Shloka 70

Matsya Purana — Soma

Devanagari script

स्थानेषु पात्यमाना ये यातनास्थेषु तेषु वै शाल्मल्यां वैतरण्यां च कुम्भीपाकेद्धवालुके //

Transliteration

sthāneṣu pātyamānā ye yātanāstheṣu teṣu vai śālmalyāṃ vaitaraṇyāṃ ca kumbhīpākeddhavāluke //

Translation

Those who are cast down into such places of torment are made to suffer there indeed—among hells such as Śālmalyā, Vaitaraṇī, Kumbhīpāka, and the burning sands.

Word by Word

• sthāneṣu: in (those) places

• pātyamānāḥ: being thrown down / cast (into)

• ye: those who

• yātanā-stheṣu: situated in states/realms of torture (yātanā = torment)

• teṣu: in those (realms)

• vai: indeed

• śālmalyām: in Śālmalyā (a hell associated with thorny śālmali trees)

• vaitaraṇyām: in Vaitaraṇī (the dreadful crossing/river of hell)

• ca: and

• kumbhīpāke: in Kumbhīpāka (the ‘boiling pot’ hell)

• dadhya-vāluke / dagdha-vāluke: in the burning sands / heated sand-bed (a hell of scorching sand).

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (Vishnu) instructing Vaivasvata Manu

Entities Mentioned

• Śālmalyā
• Vaitaraṇī
• Kumbhīpāka

Tags

• Naraka
• Yatana
• Karma
• Afterlife
• Ethics

FAQs

What does this verse reveal about the creation or dissolution (Pralaya)?

This verse is not about Pralaya; it describes post-death karmic consequences—souls being cast into specific hell-realms (narakas) for torment.

How does this verse relate to the duties of a King or Householder?

By listing narakas like Vaitaraṇī and Kumbhīpāka, the text reinforces dharma: rulers and householders must uphold ethical conduct and restrain harmful actions, since wrongdoing leads to severe afterlife punishments.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No Vāstu or temple-architecture rule appears here; the ritual takeaway is moral-ritual causality—right conduct (and expiatory practices elsewhere in the Purana) is urged to avoid naraka destinies.