Vamana Purana — Karmic Causes of Narakas, Shloka 33

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

Devanagari script

श्राद्धातिथेयमन्योन्यं यैर्भुक्तं भुवि मानवैः परस्परं भक्षयन्ते मांसानि स्वानि बालिशाः

Transliteration

śrāddhātitheyamanyonyaṃ yairbhuktaṃ bhuvi mānavaiḥ parasparaṃ bhakṣayante māṃsāni svāni bāliśāḥ

Translation

ये मानवाः भुवि श्राद्धातिथेयमन्योन्यं भुञ्जते, ते बालिशाः परस्परं स्वमांसानि भक्षयन्ते।

Word by Word

• श्राद्ध-अतिथेयम्: śrāddha offering and guest-offering
• श्राद्ध-अतिथेयम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + अतिथेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; द्वन्द्वः (श्राद्धं च अतिथेयं च)

• अन्योन्यम्: mutually / each other’s
• अन्योन्यम्: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्योन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावार्थे अव्ययवत् क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial accusative)

• यैः: by whom
• यैः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन

• भुक्तम्: consumed
• भुक्तम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुक्त (कृदन्त; √भुज् धातु)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘eaten/consumed’

• भुवि: on earth
• भुवि: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू (प्रातिपदिक: भुव्/भू)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• मानवैः: by men/humans
• मानवैः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन

• परस्परम्: each other
• परस्परम्: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परस्पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial accusative)

• भक्षयन्ते: they eat/devour
• भक्षयन्ते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद

• मांसानि: flesh
• मांसानि: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मांस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन

• स्वानि: their own
• स्वानि: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying māṃsāni)

• बालिशाः: fools
• बालिशाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बालिश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

Speakers

• Not specified in the provided excerpt (often framed as Pulastya → Nārada in the Vāmana Purāṇa)

Primary Deities

• Pitṛs (ancestral deities, implied via śrāddha)

Key Themes

• Dharma/ethics
• Śrāddha rites
• Hospitality (atithi-dharma)
• Reciprocal karmic consequence

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Ritual food is not ordinary consumption: śrāddha sustains ancestral obligation, and atithi-offering sustains social dharma. To steal/consume what is dedicated to another’s rite or guest is a breach of trust that rebounds violently.

How does this fit the Pancalakṣaṇa?

Again, this is dharma-anuśāsana embedded in purāṇic discourse (not sarga/pratisarga/vaṃśa/manvantara/vaṃśānucarita).

What is the symbolic significance?

‘Eating each other’s flesh’ is a graphic karmic metaphor: exploitative consumption of others’ sacred shares culminates in mutual predation—society collapses into cannibalistic reciprocity.