Shloka 39

Post-cremation Ripening of Karma and the Principal Narakas

Devanagari script

लेलिह्यमाने चान्यत्र तप्ताशेषमहीतले / सारमेयाश्च ते शीघ्रं शातयन्ति शरीरतः

Transliteration

lelihyamāne cānyatra taptāśeṣamahītale / sārameyāśca te śīghraṃ śātayanti śarīrataḥ

Translation

Tandis qu’il se tord et lèche çà et là sur la terre entièrement brûlée par la chaleur, les chiens de Yama le déchirent et mettent son corps en lambeaux.

Word by Word

• लेलिह्यमाने: while being licked; as it is being licked
• लेलिह्यमाने: Adhikarana (Circumstance/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √लिह् (धातु) + यमान (कृत्)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कर्मणि/भावे कृदन्त (Present passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular); ‘लेलिह्यमाने (सति)’—सप्तमी-सम्बन्ध (locative absolute nuance)

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

• अन्यत्र: elsewhere
• अन्यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देश/विषयवाचक (adverb: elsewhere)

• तप्ताशेषमहीतले: on the wholly heated ground
• तप्ताशेषमहीतले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तप्त (√तप्, कृदन्त) + अशेष (प्रातिपदिक) + महीतल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular); समासः—तत्पुरुष: तप्त- (heated) + अशेष (entire) + महीतल (earth-surface)

• सारमेयाः: dogs (offspring of Saramā)
• सारमेयाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सारमेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

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

• ते: them
• ते: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• शीघ्रम्: quickly
• शीघ्रम्: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शीघ्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव/क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण (adverbial accusative)

• शातयन्ति: tear; lacerate
• शातयन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शातय् (णिजन्त, √शद्/√शात् causative) (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural), परस्मैपद; णिजन्त (causative)

• शरीरतः: from the body; bodily
• शरीरतः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शरीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (narrating to Garuda/Vainateya)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Naraka

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Sinful conduct leads to embodied suffering; the body becomes the site where karma is ‘read’ and repaid.

Vedantic Theme: Dehābhimāna (body-identification) culminates in pain; saṃsāra’s harsh pedagogy urges detachment and ethical living.

Application: Curb harmful impulses; cultivate restraint (dama), truthfulness, and compassion to avoid papa that ‘returns’ as pain.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bibhatsa

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Geographic Context

Type: scorched plain

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa 2.3.38, 2.3.40 (same naraka sequence)

Characters & Entities

• Yama
• Sārameyas (Yama’s dogs)
• Preta

FAQs

What is the importance of Yama’s dogs (Sārameyas) in the Garuda Purana?

In this verse they function as agents of karmic consequence in Yama’s domain, symbolizing the inescapable suffering that follows sinful actions when the departed is in a preta-like condition.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul after death?

It depicts the post-death journey as involving intense heat and bodily torment for the preta, indicating that the departed experiences punitive conditions shaped by karma before reaching further judgment or relief.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Live with restraint and dharma to avoid harmful karma, and support traditional post-death duties (e.g., śrāddha, charity in the deceased’s name) as reminders of ethical responsibility and compassion.