Shloka 77
Netra–Nāsa–Mukha Cikitsā, Vraṇa/Bhasma Prayoga, Jvara–Vāta Remedies, and Protective/Uccāṭana Procedures
च्युतदले मध्यमध्ये ततो निः क्षिप्यते हर ! / स खाद्यते काकवृन्दैर्नारी पुरुष एव च
cyutadale madhyamadhye tato niḥ kṣipyate hara ! / sa khādyate kākavṛndairnārī puruṣa eva ca
హే హరా! ఆకు జారిపోయిన తరువాత ఆ జీవుడు మధ్యలోకి నెట్టివేయబడతాడు; అక్కడ కాకుల గుంపులు అతనిని భక్షిస్తాయి—స్త్రీ అయినా పురుషుడైనా।
Lord Vishnu (narrating to Garuda/Vinata-putra)
Afterlife Stage: Naraka
Concept: Karmic consequence is inescapable and applies equally to all embodied beings, regardless of gender.
Vedantic Theme: Karma-phala and the transience of embodiment; the jīva’s vulnerability when separated from protective supports.
Application: Cultivate ethical restraint and remembrance of consequences; reduce cruelty and harm to avoid papa leading to terrifying post-mortem states.
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa
Type: punitive locus (pit/void)
Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: descriptions of preta’s journey and punishments involving birds/pecking imagery (general motif); Garuda Purana: Yama’s agents and naraka torments where creatures consume the sinner (motif)
FAQs
This verse reinforces that consequences follow actions after death, depicting a specific torment where the fallen person is cast down and devoured by crows, emphasizing moral accountability.
It presents an after-death punitive scene (nāraka imagery) where the embodied being is subjected to suffering; the text stresses that such experiences apply irrespective of gender.
Live with restraint and ethical conduct, avoiding harmful actions that the Purana associates with post-death suffering, and support dharmic practices that cultivate accountability and compassion.