Shloka 31

Saṃsāra-cakra, Preta’s 12-day Transit to Yama, Re-embodiment, and Karma-Vipāka Catalog of Sins and Rebirths

Devanagari script

शाकहर्ता च हारीतस्तोयहर्ता च चातकः / गृहहृन्नरकान्गत्वा रौरवादीन्सुदारुणान्

Transliteration

śākahartā ca hārītastoyahartā ca cātakaḥ / gṛhahṛnnarakāngatvā rauravādīnsudāruṇān

Translation

ശാകം/പച്ചക്കറി മോഷ്ടിക്കുന്നവൻ ഹാരീത (പച്ചപക്ഷി) ആയി ജന്മിക്കുന്നു; വെള്ളം മോഷ്ടിക്കുന്നവൻ ചാതകപക്ഷിയായി ജന്മിക്കുന്നു. ഗൃഹഭേദകൻ മരണാനന്തരം റൗരവാദി അതിഭീകര നരകങ്ങളിൽ പോകുന്നു.

Word by Word

• शाकहर्ता: vegetable-stealer
• शाकहर्ता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाक (प्रातिपदिक) + हर्तृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘शाकस्य हर्ता’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• हारीतः: a green parrot-like bird (hārīta)
• हारीतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हारीत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तोयहर्ता: water-stealer
• तोयहर्ता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तोय (प्रातिपदिक) + हर्तृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘तोयस्य हर्ता’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• चातकः: a cātaka bird
• चातकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चातक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• गृहहृत्: house-stealer
• गृहहृत्: Karta (Agent implied)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक) + हृत् (कृदन्त from हृ)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘गृहस्य हृत्/हर्ता’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (in compound with नरकान्)

• नरकान्: hells
• नरकान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• गत्वा: having gone
• गत्वा: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund): ‘having gone’

• रौरवान्: Raurava (named)
• रौरवान्: Karma (Object-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रौरव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘नरकान्’)

• आदीन्: and others
• आदीन्: Karma (Object-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; ‘etc.’-sense adjective qualifying ‘नरकान्’

• सु: very
• सु: Sambandha/Avyaya (Intensifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सु (अव्यय)
• Form: उपसर्ग/अव्यय; तीव्रताबोधक (intensifier)

• दारुणान्: terrible
• दारुणान्: Karma (Object-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दारुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘नरकान्’)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (teaching Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Naraka

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Certain thefts (food/water/house-breaking) lead not only to lower births but to naraka experience—intensified karmic fruition.

Vedantic Theme: Karma-phala can ripen as interim hellish experience before rebirth; saṃsāra includes multiple lokas under Yama’s governance.

Application: Treat essentials (food, water, shelter) as sacred commons; avoid exploitation; repair harm through restitution, confession, and disciplined ethical living.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: raudra

Geographic Context

Type: naraka (hell)

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: Naraka descriptions and Raurava punishments (elsewhere in Pretakalpa); Garuda Purana 1.225.28–32 (theft consequences sequence)

Characters & Entities

• Raurava
• Naraka

FAQs

What is the importance of describing Raurava and other narakas in the Garuda Purana?

This verse uses specific hell-names like Raurava to warn that even “small” acts of theft (food, water, crops, or breaking into homes) are karmically weighty and lead to defined afterlife consequences.

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

It states that the doer of these thefts ‘goes to’ narakas such as Raurava—indicating a post-death moral adjudication where actions determine the realm of experience and suffering.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Treat essentials like water, food, and others’ property as sacred trusts: avoid theft, exploitation, or deprivation of resources, and practice fair livelihood to reduce harmful karma.