Shloka 22
Post-cremation Ripening of Karma and the Principal Narakas
प्राप्यते शकुनिश्रेष्ठ यो बहूकृतसञ्चयः / निकृन्तन इति ख्यातस्ततो ऽन्यो नरकोत्तमः
prāpyate śakuniśreṣṭha yo bahūkṛtasañcayaḥ / nikṛntana iti khyātastato 'nyo narakottamaḥ
Wahai burung yang terbaik, terdapat neraka yang dicapai oleh mereka yang mengumpul harta melalui banyak perbuatan salah; ia dikenali sebagai Nikṛntana. Di sebalik itu terletak satu lagi neraka yang utama.
Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vainateya)
Afterlife Stage: Naraka
Concept: Illicit accumulation (bahūkṛta-sañcaya through wrongful acts) leads to specific karmic destinations; wealth ethics are integral to dharma.
Vedantic Theme: Artha pursued without dharma strengthens bondage; adharma-driven acquisition reinforces saṃsāric momentum and naraka outcomes.
Application: Earn and store wealth through righteous means; practice dāna and transparency; avoid exploitation, fraud, and harm in accumulation.
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: naraka
Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: naraka-nāma catalogues; progression ‘tato ’nyo narako’ indicates sequential mapping of hells in the chapter.
FAQs
This verse identifies Nikṛntana as a specific hell assigned to those who build large accumulations through repeated wrongful acts, highlighting greed and unethical gain as causes of post-death suffering.
It frames the afterlife as a karmic destination: certain patterns of conduct—here, wrongful accumulation—lead the jīva to particular narakas described sequentially in the Preta Kanda.
Earn and store wealth through dharmic means, avoid exploitation and fraud, and practice generosity; the text warns that unethical hoarding carries severe karmic consequences.