Vamana Purana — Karmic Causes of Narakas, Shloka 33

Karmic Causes of Narakas and the Irremediability of Ingratitude (Kṛtaghna-doṣa)

Devanagari script

श्राद्धातिथेयमन्योन्यं यैर्भुक्तं भुवि मानवैः परस्परं भक्षयन्ते मांसानि स्वानि बालिशाः

Transliteration

śrāddhātitheyamanyonyaṃ yairbhuktaṃ bhuvi mānavaiḥ parasparaṃ bhakṣayante māṃsāni svāni bāliśāḥ

Translation

ഭൂമിയിൽ പരസ്പരം മറ്റൊരാളുടെ ശ്രാദ്ധഭോജനവും അതിഥിഭോജനവും കഴിക്കുന്നവർ, ആ ബാലിശർ പരലോകത്തിൽ തമ്മിൽ തമ്മിൽ മാംസം തിന്നുന്നു।

Word by Word

• श्राद्ध-अतिथेयम्: śrāddha offering and guest-offering
• श्राद्ध-अतिथेयम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + अतिथेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; द्वन्द्वः (श्राद्धं च अतिथेयं च)

• अन्योन्यम्: mutually / each other’s
• अन्योन्यम्: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्योन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावार्थे अव्ययवत् क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial accusative)

• यैः: by whom
• यैः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन

• भुक्तम्: consumed
• भुक्तम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुक्त (कृदन्त; √भुज् धातु)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘eaten/consumed’

• भुवि: on earth
• भुवि: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू (प्रातिपदिक: भुव्/भू)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• मानवैः: by men/humans
• मानवैः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन

• परस्परम्: each other
• परस्परम्: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परस्पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial accusative)

• भक्षयन्ते: they eat/devour
• भक्षयन्ते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद

• मांसानि: flesh
• मांसानि: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मांस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन

• स्वानि: their own
• स्वानि: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying māṃsāni)

• बालिशाः: fools
• बालिशाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बालिश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

Speakers

• Not specified in the provided excerpt (often framed as Pulastya → Nārada in the Vāmana Purāṇa)

Primary Deities

• Pitṛs (ancestral deities, implied via śrāddha)

Key Themes

• Dharma/ethics
• Śrāddha rites
• Hospitality (atithi-dharma)
• Reciprocal karmic consequence

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

{ "primaryRasa": "bibhatsa", "secondaryRasa": "bhayanaka", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Ritual food is not ordinary consumption: śrāddha sustains ancestral obligation, and atithi-offering sustains social dharma. To steal/consume what is dedicated to another’s rite or guest is a breach of trust that rebounds violently.

How does this fit the Pancalakṣaṇa?

Again, this is dharma-anuśāsana embedded in purāṇic discourse (not sarga/pratisarga/vaṃśa/manvantara/vaṃśānucarita).

What is the symbolic significance?

‘Eating each other’s flesh’ is a graphic karmic metaphor: exploitative consumption of others’ sacred shares culminates in mutual predation—society collapses into cannibalistic reciprocity.