Shloka 70

Post-cremation Ripening of Karma and the Principal Narakas

Devanagari script

असिपत्रवने ऽसौची क्रोधनश्च एतेदपि / अग्निज्वालां मृगव्याधो भोज्यते यत्र वायसैः

Transliteration

asipatravane 'saucī krodhanaśca etedapi / agnijvālāṃ mṛgavyādho bhojyate yatra vāyasaiḥ

Translation

ఖడ్గపత్రాల వనం అయిన ‘అసిపత్రవన’లో అపవిత్రులు, క్రోధులు శిక్షింపబడతారు. అలాగే మృగవ్యాధుడు అగ్ని జ్వాలల మధ్య బాధింపబడతాడు; అక్కడ కాకులు అతన్ని చింపి తింటాయి.

Word by Word

• असिपत्रवने: in the Asipatravana (forest of sword-leaves)
• असिपत्रवने: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असि + पत्र + वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अधिकरण; ‘असिपत्राणि यस्मिन् वने’ इति (समासेन नरकविशेषः)

• असौची: the impure one
• असौची: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असौचिन्/असौची (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; अशौचयुक्तः/अशुचिः इत्यर्थे

• क्रोधनः: the wrathful one
• क्रोधनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रोधन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; ‘क्रोधी’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (conjunction)

• एते: these
• एते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अप्यर्थ (also/even)

• अग्निज्वालाम्: a flame of fire
• अग्निज्वालाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि + ज्वाला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्म; ‘अग्नेः ज्वाला’

• मृगव्याधः: the hunter
• मृगव्याधः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृग + व्याध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्ता; ‘मृगाणां व्याधः’

• भोज्यते: is made to eat / is fed (is forced to consume)
• भोज्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुज् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Desha-adhikarana (Locative sense/देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सम्बन्धबोधक देशवाचक (relative adverb: where)

• वायसैः: by crows
• वायसैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; करण (instrumental)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (narrating to Garuda/Vainateya)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Naraka

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Impurity, wrath, and violent livelihood (hunting) rebound as analogous suffering; the doer experiences the texture of harm inflicted.

Vedantic Theme: Karma’s mirroring (yathā-kṛtaṃ tathā-phalam) and the binding of hiṃsā-driven saṃskāras.

Application: Cultivate śauca and kṣamā; avoid cruelty and needless killing; choose livelihoods aligned with compassion.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bibhatsa

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Geographic Context

Type: naraka grove/forest; punitive fire-field

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: Asipatravana descriptions recur in naraka catalogues; adjacent verses continue sin-to-hell mapping

Characters & Entities

• Naraka
• Asipatravana
• Vāyasas (crows)
• Mṛgavyādha (hunter)

FAQs

What is the importance of Asipatravana in the Garuda Purana?

Asipatravana is cited as a specific Naraka where certain sinners—here, the impure and the wrathful—undergo painful consequences, illustrating the Purana’s moral law of karma.

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

It depicts post-death karmic retribution in Naraka: particular habits (impurity, uncontrolled anger, violent hunting) lead the soul to specific punitive realms where suffering mirrors the wrongdoing.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Cultivate cleanliness (outer and inner), restrain anger, and avoid needless harm to living beings—these are presented as safeguards against severe karmic outcomes described in the Garuda Purana.