Garuda Purana — Moksha Sadhana Prakarana, Shloka 44

Haristuti-saṅgraha: Devatā–Ṛṣi Praṇāma, Nāma-māhātmya, and Vairāgya from Deha-āsakti

वरुणात्पादहीनाश्च प्रवहाद्विगुणाधमाः / दक्षाच्छतावरा ज्ञेया मित्रात्तु द्विगुणाधिकाः

varuṇātpādahīnāśca pravahādviguṇādhamāḥ / dakṣācchatāvarā jñeyā mitrāttu dviguṇādhikāḥ

ورُن کے ماتحتوں کے مقابلے میں بعض کو پاؤں سے محروم کہا گیا ہے؛ ‘پروہ’ کے ماتحتوں کے مقابلے میں وہ دوگنا زیادہ ذلیل ہیں۔ دَکش کے ماتحتوں کے مقابلے میں وہ سو گنا زیادہ سخت سمجھے جائیں؛ اور مِتر کے ماتحتوں کے مقابلے میں پھر دوگنا زیادہ شدید ہیں۔

वरुणात्from Varuṇa
वरुणात्:
Apadana (अपादान)
TypeNoun
Rootवरुण (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन
पाद-हीनाःdeficient by a quarter
पाद-हीनाः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootपाद (प्रातिपदिक) + हीन (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तृतीया/तत्पुरुषार्थ (पादेन हीनाः = lacking by one quarter/foot)
and
:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)
प्रवहात्from Pravaha
प्रवहात्:
Apadana (अपादान)
TypeNoun
Rootप्रवह (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन
द्वि-गुण-अधमाःinferior by twofold
द्वि-गुण-अधमाः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootद्वि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + गुण (प्रातिपदिक) + अधम (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (द्विगुणेन अधमाः = inferior by twofold)
दक्षात्from Dakṣa
दक्षात्:
Apadana (अपादान)
TypeNoun
Rootदक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन
शत-अवराःinferior by a hundred
शत-अवराः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootशत (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + अवर (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (शतेन अवराः = inferior by a hundred)
ज्ञेयाःare to be known
ज्ञेयाः:
Kriya (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootज्ञा (धातु) + य (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
Formविधिलिङ्गार्थक कृदन्त (gerundive/भाव्य); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विधेय—'to be known/should be known'
मित्रात्from Mitra
मित्रात्:
Apadana (अपादान)
TypeNoun
Rootमित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन
तुbut
तु:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतु (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; निपात (contrastive particle)
द्वि-गुण-अधिकाःgreater by twofold
द्वि-गुण-अधिकाः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootद्वि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + गुण (प्रातिपदिक) + अधिक (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (द्विगुणेन अधिकाः = greater by twofold)

Lord Vishnu

Afterlife Stage: Naraka

Concept: Consequences and states of deprivation are graded; suffering can intensify by orders of magnitude depending on the governing principle/domain.

Vedantic Theme: Karma-phala-niyati: lawful distribution of results; hierarchy of experiences within saṃsāra.

Application: Take small ethical lapses seriously; avoid actions that lead to escalating harm—seek timely correction and restraint.

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa

Type: cosmic jurisdiction/realm-classification

Related Themes: Garuda Purana (general): graded results of karma and comparative descriptions of suffering in didactic sections

V
Varuna
P
Pravaha
D
Daksha
M
Mitra

FAQs

This verse presents a graded scale of suffering—measured as ‘twice’, ‘hundredfold’, and ‘twice again’—to emphasize that karmic results vary in intensity and are not uniform for all beings.

By naming successive authorities/regions (Varuṇa, Pravaha, Dakṣa, Mitra) and increasing severity, the verse implies a structured post-death order where outcomes intensify according to one’s deeds.

Treat actions as carrying proportionate consequences: practice restraint, truthfulness, and ethical conduct so that one’s karmic ‘account’ does not lead to harsher post-death experiences described in the Purana.