Shloka 23

Post-cremation Ripening of Karma and the Principal Narakas

Devanagari script

कुलालचक्राणि तत्र भ्राम्यन्त्यविरतं खग / तेष्वापाष्ये निकृष्यन्ते कालसूत्रेण मानवाः

Transliteration

kulālacakrāṇi tatra bhrāmyantyavirataṃ khaga / teṣvāpāṣye nikṛṣyante kālasūtreṇa mānavāḥ

Translation

اے پرندۂ برتر (گرڑ)، وہاں کمہار کے چاک مسلسل گھومتے رہتے ہیں؛ اور انسانوں کو ‘کال سُوتر’ نامی پھندے سے کھینچ کر اُن پر رگڑا جاتا ہے۔

Word by Word

• कुलालचक्राणि: potter’s wheels
• कुलालचक्राणि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुलाल-चक्र (प्रातिपदिक; कुलालः + चक्रम्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कुलालस्य चक्राणि)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• भ्राम्यन्ति: they revolve/whirl
• भ्राम्यन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भ्रम् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद

• अविरतम्: unceasingly
• अविरतम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अविरत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् (adverbial accusative)

• खग: O bird
• खग: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: खग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन

• तेषु: in/among those (wheels)
• तेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, सप्तमी (7th), बहुवचन

• आपाष्ये: in the (so-called) Āpāṣya (place/region)
• आपाष्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आपाष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; विशेषण (teṣu ... āpāṣye)

• निकृष्यन्ते: they are dragged/pulled
• निकृष्यन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि√कृष् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive sense)

• कालसूत्रेण: by the time-thread/cord of Time
• कालसूत्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कालसूत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कालस्य सूत्रम्)

• मानवाः: men (souls)
• मानवाः: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (narrating to Garuda)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Naraka

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Papa-karma ripens into precise, repetitive suffering; punishment is depicted as impersonal and inexorable like a wheel.

Vedantic Theme: Karma-phala-niyati within saṃsāra; bondage through adharma and the necessity of purification.

Application: Restrain harmful actions, cultivate satya/ahiṃsā, and adopt expiations and devotion to avoid papa that leads to such narakas.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa

Geographic Context

Type: naraka (hell) region with torture devices

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: naraka-catalogue passages describing Kālasūtra and yantras; Garuda Purana: Yama’s messengers and karmic adjudication sections

Characters & Entities

• Garuda
• Kālasūtra

FAQs

What is the importance of Kālasūtra in the Garuda Purana?

Kālasūtra is presented as a punitive force/cord that drags beings according to karma, illustrating that time/death-bound law (kāla) enforces consequences after death.

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

It depicts a post-death karmic adjudication where humans undergo specific torments; the imagery of being dragged on spinning wheels emphasizes involuntary suffering driven by one’s own past deeds.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Treat actions as having inevitable results: practice restraint, truthfulness, and non-harm, and support dharmic living and death-rites with sincerity to reduce fear and cultivate accountability.