Shloka 17
Vaitaraṇī: Torments of the Sinful, Sins Enumerated, and the Vaitaraṇī Go-dāna Rite
कन्याविदूषकश्चैव दानं दत्त्वानुतापकः / शूबद्रस्तु कपिलापायी ब्राह्मणो मांसभोजनः
kanyāvidūṣakaścaiva dānaṃ dattvānutāpakaḥ / śūbadrastu kapilāpāyī brāhmaṇo māṃsabhojanaḥ
De même : celui qui déshonore une jeune fille, celui qui se repent après avoir fait un don, celui dont la conduite est cruelle, celui qui boit le lait d’une vache fauve (kapilā), et le brāhmaṇa qui mange de la viande—tous sont comptés parmi les pécheurs et subissent de douloureuses conséquences après la mort.
Lord Vishnu (in dialogue instructing Garuda/Vinata-putra)
Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey
Concept: Harming the vulnerable, hypocrisy in giving, cruelty, and breaches of brāhmaṇa conduct generate pāpa with painful results.
Vedantic Theme: Ethical purification (citta-śuddhi) as prerequisite for higher knowledge; karma binds when rooted in harm, hypocrisy, and tamas.
Application: Uphold sexual ethics and protection of minors/vulnerable; give without regret; cultivate compassion; follow one’s dharma-consistent diet and conduct.
Primary Rasa: bibhatsa
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: sin-lists and their destinations (context around 2.47.16–20)
FAQs
This verse functions as a dharma-checklist: it names specific actions considered adharma and warns that such deeds bring painful post-death consequences, urging ethical restraint and purity.
By identifying concrete sinful acts, the text implies that the soul’s post-death experience is shaped by karma; harmful deeds lead to suffering in Yama’s domain rather than a peaceful transition.
Maintain sexual ethics, give charity without later resentment, avoid cruelty, and follow one’s dharmic dietary/behavioral codes—so actions support a calmer conscience and better karmic outcomes.