Shloka 16

नरक-निर्णयः, पाप-कर्म-फल-व्यवस्था, प्रायश्चित्त-क्रमः, तथा हरि-स्मरण-परमत्वम्

Devanagari script

पितृदेवातिथीन् यस् तु पर्यश्नाति नराधमः लालाभक्षे स यात्य् उग्रे शरकर्ता च वेधके

Transliteration

pitṛdevātithīn yas tu paryaśnāti narādhamaḥ lālābhakṣe sa yāty ugre śarakartā ca vedhake

Translation

But that vilest of men who eats while neglecting the Pitṛs, the Devas, and the guest—who consumes without first offering the due portions—falls into the fierce hell called Lālābhakṣa, and thereafter into the dreadful realms known as Śarakartā and Vedhaka.

Word by Word

• पितृदेवातिथीन्: ancestors, gods, and guests
• पितृदेवातिथीन्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ + देव + अतिथि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Accusative plural); समाहार/इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः—पितरः देवाः अतिथयः (as a group)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Relative pronoun)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषण-अव्यय (particle: but/indeed)

• पर्यश्नाति: devours/consumes
• पर्यश्नाति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि+अश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन (Active); अर्थः—पर्यश्नाति = परितः अश्नाति/अतिशयेन अश्नाति (eats up/consumes)

• नराधमः: the lowest of men
• नराधमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर + अधम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—नराणाम् अधमः

• लालाभक्षे: in Lālābhakṣa
• लालाभक्षे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लाला + भक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Locative singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—लालायाः भक्षः/भक्ष्यः (spittle-eating place)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• याति: goes
• याति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन (Active)

• उग्रे: in Ugra
• उग्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Locative singular; proper name/descriptor of a hell)

• शरकर्ता: an arrow-maker
• शरकर्ता: Karta (Additional subject/apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर + कर्तृ (कृ धातु, तृच्)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—शरस्य कर्ता (maker of arrows)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• वेधके: in Vedhaka
• वेधके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेधक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Locative singular; proper name of a hell/region)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (in instruction to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Householder dharma of offerings (pitṛ-deva-atithi) and the karmic consequence of eating selfishly

Teaching: Ethical

Quality: compassionate

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Eating without first honoring pitṛs, devas, and atithi violates gṛhastha-yajña (reciprocity), turning nourishment into bondage and suffering.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Before meals, offer a simple portion in gratitude (prayer/naivedya/charity), serve guests and dependents, and cultivate the habit of sharing as worship.

Vishishtadvaita: Offering (naivedya/annadāna) is śeṣatva in practice—recognizing all food and enjoyership as belonging to Nārāyaṇa, with the householder as His servant.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Narayana

Bhakti Type: Dasya

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs (Ancestors)
• Devas
• Atithi (Guest)

FAQs

What is the significance of honoring Pitṛs, Devas, and guests in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse frames offering and hospitality as core household dharma: eating without first acknowledging ancestors, gods, and guests is treated as a grave breach of moral order with severe karmic results.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the consequence of eating selfishly?

Parāśara states that one who eats while neglecting obligatory recipients (Pitṛs, Devas, and atithis) is condemned to specific hell-realms—Lālābhakṣa, Śarakartā, and Vedhaka—illustrating karma’s precise retribution.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this context?

Even when Vishnu is not named, the verse assumes a Vishnu-governed cosmic justice: dharma sustains the world-order, and violations trigger karmic consequences within the moral universe upheld by the Supreme Reality.