Shloka 32
उष्णां वैतरणीं महानदी- मवगाढो5सिपत्रवनभिन्नगात्र: | परशुवनशयो निपतितो वसति च महानिरये भृशार्त:,उसे अत्यन्त उष्ण महानदी वैतरणीमें गोता लगाना पड़ता है। असिपत्रवनमें उसका अंग-अंग छिजन्न-भिन्न हो जाता है और परशुवनमें उसे शयन करना पड़ता है। इस प्रकार महानरकमें पड़कर वह अत्यन्त आतुर हो उठता है और विवश होकर उसीमें निवास करता है
uṣṇāṃ vaitaraṇīṃ mahānadīm avagāḍho ’sipattra-vanabhinna-gātraḥ | paraśu-vanaśayo nipatito vasati ca mahāniraye bhṛśārtaḥ ||
Vyāsa said: Plunged into the scorching great river Vaitaraṇī, his limbs are torn and mangled in the forest of sword-like leaves; cast down, he must lie upon the forest of axes. Thus fallen into the great hell, he becomes grievously tormented and, helpless, is forced to dwell there.
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores karmic moral causality: unethical actions lead to severe post-mortem consequences. By vividly depicting hellish punishments, it aims to restrain wrongdoing and encourage dharmic conduct through awareness of accountability beyond this life.
Vyāsa describes the suffering of a sinner in the afterlife: the person is forced into the burning river Vaitaraṇī, then cut apart in the Asipattravana, and made to lie in the Paraśuvana. Overwhelmed by pain, the being remains trapped in the great hell.