Shloka 54

Post-cremation Ripening of Karma and the Principal Narakas

Devanagari script

तामसा नरकाः सर्वे यमस्य विषये स्थिताः / येषु दुष्कृतकर्माणः पतन्ति हि पृथक्पृथक्

Transliteration

tāmasā narakāḥ sarve yamasya viṣaye sthitāḥ / yeṣu duṣkṛtakarmāṇaḥ patanti hi pṛthakpṛthak

Translation

นรกทั้งปวงนี้มีสภาพมืดมัวโดยธรรมชาติ และตั้งอยู่ในอาณาเขตของยม; ผู้ทำบาปย่อมตกลงไปตามกรรมของตน แยกกันไปคนละนรก

Word by Word

• तामसाः: dark/pertaining to tamas
• तामसाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तामस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘नरकाः’)

• नरकाः: hells
• नरकाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• यमस्य: of Yama
• यमस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• विषये: in the domain
• विषये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विषय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• स्थिताः: are situated
• स्थिताः: Kriya (Predicate state/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) → स्थित (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (past passive participle, क्त); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विधेय (predicate)

• येषु: in which
• येषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• दुष्कृतकर्माणः: evil-doers (those of sinful deeds)
• दुष्कृतकर्माणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुष्कृत (प्रातिपदिक) + कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; कर्मधारय/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थे (दुष्कृतं कर्म येषाम्)

• पतन्ति: fall
• पतन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle: emphasis/indeed)

• पृथक्: separately
• पृथक्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पृथक् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: separately)

• पृथक्: each separately
• पृथक्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पृथक् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: separately) (पुनरुक्ति for emphasis)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Naraka

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Karma-phala is differentiated: each sinful act leads to a specific, corresponding naraka.

Vedantic Theme: Karma-vibhāga (differentiation of results) within saṁsāra; moral causality as precise rather than random.

Application: Perform self-audit of actions (kriyā-viveka), avoid pāpa, and adopt prāyaścitta/charity/devotion to counteract harmful tendencies.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: raudra

Geographic Context

Type: jurisdictional realm with multiple hell-regions

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: subsequent mapping of particular sins to particular narakas; descriptions of yamadūtas and the soul’s journey

Characters & Entities

• Yama
• Naraka

FAQs

What is the importance of Yama’s domain in the Garuda Purana?

This verse frames narakas as part of Yama’s jurisdiction, emphasizing that moral law (dharma) is administered through Yama’s realm and that consequences follow specific sinful actions.

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

It indicates that wrongdoers do not face a single uniform fate; rather, they descend into different narakas, implying a karmic sorting where outcomes correspond to the type of misdeed.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Treat actions as having precise consequences: avoid harmful conduct, practice restraint and truthfulness, and follow dharmic duties so one need not enter Yama’s punitive realms.