Shloka 32

Preta-mārga Supports (Dāna), Chitragupta’s Accounting, and the Enumeration of Narakas

Devanagari script

सङ्घातं लोहतोदं च सविषं सम्प्रतापनम् / महानरककालोलः सजीवनमहापथः

Transliteration

saṅghātaṃ lohatodaṃ ca saviṣaṃ sampratāpanam / mahānarakakālolaḥ sajīvanamahāpathaḥ

Translation

มีนรกชื่อ สังฆาตะ โลหโตทะ สวิษะ และสัมประตาปนะ อีกทั้งมหานรกะ กาโลละ สชีวนะ และมหาปถะ (หนทางใหญ่)

Word by Word

• सङ्घातम्: a crushing/pressing (hell)
• सङ्घातम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सङ्घात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; accusative singular neuter

• लोहतोदम्: iron-piercing (hell)
• लोहतोदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोह + तोद (प्रातिपदिक); तोद < तुद् (धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; accusative singular neuter

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

• सविषम्: poisonous
• सविषम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स + विष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; accusative singular neuter; विशेषण (qualifier)

• सम्प्रतापनम्: intense torment/burning
• सम्प्रतापनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सम् + प्र + तप् (धातु) + अन (प्रत्यय) → सम्प्रतापन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; accusative singular neuter; भाववाचक-नाम (action-noun)

• महानरककालोलः: (hell named) Mahānaraka-kālola
• महानरककालोलः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + नरक + कालोल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; nominative singular masculine

• सजीवनमहापथः: (hell named) Sajīvana-mahāpatha
• सजीवनमहापथः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स + जीवन + महापथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; nominative singular masculine

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (narrating to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Naraka

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Specific karmas yield specific experiential realms of suffering; moral causality is structured, not random.

Vedantic Theme: Karma-phala within saṃsāra; fear as a spur toward vairāgya and dharma.

Application: Use the naraka-catalog as a deterrent: restrain harmful acts, cultivate sattva, and adopt expiations and devotion to avoid papa.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa

Geographic Context

Type: naraka-regions and a great transit path

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: naraka-nirūpaṇa sections listing multiple hells and their punishments (adjacent verses in 2.18)

Characters & Entities

• Garuda
• Yama
• Narakas

FAQs

What is the importance of listing Narakas (hells) in Garuda Purana?

This verse functions as a catalog of specific Naraka realms and routes, reinforcing the karmic principle that actions have precise consequences and motivating dharmic living and proper post-death rites.

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

By naming multiple Narakas and a “great path” (Mahāpatha), the verse situates the preta’s journey within a mapped afterlife geography under Yama’s order, where different karmas lead to different regions of suffering.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Use it as a reminder to avoid harmful actions (especially cruelty, deceit, and violence implied by 'iron' and 'poison' imagery) and to follow dharma, repentance, and prescribed rites with sincerity.