Shloka 48

Post-cremation Ripening of Karma and the Principal Narakas

Devanagari script

अप्रतिष्ठः पञ्चमः स्यादसिपत्रवनो ऽपरः / सप्तमस्तप्तकुम्भस्तु सप्तैते नरका मताः

Transliteration

apratiṣṭhaḥ pañcamaḥ syādasipatravano 'paraḥ / saptamastaptakumbhastu saptaite narakā matāḥ

Translation

‘اپرتِشٹھ’ پانچواں نرک کہا گیا ہے؛ دوسرا ‘اسیپتروَن’ (تلوار جیسے پتّوں کا جنگل) ہے۔ ساتواں ‘تپت کُمبھ’ ہے؛ یہ ساتوں نرک مانے گئے ہیں۔

Word by Word

• अप्रतिष्ठः: (the hell named) Apratiṣṭha
• अप्रतिष्ठः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अप्रतिष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेष्य-नाम (नरक-नाम)

• पञ्चमः: fifth
• पञ्चमः: Predicate complement (विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्चम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; क्रमवाचक-विशेषण (ordinal)

• स्यात्: would be / is said to be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• असिपत्रवनः: (the hell named) Asipatravana (forest of sword-leaves)
• असिपत्रवनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असि (प्रातिपदिक) + पत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (असिपत्राणां वनम्) नरक-नाम

• अपरः: another
• अपरः: Predicate complement (विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (अन्यः)

• सप्तमः: seventh
• सप्तमः: Predicate complement (विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; क्रमवाचक-विशेषण

• तप्तकुम्भः: (the hell named) Taptakumbha (heated pot)
• तप्तकुम्भः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तप्त (कृदन्त; तप् धातु) + कुम्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (तप्तः कुम्भः) नरक-नाम

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle); विरोध/विशेषार्थक

• सप्त: seven
• सप्त: Qualifier (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक (cardinal); अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः; विशेषण

• एते: these
• एते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• नरकाः: hells
• नरकाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• मताः: are considered
• मताः: Predicate complement (विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मन् (धातु) → मत (कृदन्त; भूतकर्मणि/भूतकृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in instruction to Garuda/Vainateya)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Naraka

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Specific karmic demerit leads to specific post-mortem punitive realms; the cosmos is morally structured.

Vedantic Theme: Ṛta/dharma as moral causality; karma-phala-niyati operating under Īśvara’s governance (Yama as dharma-rāja).

Application: Cultivate ethical restraint, confession and expiation where appropriate, and remembrance of accountability to avoid papa-producing actions.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa

Geographic Context

Type: naraka-loka (hell regions)

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: enumerations of narakas and their torments (adjacent verses in 2.3); Garuda Purana: Vaitaraṇī and Asipatravana descriptions recur in later naraka passages

Characters & Entities

• Garuda
• Naraka

FAQs

What is the importance of listing Narakas in the Garuda Purana?

This verse continues a structured enumeration of hell-realms (Narakas), used in the Garuda Purana to teach ethical restraint by linking actions (karma) to specific post-death consequences.

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

In the Preta Kanda narrative, Vishnu describes destinations encountered under Yama’s order; this verse identifies additional Narakas by name, implying that the soul’s experience after death varies according to deeds.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Use the teaching as a moral checkpoint: avoid harmful, cruel, or deceitful actions, and adopt dharmic conduct (truthfulness, non-injury, self-control) to reduce fear-based living and strengthen ethical discipline.