Shloka 31
Post-cremation Ripening of Karma and the Principal Narakas
दुः खानि प्राप्नुवन्तीह यान्यसह्यानि जन्तुभिः / असिपत्रवनं नाम नरकं शृणु चापरम्
duḥ khāni prāpnuvantīha yānyasahyāni jantubhiḥ / asipatravanaṃ nāma narakaṃ śṛṇu cāparam
یہاں جاندار ایسے ناقابلِ برداشت دکھ جھیلتے ہیں جنہیں سہنا دشوار ہے؛ اب ‘اسی پترون’ نامی دوسرے دوزخ کو سنو—تلوار جیسے پتّوں کا جنگل۔
Lord Vishnu
Afterlife Stage: Naraka
Concept: Adharma leads to specific, named consequences; listening/knowing these outcomes is itself a moral instruction.
Vedantic Theme: Viveka through śravaṇa: hearing about saṃsāric suffering fosters dispassion (vairāgya) and dharmic resolve.
Application: Use moral narratives as preventive education; reflect on consequences to strengthen ethical discipline.
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: forest (vana) of sword-like leaves
Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: subsequent verses likely detail Asipatravana’s punishments; Earlier naraka descriptions in the same adhyāya establishing a sequence of hells
FAQs
This verse introduces Asipatravana as one among the named hell-realms, emphasizing that post-death suffering is a consequence of karma and that specific narakas are described to warn and instruct ethical living.
It situates the soul’s post-death journey within a moral cosmos where beings may encounter unbearable sufferings in narakas; the narrative proceeds by naming and describing such realms as part of the afterlife itinerary.
Use it as a reminder to avoid harmful actions and cultivate dharma—truthfulness, non-injury, and restraint—so one’s karma does not lead to painful post-death consequences.