Shloka 9

Post-cremation Ripening of Karma and the Principal Narakas

Devanagari script

एवं सहस्रं विस्तीर्णं योजनानां विमुच्यते / ततो ऽन्यत्पापशुद्ध्यर्थं तादृङ्निरयमृच्छति

Transliteration

evaṃ sahasraṃ vistīrṇaṃ yojanānāṃ vimucyate / tato 'nyatpāpaśuddhyarthaṃ tādṛṅnirayamṛcchati

Translation

ഇങ്ങനെ ആയിരം യോജന വ്യാപിച്ചിരുന്ന ആ പ്രദേശത്തിൽ നിന്ന് മോചിതനായ ശേഷം, മറ്റു പാപങ്ങളുടെ ശുദ്ധിക്കായി ജീവൻ അതേവിധത്തിലുള്ള മറ്റൊരു നരകത്തിലേക്ക് പോകുന്നു।

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of manner)

• सहस्रम्: a thousand
• सहस्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; संख्यावाचक

• विस्तीर्णम्: extended/spread
• विस्तीर्णम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि+स्तॄ (धातु) → विस्तीर्ण (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त)

• योजनानाम्: of yojanas
• योजनानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन

• विमुच्यते: is released/freed
• विमुच्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि+मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय/तद्-प्रभव)
• Form: अपादान/क्रमवाचक-अव्यय (then/from there)

• अन्यत्: another
• अन्यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषण (another)

• पापशुद्ध्यर्थम्: for (sin-)purification
• पापशुद्ध्यर्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप + शुद्धि + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिकानि)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; चतुर्थी-तत्पुरुष/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थकः (for the purpose of purification of sin)

• तादृक्: such
• तादृक्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तादृश् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषण (such)

• निरयम्: hell
• निरयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निरय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• ऋच्छति: goes/attains
• ऋच्छति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ऋ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vainateya)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Naraka

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Karmic residues are multiple and distinct; exhaustion of one set of papa leads to further experiences until the ledger is cleared.

Vedantic Theme: Saṃskāra and karma-vāsanā continuity across states; bondage persists until karmic causes are exhausted or transcended by liberating knowledge/bhakti.

Application: Do not rely on ‘partial’ virtue; address patterns of wrongdoing comprehensively through repentance, restitution, and sustained dharmic living.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: infernal region/zone

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: sequential narakas for different sins; ‘śuddhyartha’ language for karmic exhaustion; Garuda Purana: lists of specific sins mapped to specific hells

Characters & Entities

• Niraya (Naraka)

FAQs

What is the importance of purification (pāpaśuddhi) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse presents suffering in Naraka as a karmic cleansing process—after one punishment ends, the jīva undergoes further experiences to exhaust remaining sinful residues.

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

It depicts the post-death journey as sequential: the soul is moved from one vast infernal region to another, each corresponding to different sins that must be worked off.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Treat actions as having inevitable consequences; reduce harm, practice ethical restraint, and adopt purificatory disciplines (dāna, vrata, japa) to avoid karmic suffering.