Shloka 21

Post-cremation Ripening of Karma and the Principal Narakas

Devanagari script

आलिङ्ग्यमाना भ्राम्यन्ते परस्परसमागमे / एवं तत्रापि सुमहान्क्लेशस्तमसि मानवैः

Transliteration

āliṅgyamānā bhrāmyante parasparasamāgame / evaṃ tatrāpi sumahānkleśastamasi mānavaiḥ

Translation

പരസ്പരം കണ്ടുമുട്ടുമ്പോൾ അവർ തമ്മിൽ ആലിംഗനം ചെയ്ത് ആശയക്കുഴപ്പത്തിൽ അലഞ്ഞുതിരിയുന്നു. ഇങ്ങനെ ആ അന്ധകാരത്തിൽ മനുഷ്യർ അത്യന്തം മഹാ ക്ലേശം അനുഭവിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• āliṅgyamānāḥ: being embraced
• āliṅgyamānāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-liṅg (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कर्मणि कृदन्तः—शानच्/मान (Present passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (being embraced)

• bhrāmyante: wander, reel about
• bhrāmyante: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhram (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• paraspara-samāgame: in mutual contact/meeting
• paraspara-samāgame: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: paraspara (प्रातिपदिक) + samāgama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (परस्परस्य समागमे = in mutual contact/meeting)

• evam: thus
• evam: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (thus)

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• api: also
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपि (also/even)

• su-mahān: very great
• su-mahān: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + mahant (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (kleśaḥ); सु- उपसर्गेण अतिशय (very great)

• kleśaḥ: suffering, torment
• kleśaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kleśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• tamasi: in darkness
• tamasi: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tamas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• mānavaiḥ: by men (humans)
• mānavaiḥ: Kartr-karana/Agentive (By agents/कर्तृ-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mānava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Naraka

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Suffering includes cognitive/psychic bewilderment (bhrama) alongside physical pain; companionship cannot override karmic conditions.

Vedantic Theme: Tamas and moha as fruits of ignorance; the jīva’s agency is constrained by prārabdha-like fruition in such realms.

Application: Cultivate clarity (sattva) through truthfulness, right livelihood, and remembrance of dharma; seek guidance before actions harden into irreversible consequences.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: karuna

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: tamas as a recurring setting; ‘bhrāmyante’ motif of disoriented movement in naraka passages.

Characters & Entities

• Pretas
• Human beings (mānava)

FAQs

What is the importance of darkness (tamas) in Garuda Purana’s afterlife descriptions?

This verse highlights tamas as a state of disorientation and distress where beings cling to each other yet remain confused, emphasizing the painful, uncertain condition of the post-death journey.

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

It portrays the preta-like condition as marked by confusion and helpless dependence—souls meet and cling to one another but still wander in darkness, indicating hardship before attaining clearer passage or relief.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Live ethically to avoid painful post-death states and support proper remembrance and rites for the departed (as per tradition), cultivating clarity, compassion, and responsibility in life.