Shloka 79

Post-cremation Ripening of Karma and the Principal Narakas

Devanagari script

क्वथ्यते दीप्यते ऽन्यत्र तथा वातहतो ऽन्यतः / एकं दिनं वर्षशतप्रमाणं नरके भवेत्

Transliteration

kvathyate dīpyate 'nyatra tathā vātahato 'nyataḥ / ekaṃ dinaṃ varṣaśatapramāṇaṃ narake bhavet

Translation

എവിടെയോ അവൻ തിളപ്പിക്കപ്പെടുന്നു, മറ്റെവിടെയോ അഗ്നിയിൽ ജ്വലിപ്പിക്കപ്പെടുന്നു; മറ്റൊരിടത്ത് ഭീകരവാതത്തിന്റെ അടിയേറ്റ് പീഡിതനാകുന്നു। നരകത്തിൽ ഒരു ദിവസം തന്നെ നൂറുവർഷത്തിന്റെ അളവാകുന്നു।

Word by Word

• क्वथ्यते: is boiled; is scalded
• क्वथ्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्वथ् (धातु)
• Form: लट्, कर्मणि (passive), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• दीप्यते: blazes; burns brightly
• दीप्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दीप् (धातु)
• Form: लट्, आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; अर्थः—दीप्ति (to blaze)

• अन्यत्र: elsewhere
• अन्यत्र: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (locative adverb)

• तथा: thus; likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• वातहतः: struck by wind
• वातहतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वात-हत (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त), 'हत' = struck; समासः—वातेन हतः (तृतीया-तत्पुरुष)

• अन्यतः: elsewhere; from another side
• अन्यतः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्यतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त

• एकम्: one
• एकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; 'दिनम्' इति विशेषण

• दिनम्: day
• दिनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कालपरिमाण

• वर्षशतप्रमाणम्: having the measure of a hundred years
• वर्षशतप्रमाणम्: Karma (Object complement/कर्मपूरक)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वर्ष + शत + प्रमाण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—वर्षशतस्य प्रमाणम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• नरके: in hell
• नरके: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• भवेत्: would be; becomes
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/सम्भावना), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Naraka

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: In naraka, suffering is intensified not only by pain but by altered experience of time; papa yields disproportionate felt duration.

Vedantic Theme: Samsaric time as subjective under karma; bondage expressed as prolonged duhkha until karma is exhausted.

Application: Treat present life as urgent for dharma and bhakti; do not postpone repentance, charity, and self-restraint.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Geographic Context

Type: punitive zones (multiple chambers/regions)

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: statements on naraka-day equaling many human years; Garuda Purana: sequential punishments and exhaustion of papa before rebirth

Characters & Entities

• Naraka

FAQs

What is the importance of punishment descriptions in the Garuda Purana?

This verse highlights the intensity and variety of karmic retribution, teaching that wrongdoing can lead to prolonged, multi-form suffering experienced as vastly extended time in naraka.

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

Within the Preta Kanda’s narrative, Vishnu explains to Garuda that certain souls, due to their karma, undergo hellish states where suffering is cyclic (boiling, burning, wind-torment) and time is perceived as extremely long.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Treat actions as having real consequences: practice restraint, avoid harm, and live ethically (dharma) to reduce negative karmic outcomes described as severe post-death suffering.