Shloka 4

Vaitaraṇī: Torments of the Sinful, Sins Enumerated, and the Vaitaraṇī Go-dāna Rite

Devanagari script

क्वाथ्यते सत्वरं तोयं पात्रमध्ये घृतं यथा / क्रिमिभिः सङ्कुलं पूयं वज्रतुण्डैः समावृतम्

Transliteration

kvāthyate satvaraṃ toyaṃ pātramadhye ghṛtaṃ yathā / krimibhiḥ saṅkulaṃ pūyaṃ vajratuṇḍaiḥ samāvṛtam

Translation

क्वाथ्यते सत्वरं तोयं पात्रमध्ये घृतं यथा। क्रिमिभिः सङ्कुलं पूयं वज्रतुण्डैः समावृतम्॥

Word by Word

• क्वाथ्यते: is boiled
• क्वाथ्यते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्वथ् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• सत्वरम्: quickly
• सत्वरम्: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सत्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb)

• तोयम्: water
• तोयम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तोय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मणि-क्रियायाः कर्तृस्थानी (logical object)

• पात्र-मध्ये: in the middle of a vessel
• पात्र-मध्ये: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पात्र (प्रातिपदिक) + मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; अधिकरण

• घृतम्: ghee
• घृतम्: Upamana/Upameya (उपमान/उपमेय-संबन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: घृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; उपमान (simile subject)

• यथा: as / like
• यथा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमानवाचक-अव्यय (comparative particle)

• क्रिमिभिः: by worms
• क्रिमिभिः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रिमि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; करण

• सङ्कुलम्: crowded/filled
• सङ्कुलम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सङ्कुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘पूयम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषण

• पूयम्: pus
• पूयम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘समावृतम्’ इत्यस्य विषय/उपपद

• वज्र-तुण्डैः: by (creatures) with thunderbolt-like beaks
• वज्र-तुण्डैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वज्र (प्रातिपदिक) + तुण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; करण

• समावृतम्: covered/encircled
• समावृतम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-आ-वृ (धातु) → समावृत (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृत् (past participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘पूयम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषण

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Naraka

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Karmic retribution is not passive: the sinner undergoes active, embodied suffering proportionate to pāpa.

Vedantic Theme: Saṃsāra as duḥkha-ālayam when driven by adharma; the ‘boiling’ symbolizes the ripening (vipāka) of karma.

Application: Adopt preventive ethics and atonement (prāyaścitta where appropriate); cultivate compassion to avoid cruelty that returns as cruelty.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: raudra

Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa

Geographic Context

Type: river

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: boiling/caustic torments and krimi imagery recur across naraka descriptions; Garuda Purana: Yamadūta instruments/creatures as agents of karma

Characters & Entities

• Garuda
• Naraka
• Krimi (worms)
• Vajratuṇḍa (thunderbolt-beaked tormentors)

FAQs

What is the importance of Naraka punishments in the Garuda Purana?

This verse uses vivid imagery of boiling and filth to emphasize that harmful karma leads to intense, purifying consequences after death, reinforcing ethical restraint in life.

How does this verse explain the soul’s journey after death?

Within the Vishnu–Garuda teaching, it illustrates one of the punitive states a being may encounter in Naraka when driven by grave impurity and wrongdoing, before further rebirth or release.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Cultivate cleanliness of conduct—avoid cruelty, deceit, and degrading habits—and adopt dharmic living (truthfulness, compassion, self-control) to prevent karmic suffering.