Shloka 40

Post-cremation Ripening of Karma and the Principal Narakas

Devanagari script

तेषां खण्डान्यनेकानि रुदतामतिभीषणे / असिपत्रवनं तात मयैतत्परिकीर्तितम्

Transliteration

teṣāṃ khaṇḍānyanekāni rudatāmatibhīṣaṇe / asipatravanaṃ tāta mayaitatparikīrtitam

Translation

అత్యంత భయంకరమైన ఆ స్థలంలో వారు ఏడుస్తూ విలపిస్తుండగా వారి శరీరాల అనేక ఖండాలు కనిపిస్తాయి. ఓ తాత, ఇదే నేను ‘అసిపత్రవనం’—ఖడ్గపత్రాల వనం—అని వర్ణించాను.

Word by Word

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• खण्डानि: pieces; fragments
• खण्डानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: खण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• अनेकानि: many
• अनेकानि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनेक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• रुदताम्: of those who are crying
• रुदताम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: √रुद् (धातु) + शतृ/शानच् (कृत्)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (Present participle) ‘रुदत्’ का षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• अतिभीषणे: in the extremely terrifying (place/state)
• अतिभीषणे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अति (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + भीषण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular); ‘अति-’ उपसर्गार्थे (very)

• असिपत्रवनम्: the forest of sword-leaves
• असिपत्रवनम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असि (प्रातिपदिक) + पत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); समासः—तत्पुरुष: असि-पत्र (sword-leaf) + वन (forest)

• तात: O dear one (son)
• तात: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• मया: by me
• मया: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular)

• परिकीर्तितम्: has been described
• परिकीर्तितम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि√कीर्त् (धातु) + त (कृत्)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past passive participle) used as finite in passive: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (narrating to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Naraka

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The moral universe is structured: specific wrongs lead to specific experiential results; naming the hell fixes the lesson in memory.

Vedantic Theme: Saṃsāra as a realm of duḥkha; discernment (viveka) arises through contemplating consequences.

Application: Use contemplation of consequences (anuprekṣā) to reform conduct; undertake prāyaścitta and cultivate sattva.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Geographic Context

Type: forest

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa 2.3.38-39 (preceding torments); Garuda Purana Pretakalpa 2.3.41-42 (next: Taptakumbha)

Characters & Entities

• Asipatravana
• Yama

FAQs

What is the importance of Asipatravana in the Garuda Purana?

This verse presents Asipatravana as a terrifying punitive realm where beings suffer bodily cutting and intense fear, illustrating the concrete consequences of karma in Yama’s domain.

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

It situates the post-death journey within Yama’s realms where karmic results are experienced as specific environments of suffering, here symbolized by the ‘forest of sword-leaves’ and the wailing of the afflicted.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Use it as a reminder to avoid harmful actions and cultivate dharma—ethical conduct reduces fear and suffering associated with negative karmic outcomes described in afterlife narratives.