Vamana Purana — Karmic Causes of Narakas, Shloka 13

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

Devanagari script

दुष्टचासृक्पूयनिर्यासं भुञ्जते त्वधमा इमे सूचीमुखाश्च जायन्ते क्षुधार्त्ता गिरिविग्रहाः

Transliteration

duṣṭacāsṛkpūyaniryāsaṃ bhuñjate tvadhamā ime sūcīmukhāśca jāyante kṣudhārttā girivigrahāḥ

Translation

These vile ones eat foul mixtures of blood, pus, and oozing discharge. They are born with needle-like mouths, tormented by hunger, having bodies like mountains.

Word by Word

• duṣṭa-ca-asṛk-pūya-niryāsam: foul blood, pus, and ichor/discharge
• duṣṭa-ca-asṛk-pūya-niryāsam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: duṣṭa (प्रातिपदिक) + ca (अव्यय) + asṛj/asṛk (प्रातिपदिक) + pūya (प्रातिपदिक) + niryāsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समाहार-द्वन्द्वः (दुष्ट + असृक् + पूय + निर्यास) मध्ये 'च' समुच्चयार्थे

• bhuñjate: eat
• bhuñjate: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhuj (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन

• tu: indeed/but
• tu: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषार्थक-निपात (particle: but/indeed)

• adhamāḥ: the vile ones
• adhamāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adhama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• ime: these
• ime: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• sūcī-mukhāḥ: (beings) with needle-like mouths
• sūcī-mukhāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sūcī (प्रातिपदिक) + mukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—'सूच्याः इव मुखं येषाम्'

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात

• jāyante: are born
• jāyante: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jan (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन

• kṣudhā-ārttāḥ: afflicted by hunger
• kṣudhā-ārttāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṣudhā (प्रातिपदिक) + ārta (प्रातिपदिक; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (क्षुधया आर्ताः)

• giri-vigrahāḥ: having bodies like mountains
• giri-vigrahāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: giri (प्रातिपदिक) + vigraha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—'गिरिरिव विग्रहो येषाम्'

Speakers

• Not specified in input (commonly framed as Pulastya ↔ Nārada in this Purāṇa’s dialogue style)

Key Themes

• Dharma
• Karma-phala
• Naraka (hells)
• Anna-dharma (ethics of food and sharing)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Food is treated as a sacred trust (anna). Severe, graphic consequences are used to deter adharma connected with eating—especially actions that cause others’ hunger or violate proper conduct around food and hospitality.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

This is primarily Dharma/karma-phala teaching within narrative instruction rather than one of the five core lakṣaṇas (sarga, pratisarga, vaṃśa, manvantara, vaṃśānucarita). It functions as didactic material embedded in the Purāṇic frame.

What is the symbolic significance?

‘Needle-mouth’ imagery symbolizes extreme deprivation and frustrated consumption: the person who caused or ignored hunger is reborn with the incapacity to eat properly, mirroring the suffering they enabled.