Vamana Purana — Karmic Causes of Narakas, Shloka 28

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

Devanagari script

क्लेशयन्ति हि विप्रादीन् ये ह्यकर्मसु पापिनः ते पिष्यन्ते शिलापेषे शोष्यनते ऽपि च शोषकैः

Transliteration

kleśayanti hi viprādīn ye hyakarmasu pāpinaḥ te piṣyante śilāpeṣe śoṣyanate 'pi ca śoṣakaiḥ

Translation

Indeed, those sinners who afflict Brahmins and others and engage in wrongful or forbidden conduct are ground in a stone-press; they are also dried up by the “dryers” (tormentors).

Word by Word

• क्लेशयन्ति: torment
• क्लेशयन्ति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √क्लिश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन; णिच्-प्रत्यय (causative) भावः: क्लेशयति (causes pain)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/for, indeed)

• विप्रादीन्: brahmins and others
• विप्रादीन्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; 'आदि' अर्थे समासार्थ-समुच्चय (vipras and others)

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• अकर्मसु: in wrongful acts
• अकर्मसु: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अकर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; नञ्-समास (negation): अकर्म = non-duty/forbidden acts

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

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• पिष्यन्ते: are ground/crushed
• पिष्यन्ते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पिष् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive)

• शिलापेषे: in a stone-mill/grinding (torture)
• शिलापेषे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिला+पेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः: शिलया पेषः / शिलायां पेषः (stone-grinding)

• शोष्यन्ते: are dried up
• शोष्यन्ते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √शुष् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive)

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

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• शोषकैः: by the dryers/drying agents (tormentors)
• शोषकैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शोषक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

Speakers

• Not specified in input (Vāmana Purāṇa commonly frames as Pulastya ↔ Nārada
• but not asserted here).

Key Themes

• Karma and retribution
• Ethics (non-harm toward vipras)
• Naraka descriptions

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The verse reinforces dharma by warning that harming socially/religiously protected persons (vipras) and engaging in prohibited conduct rebounds as intense suffering; moral injury to others becomes karmic injury to oneself.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

This is not sarga/pratisarga/vamśa material; it aligns best with dharma/ācāra and karmaphala teaching often embedded within Purāṇic narration (a didactic subsection rather than a core pañcalakṣaṇa item).

What is the symbolic significance?

Grinding in a stone-press and forced desiccation symbolize the ‘compression’ and ‘drying up’ of merit and vitality caused by cruelty and adharma—inner hardness (stone-like cruelty) yields stone-like punishment.