Vamana Purana — Karmic Causes of Narakas, Shloka 24

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

Devanagari script

तेषां विलपतां चर्म देहतः क्रियते पृथक् कर्त्तिकाभिः सुतीक्ष्णीभिः सुरौद्रैर्यमकिङ्करैः

Transliteration

teṣāṃ vilapatāṃ carma dehataḥ kriyate pṛthak karttikābhiḥ sutīkṣṇībhiḥ suraudrairyamakiṅkaraiḥ

Translation

Kulit mereka dikuliti dari tubuh dengan pisau tajam oleh pelayan Yama yang ganas saat mereka meratap.

Word by Word

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• विलपताम्: of those lamenting
• विलपताम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-लप् (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘of those wailing’

• चर्म: skin
• चर्म: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• देहतः: from the body
• देहतः: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (अपादान), एकवचन

• क्रियते: is made / is separated
• क्रियते: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, आत्मनेपद, कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive sense), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• पृथक्: apart / separately
• पृथक्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पृथक् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• कर्त्तिकाभिः: with knives
• कर्त्तिकाभिः: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्त्तिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन

• सुतीक्ष्णीभिः: very sharp
• सुतीक्ष्णीभिः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु- (उपसर्ग/पूर्वपद) + तीक्ष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying कर्त्तिकाभिः)

• सुरौद्रैः: exceedingly fierce
• सुरौद्रैः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (अव्यय/उपसर्ग) + रौद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying यमकिङ्करैः)

• यमकिङ्करैः: by Yama’s servants
• यमकिङ्करैः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम (प्रातिपदिक) + किङ्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (यमस्य किङ्कराः), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

Speakers

• Primary dialogue frame not stated in input (commonly Pulastya ↔ Nārada); descriptive narration of naraka punishments

Primary Deities

• Yama (Dharmarāja)

Key Themes

• Naraka
• Karmaphala
• Moral causality
• Social harm consequences

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The text emphasizes that adharma is not merely ‘personal’—it has consequences enforced by cosmic law (ṛta/dharma). The extreme imagery aims to deter deliberate public harm and sacrilege by making the moral cost vivid.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

As with the surrounding verses, this is best treated as dharma-upadeśa (karmaphala-varṇana) within Purāṇic discourse, not one of the five defining topics (sarga, pratisarga, vaṃśa, manvantara, vaṃśānucarita).

What is the symbolic significance?

Skin (carma) signifies the outer identity and protective covering; flaying represents the stripping away of false security produced by power, wealth, or impunity. The ‘sharp knives’ are the discriminating force of karma that precisely ‘separates’ the doer from the consequences they tried to evade.