Shloka 22

Post-cremation Ripening of Karma and the Principal Narakas

Devanagari script

प्राप्यते शकुनिश्रेष्ठ यो बहूकृतसञ्चयः / निकृन्तन इति ख्यातस्ततो ऽन्यो नरकोत्तमः

Transliteration

prāpyate śakuniśreṣṭha yo bahūkṛtasañcayaḥ / nikṛntana iti khyātastato 'nyo narakottamaḥ

Translation

اے شَکُنی شریشٹھ (گرڑ)، جو بہت سے بداعمالیوں سے ڈھیر سا ذخیرہ جمع کرتا ہے وہ ‘نِکِرنتن’ نامی دوزخ کو پہنچتا ہے۔ اس کے آگے ایک اور برتر دوزخ بھی ہے۔

Word by Word

• prāpyate: is reached/attained
• prāpyate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-āp (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

• śakuni-śreṣṭha: O best of birds
• śakuni-śreṣṭha: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śakuni (प्रातिपदिक) + śreṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (शकुनिः एव श्रेष्ठः)

• yaḥ: which/that (one)
• yaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• bahū-kṛta-sañcayaḥ: having amassed much
• bahū-kṛta-sañcayaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bahu (प्रातिपदिक) + kṛta (कृदन्त, √kṛ) + sañcaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (बहु कृतः सञ्चयः यस्य = having much accumulation)

• nikṛntanaḥ: Nikṛntana (a hell)
• nikṛntanaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ni-kṛntana (प्रातिपदिक; √kṛt/√kṛnt 'to cut')
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; नरकनाम (name of a hell)

• iti: thus, called
• iti: Sambandha (Quotative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; इति-उक्त्यर्थक (quotative particle)

• khyātaḥ: is known
• khyātaḥ: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: khyā (धातु)
• Form: भूतकाले क्त (Past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (renowned/called)

• tataḥ: thereafter
• tataḥ: Apadana/Sequence (Source/sequence)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपादानार्थक/क्रमवाचक (from there/thereafter)

• anyaḥ: another
• anyaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (narakottamaḥ)

• naraka-uttamaḥ: a foremost hell
• naraka-uttamaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: naraka (प्रातिपदिक) + uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (नरकेषु उत्तमः = a foremost hell)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vainateya)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Naraka

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Illicit accumulation (bahūkṛta-sañcaya through wrongful acts) leads to specific karmic destinations; wealth ethics are integral to dharma.

Vedantic Theme: Artha pursued without dharma strengthens bondage; adharma-driven acquisition reinforces saṃsāric momentum and naraka outcomes.

Application: Earn and store wealth through righteous means; practice dāna and transparency; avoid exploitation, fraud, and harm in accumulation.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: naraka

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: naraka-nāma catalogues; progression ‘tato ’nyo narako’ indicates sequential mapping of hells in the chapter.

Characters & Entities

• Garuda
• Naraka

FAQs

What is the importance of Nikṛntana Naraka in the Garuda Purana?

This verse identifies Nikṛntana as a specific hell assigned to those who build large accumulations through repeated wrongful acts, highlighting greed and unethical gain as causes of post-death suffering.

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

It frames the afterlife as a karmic destination: certain patterns of conduct—here, wrongful accumulation—lead the jīva to particular narakas described sequentially in the Preta Kanda.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Earn and store wealth through dharmic means, avoid exploitation and fraud, and practice generosity; the text warns that unethical hoarding carries severe karmic consequences.