Garuda Purana — Preta Kalpa, Shloka 51

Post-cremation Ripening of Karma and the Principal Narakas

Devanagari script

क्रिमिश्च क्रिमभक्षश्च लालाभक्षो विषञ्जनः / अधः शिराः पूयवहो रुधिरान्धश्च विड्रभुजः

Transliteration

krimiśca krimabhakṣaśca lālābhakṣo viṣañjanaḥ / adhaḥ śirāḥ pūyavaho rudhirāndhaśca viḍrabhujaḥ

Translation

அவ்வுலகில் ‘கிரிமி’, ‘கிரிமபக்ஷ’, ‘லாலாபக்ஷ’, ‘விஷஞ்சன’; மேலும் ‘அதஃசிரா’, ‘பூயவஹ’, ‘ருதிராந்த’, ‘விட்ரபுஜ’ எனும் தண்டனை அனுபவிக்கும் உயிர்கள் உள்ளன என்று கூறப்படுகிறது.

Word by Word

• क्रिमिः: (the hell named) Krimi
• क्रिमिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रिमि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; नरक-नाम

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• क्रिमभक्षः: Krimabhakṣa (eater of worms)
• क्रिमभक्षः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रिमि (प्रातिपदिक) + भक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (क्रिमिणां भक्षः) नरक-नाम

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• लालाभक्षः: Lālābhakṣa (eater of saliva)
• लालाभक्षः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लाला (प्रातिपदिक) + भक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (लालायाः भक्षः) नरक-नाम

• विषञ्जनः: Viṣañjana (poison-ointment)
• विषञ्जनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष (प्रातिपदिक) + अञ्जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (विषम् अञ्जनम्/लेपनम्) नरक-नाम

• अधः: downwards/below
• अधः: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अधः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; दिशावाचक/क्रियाविशेषण

• शिराः: head-down (one)
• शिराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; बहुव्रीह्यर्थे विशेषण (अधःशिराः = whose head is downward)

• पूयवहः: Pūyavaha (carrying pus)
• पूयवहः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूय (प्रातिपदिक) + वह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (पूयम् वहति) नरक-नाम

• रुधिरान्धः: Rudhirāndha (blinded by blood)
• रुधिरान्धः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुधिर (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (रुधिरेण अन्धः/रुधिर-अन्धः) नरक-नाम

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• विड्रभुजः: Viḍrabhuja (eater of excrement)
• विड्रभुजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विड्/विट् (प्रातिपदिक) + भुज् (धातु) → भुज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (विड् भुङ्क्ते) नरक-नाम

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Naraka

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Papa ripens into experiences mirroring one’s moral pollution—disgust, blindness, inversion, and forced consumption symbolize ethical inversion.

Vedantic Theme: Adhyāsa-like inversion as bondage metaphor; tamas-dominant karma producing obscuration (āvaraṇa) and suffering.

Application: Avoid actions that degrade others’ dignity or exploit bodily needs; cultivate purity of means (śauca) and compassion to counter tamasic tendencies.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bibhatsa

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Geographic Context

Type: infernal sub-realms or torment-classes

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: lists of naraka torments and beings; ‘Adhaḥśirā’ motif appears in other naraka catalogues

Characters & Entities

• Garuda
• Naraka

FAQs

What is the importance of listing these Narakas in the Garuda Purana?

This verse functions as a catalog of specific hell-realms/torments, reinforcing the karmic principle that unethical actions lead to correspondingly harsh post-death consequences.

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

Within the Preta Kanda narrative, Vishnu describes the after-death jurisdictions where the soul experiences results of karma; this verse names several such punitive states associated with extreme impurity and suffering.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Treat it as a dharma reminder: avoid harmful, degrading, and impure conduct, cultivate self-control and compassion, and align daily choices with ethical living to reduce negative karmic outcomes.