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Shloka 20

Vaitaraṇī: Torments of the Sinful, Sins Enumerated, and the Vaitaraṇī Go-dāna Rite

Devanagari script

यस्त्वहङ्कारवान्पापी स्वविकत्थनकारकः / कृतघ्नो गर्भसन्तापी वैतरण्यां स मज्जति

Transliteration

yastvahaṅkāravānpāpī svavikatthanakārakaḥ / kṛtaghno garbhasantāpī vaitaraṇyāṃ sa majjati

Translation

जो पापी अहंकार से भरा है, जो अपनी ही बड़ाई में लगा रहता है, जो कृतघ्न है, और जो गर्भ को पीड़ा देने वाला (अजन्मे/मातृत्व को हानि पहुँचाने वाला) है—वह वैतरणी में डूबता है।

Word by Word
यःwho (he who)
यः:
Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootयद् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); सम्बन्ध-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)
तुbut, indeed
तु:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Discourse particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतु (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; अवधान/विरोधार्थक-निपात (particle: but/indeed)
अहङ्कारवान्proud, possessing ego
अहङ्कारवान्:
Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
TypeAdjective
Rootअहङ्कार (प्रातिपदिक) + वत् (तद्धित)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); वत्-प्रत्ययान्त (possessive adjective)
पापीa sinner
पापी:
Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootपापिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); इन्-प्रत्ययान्त
स्वविकत्थनकारकःone who indulges in self-boasting
स्वविकत्थनकारकः:
Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootस्व (प्रातिपदिक) + विकत्थन (प्रातिपदिक) + कारक (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘स्वस्य विकत्थनं करोति’ (one who causes/does self-boasting)
कृतघ्नःungrateful
कृतघ्नः:
Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootकृत (प्रातिपदिक) + घ्न (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); समासः—तत्पुरुष: ‘कृतं (उपकारं) घ्नाति’ (ungrateful)
गर्भसन्तापीwomb-tormentor
गर्भसन्तापी:
Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootगर्भ (प्रातिपदिक) + सन्तापिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); समासः—तत्पुरुष: ‘गर्भे सन्तापः यस्य/गर्भं सन्तापयति’ (one who causes torment in the womb / fetus-tormentor)
वैतरण्याम्in the Vaitaraṇī
वैतरण्याम्:
Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Locative)
TypeNoun
Rootवैतरणी (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular)
सःhe
सः:
Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); सर्वनाम (pronoun)
मज्जतिsinks, is immersed
मज्जति:
Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
TypeVerb
Rootमज्ज् (धातु)
Formलट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular); परस्मैपद
Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Naraka

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Ahaṅkāra, self-praise, kṛtaghnatā (ingratitude), and harming pregnancy/unborn life create heavy pāpa that causes sinking in Vaitaraṇī.

Vedantic Theme: Ahaṅkāra is a primary knot (granthi) binding the jīva; gratitude and non-harm support sattva and inner clarity.

Application: Cultivate humility and gratitude; avoid self-aggrandizement; protect motherhood and unborn life; support maternal care and non-violence.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa

Geographic Context

Type: river

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: Vaitaraṇī and causes (preceding 2.47.19)

Characters & Entities
V
Vaitarani

FAQs

In the Preta Kanda, Vaitaraṇī is portrayed as a terrifying boundary-like river in Yama’s domain where certain grievous sinners are made to sink, symbolizing the inescapable weight of their karma.

It links specific moral failures—egoistic pride, boastful self-praise, ingratitude, and harming the unborn/motherhood—to post-death suffering, indicating that the preta’s journey includes karmic stations of retribution such as Vaitaraṇī.

Cultivate humility, avoid self-aggrandizement, practice gratitude, and protect life and motherhood; the verse frames these as non-negotiable dharmic duties with serious karmic outcomes.

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