Shloka 4

Prāyaścitta: Catalogue of Sins, Narakas, and Graded Expiations

Kṛcchra–Cāndrāyaṇa–Japa

Devanagari script

नरकान्यान्ति पापा वै महारौरवरौरवान् / तामिस्त्रं लोहशङ्कुं च पूतिगन्धसमाकुलम्

Transliteration

narakānyānti pāpā vai mahārauravarauravān / tāmistraṃ lohaśaṅkuṃ ca pūtigandhasamākulam

Translation

నిజముగా పాపులు మహారౌరవ, రౌరవ, తామిస్ర మరియు లోహశఙ్కు అనే నరకాలకు వెళ్తారు; అవి దుర్గంధముతో, పూతిగంధముతో నిండివుంటాయి.

Word by Word

• नरकान्: hells
• नरकान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• यान्ति: go
• यान्ति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• पापाः: sinners
• पापाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• वै: indeed
• वै: Nishchaya (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चयार्थक/खल्वर्थक निपात (emphatic particle)

• महारौरव: Mahāraurava (a hell)
• महारौरव: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महā (विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक) + रौरव (प्रातिपदिक); समासः
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (as a hell-name); कर्मधारय (महान् रौरवः)

• रौरवान्: Raurava (hells)
• रौरवान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रौरव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (hell-names)

• तामिस्त्रम्: Tāmistra (a hell)
• तामिस्त्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तामिस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (hell-name)

• लोहशङ्कुम्: Lohaśaṅku (iron-spike hell)
• लोहशङ्कुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोह (प्रातिपदिक) + शङ्कु (प्रातिपदिक); समासः
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (hell-name); तत्पुरुष (लोहेन शङ्कुः/लोहस्य शङ्कुः)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक

• पूतिगन्ध: foul smell
• पूतिगन्ध: Sambandha (Qualifier base/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूति (विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक) + गन्ध (प्रातिपदिक); समासः
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (समासपूर्वपद); कर्मधारय (पूतिः गन्धः)

• समाकुलम्: filled with, crowded with
• समाकुलम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + आ + कुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying the hell(s) mentioned)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Naraka

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Pāpa leads to specific naraka experiences; sensory horror (stench, darkness, torment) is a karmic pedagogy.

Vedantic Theme: Karma-phala inevitability within saṃsāra; suffering as consequence of adharma, prompting vairāgya and dharma-oriented reform.

Application: Avoid harmful actions; cultivate remorse and corrective practices (prāyaścitta, restraint, compassion) to prevent karmic descent.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa

Geographic Context

Type: naraka (hell realms)

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.105.5 (additional narakas listed); Garuda Purana 1.105.6 (specific sins leading to Avīci/Kumbhīpāka)

FAQs

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

This verse uses named hells to emphasize karmic moral causality: sinful actions (pāpa) lead the jīva into specific suffering realms, motivating dharmic living and atonement.

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

It indicates that after death, those burdened by pāpa are led into particular narakas such as Mahāraurava, Raurava, Tāmistra, and Lohaśaṅku—depicted as intensely unpleasant, even by their foul atmosphere.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Use it as an ethical checkpoint: reduce harmful actions, practice truthfulness and restraint, and engage in dharmic remedies (repentance, charity, and rites for purification) to avoid accumulating pāpa.