Vamana Purana — Karmic Causes of Narakas, Shloka 30

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

Devanagari script

पर्वमैथुनिनः पापाः परदाररताश्च ये ते वह्नितप्तां कूटाग्रामालिङ्गन्ते च शाल्मलीम्

Transliteration

parvamaithuninaḥ pāpāḥ paradāraratāśca ye te vahnitaptāṃ kūṭāgrāmāliṅgante ca śālmalīm

Translation

ਜੋ ਪਾਪੀ ਪਰਵ ਦੇ ਦਿਨਾਂ ਵਿੱਚ ਨਿਸ਼ਿਧ ਮੈਥੁਨ ਕਰਦੇ ਹਨ ਅਤੇ ਜੋ ਪਰਾਈ ਇਸਤਰੀ ਦੀ ਰਤੀ ਵਿੱਚ ਲੀਨ ਹਨ, ਉਹ ਅੱਗ ਨਾਲ ਤਪੇ ਕਾਂਟਿਆਂ ਵਾਲੇ ਸ਼ਾਲਮਲੀ ਰੁੱਖ ਨੂੰ ਜੱਫੀ ਪਾਂਦੇ ਹਨ।

Word by Word

• पर्व-मैथुनिनः: those who have intercourse on festival/holy days
• पर्व-मैथुनिनः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + मैथुनिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पर्वणि/पर्वसु मैथुनं येषां ते)

• पापाः: sinners
• पापाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• पर-दार-रताः: those devoted to others’ wives
• पर-दार-रताः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक) + दार (प्रातिपदिक) + रत (कृदन्त; √रम् धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (परस्य दारेषु रताः)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; निर्देशक-सर्वनाम (correlative)

• वह्नि-तप्ताम्: fire-heated
• वह्नि-तप्ताम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वह्नि (प्रातिपदिक) + तप्त (कृदन्त; √तप् धातु)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (वह्निना तप्ता)

• कूट-अग्राम्: having a sharp/false point (spiked)
• कूट-अग्राम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कूट (प्रातिपदिक) + अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (कूटं च तत् अग्रं च—‘false/spiked tip’)

• आलिङ्गन्ते: they embrace
• आलिङ्गन्ते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √लिङ्ग्/√लिङ्ग् (आ-उपसर्ग; धातु: आलिङ्ग् ‘to embrace’)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• शाल्मलीम्: the śālmalī tree (silk-cotton tree)
• शाल्मलीम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाल्मली (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

Speakers

• Not specified in input (often Pulastya ↔ Nārada
• but not asserted here).

Key Themes

• Sexual ethics in dharma
• Adultery (paradāra)
• Observance of sacred days (parva)
• Naraka descriptions

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Dharma regulates desire through boundaries—fidelity and restraint on sacred observance days. Violations are portrayed as self-destructive, producing suffering proportional to the harm and disorder caused.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

A karmaphala/dharma teaching unit embedded in the Purāṇa’s narrative flow, rather than sarga/pratisarga/vamśa-centered content.

What is the symbolic significance?

Embracing a fire-heated thorny tree externalizes the inner logic of illicit desire: what is grasped for pleasure becomes a source of burning pain; ‘śālmalī’ functions as a classic Naraka emblem of passion turned punitive.