Shloka 32

देवतापितृप्रश्नः — Nārada at Badarīāśrama: the ultimate referent of daiva and pitṛ worship

Devanagari script

उष्णां वैतरणीं महानदी- मवगाढो5सिपत्रवनभिन्नगात्र: | परशुवनशयो निपतितो वसति च महानिरये भृशार्त:

Transliteration

uṣṇāṃ vaitaraṇīṃ mahānadīm avagāḍho ’sipattra-vanabhinna-gātraḥ | paraśu-vanaśayo nipatito vasati ca mahāniraye bhṛśārtaḥ ||

Translation

วยาสะกล่าวว่า—เขาถูกจุ่มลงในมหานทีไวตะรณีอันร้อนระอุ; ในอสิปัตรวัน อวัยวะทั้งหลายถูกฉีกขาดยับเยิน; และในปรศุวัน เขาถูกเหวี่ยงลงให้ต้องนอนทับอยู่ที่นั่น. ครั้นตกสู่นรกใหญ่เช่นนี้ เขาถูกทรมานอย่างหนัก และด้วยความไร้หนทางจึงจำต้องพำนักอยู่ ณ ที่นั้น.

Word by Word

• उष्णाम्: hot (river)
• उष्णाम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• वै: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै

• वैतरणीम्: the Vaitaraṇī (river)
• वैतरणीम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैतरणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• महानदीम्: great river
• महानदीम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: महानदी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• अवगाढः: having plunged/immersed
• अवगाढः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अवगाढ (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, अव+गाह्)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• असि: sword
• Type: Noun
• Root: असि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पत्र: leaf/blade
• Type: Noun
• Root: पत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• वन: forest
• वन: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• भिन्न: split, torn
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भिन्न (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, भिद्)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• गात्रः: one whose limbs/body
• गात्रः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: गात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• परशु: axe
• Type: Noun
• Root: परशु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• वन: forest
• वन: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• शयः: lying, bed/resting-place
• शयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• निपतितः: fallen down
• निपतितः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निपतित (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, नि+पत्)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• वसति: dwells
• Type: Verb
• Root: वस् (धातु)
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• महानिरये: in the great hell
• महानिरये: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: महानिरय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• भृश: exceedingly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भृश

• आर्तः: distressed, tormented
• आर्तः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आर्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

व्यास उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vyāsa
• Vaitaraṇī (infernal river)
• Asipattravana (forest of sword-leaves)
• Paraśuvana (forest of axes)
• Mahāniraya (great hell)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores karmic moral causality: unethical actions lead to severe post-mortem consequences. By vividly depicting hellish punishments, it aims to restrain wrongdoing and encourage dharmic conduct through awareness of accountability beyond this life.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vyāsa describes the suffering of a sinner in the afterlife: the person is forced into the burning river Vaitaraṇī, then cut apart in the Asipattravana, and made to lie in the Paraśuvana. Overwhelmed by pain, the being remains trapped in the great hell.