Shloka 73
Saṅkara-jāti-nirṇaya and Gṛhastha-ācāra: Daily Rites, Purity, Anadhyāya, and Food Discipline
वसेत्स नरके घोर दिनानि पशुरोमतः / संमितानि दुराचारो यो हन्त्यविधिना पशून् / मांसं सन्त्यज्य संप्रार्थ्य कामान्याति ततो हरिम्
vasetsa narake ghora dināni paśuromataḥ / saṃmitāni durācāro yo hantyavidhinā paśūn / māṃsaṃ santyajya saṃprārthya kāmānyāti tato harim
అవిధిగా జంతువులను హతమార్చే దురాచారి, ఆ జంతువు రోమాల సంఖ్యకు సమానమైన దినాలు ఘోర నరకంలో నివసిస్తాడు; తరువాత మాంసాన్ని త్యజించి భక్తితో ప్రార్థించి కోరిన ఫలాలను పొంది, చివరికి హరిని చేరుతాడు।
Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)
Afterlife Stage: Naraka
Concept: Adharmic violence (killing animals unlawfully) yields proportionate suffering; sincere reform—abandoning meat and praying—can redirect destiny toward desired aims and ultimately Hari.
Vedantic Theme: Karma-phala is precise yet not fatalistic: prāyaścitta, vairāgya, and bhakti can transform the trajectory toward Viṣṇu.
Application: Avoid cruelty and unlawful slaughter; if complicit, adopt non-violence, renounce harmful habits, and take up prayerful devotion as a sustained corrective.
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Type: otherworldly region
Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa naraka descriptions (various chapters); Garuda Purana 1.96.71-72 (prāyaścitta framework)
FAQs
This verse treats illicit animal-killing (avidhinā paśūn hanti) as a grave sin that leads to a severe hellish consequence, emphasizing accountability for hiṃsā and improper conduct.
It presents a two-step arc: karmic retribution (dwelling in a dreadful naraka for a quantified duration) followed by the possibility of reform—renouncing meat and sincere prayer—leading ultimately toward Hari.
Avoid cruelty and unlawful harm; adopt restraint (especially giving up meat tied to violence), and cultivate sincere repentance and devotion as corrective practices.