Shloka 28

Post-cremation Ripening of Karma and the Principal Narakas

Devanagari script

दुः खस्य हेतुभूतानि पापकर्मकृतां नृणाम् / चक्रेष्वारोपिताः केचिद्भाम्यन्ते तत्र मानवाः

Transliteration

duḥ khasya hetubhūtāni pāpakarmakṛtāṃ nṛṇām / cakreṣvāropitāḥ kecidbhāmyante tatra mānavāḥ

Translation

وہاں گناہگار اعمال کرنے والے انسانوں کے دکھ کا سبب بننے والے گناہوں کے پھل سے بعض آدمی پہیوں پر جکڑے جاتے ہیں اور گھمائے جاتے ہیں۔

Word by Word

• दुःखस्य: of suffering
• दुःखस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुःख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• हेतुभूतानि: having become causes; causal
• हेतुभूतानि: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हेतु (प्रातिपदिक) + भू (धातु) → भूत (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle) ‘भूत’

• पापकर्मकृताम्: of those who have done sinful deeds
• पापकर्मकृताम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक) + कर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + कृ (धातु) → कृत (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; ‘पापकर्म’ इति तत्पुरुषसमास + ‘कृत’ (क्त)

• नृणाम्: of men
• नृणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• चक्रेषु: on/among wheels
• चक्रेषु: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), बहुवचन

• आरोपिताः: mounted; placed upon
• आरोपिताः: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ + रुह् (धातु) → आरोपित (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त

• केचित्: some
• केचित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; अनिश्चितवाचक सर्वनाम

• भ्राम्यन्ते: they whirl/are made to revolve
• भ्राम्यन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भ्रम् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Desha-adhikarana (Place adverbial/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; स्थानवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• मानवाः: humans
• मानवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (narrating to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Naraka

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Pāpa itself becomes the direct cause (hetu) of duḥkha; suffering is karmically self-generated and inescapable until exhausted.

Vedantic Theme: Karma-bandha and its phala; moral causality within saṃsāra (adhyāropa of agency leading to bondage).

Application: Avoid harmful actions; cultivate restraint and repentance early, recognizing that consequences mature with force and duration.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa

Geographic Context

Type: hellish torture-ground with wheels (cakra)

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: naraka descriptions of cakra/yantra torments (adjacent verses 2.3.29–32); Garuda Purana: general karma-phala framing in Pretakalpa sections on Yama’s punishments

Characters & Entities

• Yama
• Humans

FAQs

What is the importance of karma-based punishment in the Garuda Purana?

This verse states that sinful actions themselves become the direct causes of suffering, showing a moral causality where pāpa-karma ripens into specific consequences in Yama’s realm.

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

Within the Preta Kanda narrative of post-death experience, it depicts one class of torment in Yama-loka: certain sinners are fastened to wheels and forced to whirl, illustrating the fruits of wrongdoing encountered after death.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Treat harmful actions as future suffering-in-seed: reduce unethical conduct, practice restraint and compassion, and align daily life with dharma to avoid creating causes of pain.