Varaha Purana 200.74: Adhyaya 200, Shloka 74
Description of the Forms of Infernal Torments
Naraka Yātanās
चुल्लीकुक्षौ तु विश्रान्ता वेगिनी वहते तु सा ॥ तां समुत्तीऱ्य कृच्छ्रेण यातनाः सप्तकाः पुनः ॥
cullī-kukṣau tu viśrāntā veginī vahate tu sā || tāṃ samuttīrya kṛcchreṇa yātanāḥ saptakāḥ punaḥ ||
Having rested in the belly of the (river called) Cullī, that swift-flowing one carries (them onward). After crossing it with difficulty, the sevenfold torments occur again.
Varāha (default dialogic frame; speaker not explicit in excerpt)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":true,"speaker_role":"instructor","bhu_devi_state":"distressed yet attentive; trying to grasp the sequence of post-death stages","key_question":"How do the torments proceed in sequence—are there intervals of respite, and do sufferings recur after crossings?"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":true,"instruction_summary":"The narrative stresses cyclic recurrence of suffering for pāpa: even brief ‘rest’ is only a transition to renewed torment.","karmic_consequence":"Sin yields repeated cycles of yātanā; temporary pauses do not end karmic momentum until merit, expiation, or exhaustion of pāpa-fruit intervenes."}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"saṃsāra-as-repetition (punarāvṛtti) applied to naraka narrative","core_concept":"Without transformation of causes, experience repeats; ‘rest’ within saṃsāric flow is not liberation.","practical_application":"Do not mistake temporary relief (in life or afterlife) for resolution; address root causes through dharma, restraint, and corrective rites while agency remains."}
Subject Matter: ["Afterlife Narratives","Imagined Geography","Ethics"]
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Type: mythic river crossing in naraka/pretaloka
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa: yātanā-saptaka enumeration; subsequent topography (Śūlavaha mountain)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A swift, dark river named Cullī: exhausted beings briefly ‘rest’ as if swallowed into its belly, then are swept onward; on the far bank, the next set of seven torments awaits.","item_prompts":["turbulent river current","whirlpool/belly metaphor","figures clinging to debris","steep banks","distant torment implements on shore","sense of forced movement"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, stylized wave patterns, deep indigo water with red undertones, figures arranged in a flowing band, the ‘belly’ suggested by a circular whirl motif, narrative continuity to the next torment scene.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, gold-leaf border framing a river-crossing tableau, embossed wave ornaments, contrasting dark water with luminous highlights, symbolic ‘seven torments’ as small medallions on the far bank.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore, refined water rendering with delicate ripples, expressive fatigue on faces, careful staging of ‘crossing with difficulty’, muted palette with sharp accents for impending danger.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature, sinuous river through rocky terrain, continuous narrative: left bank (entry), midstream (struggle), right bank (renewed yātanā), cool blues with ominous greys."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"somber, flowing yet oppressive","suggested_raga":"Todi","pace":"slightly quicker on ‘vegini vahate’ to mimic current, slower on ‘kṛcchreṇa’","voice_tone":"narrative, heavy, compassionate-warning"}
FAQs
It shows how Purāṇic texts construct imagined landscapes (rivers, mountains) to sequence moral consequences in narrative form.
Cullī appears as a named river within an otherworldly punitive topography; it is not securely identifiable with a historical terrestrial river.
The recurring ‘again’ emphasizes cyclic or repeated consequence: wrongdoing is depicted as leading to successive stages of hardship.
Ask anything about this verse
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free sign-in with Google or Apple keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Varaha Purana in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.