory.