Shloka 41

Nāmāṣṭottara-dviśata: Gaṇa–Chandas–Yati Catalogue and Mnemonic Coding

Devanagari script

चण्डवृत्तिप्रपातो ऽसौ दण्डको नौ ततो ऽगरः / रफेवृद्धान्तकादस्य व्यालजीमूतकादयः

Transliteration

caṇḍavṛttiprapāto 'sau daṇḍako nau tato 'garaḥ / raphevṛddhāntakādasya vyālajīmūtakādayaḥ

Translation

असौ नरकः ‘चण्डवृत्तिप्रपात’ इति ख्यातः; ततः ‘दण्डक’ नाम, ततोऽनन्तरं ‘अगर’ इति। अस्यां परम्परायां ‘रफे’, ‘वृद्धान्तक’, ‘व्याल’, ‘जीमूतक’ इत्यादयोऽपि सन्ति।

Word by Word

• caṇḍa-vṛtti-prapātaḥ: the ‘caṇḍavṛtti-prapāta’ (name/term)
• caṇḍa-vṛtti-prapātaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: caṇḍa (प्रातिपदिक) + vṛtti (प्रातिपदिक) + prapāta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (determinative compound)

• asau: that (one)
• asau: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adas (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• daṇḍakaḥ: (is) the daṇḍaka (metre)
• daṇḍakaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daṇḍaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; छन्दः-नाम (metre name: daṇḍaka)

• nau: indeed/now (technical particle)
• nau: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nau (अव्यय/निपात)
• Form: निपात; छन्दः-परिभाषा/सूचनार्थ (particle used in technical enumeration)

• tataḥ: then/from that
• tataḥ: Adhikarana/Sequence (Context/क्रम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपादान/क्रमबोधक (from that/then)

• agaraḥ: ‘agara’ (a named term/group)
• agaraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: agara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; छन्दः-गण/नाम (technical term)

• raphe-vṛddha-antakāt: from ‘raphe-vṛddhāntaka’
• raphe-vṛddha-antakāt: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: raphe (प्रातिपदिक/छन्दः-नाम) + vṛddha (प्रातिपदिक) + antaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः; ‘...-कात्’ = ‘...-कात्/कात्’ (ablative)

• asya: of this
• asya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• vyāla-jīmūtaka-ādayaḥ: vyāla, jīmūtaka, and others
• vyāla-jīmūtaka-ādayaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vyāla (प्रातिपदिक) + jīmūtaka (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; ‘आदयः’ = ‘and others beginning with ...’

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Naraka

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Specific narakas are enumerated to frame karmaphala as structured and inescapable.

Vedantic Theme: Ṛta/dharma as moral order; actions bear inevitable results (karma-niyati).

Application: Use the imagery as a restraint (saṃyama): avoid harmful acts, cultivate confession/prāyaścitta and dharmic conduct.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa

Geographic Context

Type: hell-realms/torment-zones

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa sections enumerating narakas and their punishments (surrounding verses likely detail causes/torments)

Characters & Entities

• Garuda
• Naraka (hell realms)

FAQs

What is the importance of listing Narakas (hells) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse functions as part of a catalog of Narakas, mapping specific karmic consequences into named realms so the listener understands that actions have definite results after death.

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

It indicates that the post-death journey can involve distinct punitive realms (Narakas) arranged as a sequence or set, through which a soul may be taken according to its deeds.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Use it as a reminder to restrain cruel or harmful conduct (caṇḍa-vṛtti) and to choose dharmic actions, since the text frames karma as leading to specific consequences.