Shloka 3

Vaitaraṇī: Torments of the Sinful, Sins Enumerated, and the Vaitaraṇī Go-dāna Rite

Devanagari script

पूयशोणिततोयाढ्या मांसकर्दमसकुंला / पापिनञ्चागतान्दृष्ट्वा नानाभयसमावृता

Transliteration

pūyaśoṇitatoyāḍhyā māṃsakardamasakuṃlā / pāpinañcāgatāndṛṣṭvā nānābhayasamāvṛtā

Translation

ఆ నది పుయ్యము మరియు రక్తజలములతో నిండినది, మాంసకర్దమముతో కిక్కిరిసినది. అక్కడికి వచ్చిన పాపులను చూచి (జీవులు) అనేక భయాలతో కమ్మబడతారు।

Word by Word

• पूय-शोणित-तोय-आढ्याः: abounding in pus, blood, and water
• पूय-शोणित-तोय-आढ्याः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूय (प्रातिपदिक) + शोणित (प्रातिपदिक) + तोय (प्रातिपदिक) + आढ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण—‘समावृता’ इत्यस्य

• मांस-कर्दम-सकुलाः: filled with muddy flesh-slush
• मांस-कर्दम-सकुलाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मांस (प्रातिपदिक) + कर्दम (प्रातिपदिक) + सकुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण—‘समावृता’ इत्यस्य

• पापिनः: sinners
• पापिनः: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पापिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; ‘दृष्ट्वा’ इत्यस्य कर्म

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• आगतान्: having come / arrived
• आगतान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ-गम् (धातु) → आगत (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृत् (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; ‘पापिनः’ इत्यस्य विशेषण

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), ‘having seen’

• नाना-भय-समावृताः: covered/overwhelmed by various fears
• नाना-भय-समावृताः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नाना (अव्यय) + भय (प्रातिपदिक) + सम्-आ-वृ (धातु) → समावृत (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृत् (past participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; मुख्यविशेषण—‘(स्त्रियः/नरकवासिन्यः)’ इत्यादि निहितकर्तृपदस्य

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (narrating to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The environment of afterlife mirrors inner moral corruption; pāpa yields experiences of filth, fear, and degradation.

Vedantic Theme: Adhyāropa of karmic consequence onto experiential worlds; saṃsāric suffering as the fruit of avidyā-driven action.

Application: Treat ethical lapses as seeds of future suffering; cultivate purity (śauca), compassion, and restraint to avoid ‘inner filth’ ripening outwardly.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bibhatsa

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Geographic Context

Type: river

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: graphic naraka and river descriptions used as deterrent pedagogy; Garuda Purana: lists of pāpa leading to specific torments (contextual linkage)

Characters & Entities

• Sinners (pāpinaḥ)
• Pretas

FAQs

What is the importance of hell-descriptions like pus-and-blood waters in the Garuda Purana?

They function as moral instruction: vivid imagery emphasizes that harmful actions (pāpa) produce terrifying consequences, urging ethical living and repentance.

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

It depicts the sinner encountering dreadful post-mortem terrains; the arriving pāpinaḥ are seized by intense fear, indicating experiential consequences along the after-death route associated with Yama’s domain.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Use it as a reminder to avoid cruelty and impurity in conduct, cultivate dharma, and—within tradition—support ancestors through śrāddha and pinda-dāna with sincerity.