Shloka 16
नरक-निर्णयः, पाप-कर्म-फल-व्यवस्था, प्रायश्चित्त-क्रमः, तथा हरि-स्मरण-परमत्वम्
पितृदेवातिथीन् यस् तु पर्यश्नाति नराधमः लालाभक्षे स यात्य् उग्रे शरकर्ता च वेधके
pitṛdevātithīn yas tu paryaśnāti narādhamaḥ lālābhakṣe sa yāty ugre śarakartā ca vedhake
ಪಿತೃಗಳು, ದೇವರುಗಳು ಮತ್ತು ಅತಿಥಿಯನ್ನು ನಿರ್ಲಕ್ಷಿಸಿ ತಾನೇ ತಿನ್ನುವ ನರಾಧಮನು—ಮೊದಲು ಯೋಗ್ಯ ಭಾಗಗಳನ್ನು ಅರ್ಪಿಸದೆ ಭೋಗಿಸುವವನು—ಉಗ್ರ ‘ಲಾಲಾಭಕ್ಷ’ ನರಕಕ್ಕೆ ಹೋಗಿ, ನಂತರ ಭಯಾನಕ ‘ಶರಕರ್ತಾ’ ಮತ್ತು ‘ವೇಧಕ’ ಲೋಕಗಳಿಗೆ ಬೀಳುತ್ತಾನೆ।
Sage Parāśara (in instruction to Maitreya)
FAQs
This verse frames offering and hospitality as core household dharma: eating without first acknowledging ancestors, gods, and guests is treated as a grave breach of moral order with severe karmic results.
Parāśara states that one who eats while neglecting obligatory recipients (Pitṛs, Devas, and atithis) is condemned to specific hell-realms—Lālābhakṣa, Śarakartā, and Vedhaka—illustrating karma’s precise retribution.
Even when Vishnu is not named, the verse assumes a Vishnu-governed cosmic justice: dharma sustains the world-order, and violations trigger karmic consequences within the moral universe upheld by the Supreme Reality.