Garuda Purana — Preta Kalpa, Shloka 51

Post-cremation Ripening of Karma and the Principal Narakas

Devanagari script

क्रिमिश्च क्रिमभक्षश्च लालाभक्षो विषञ्जनः / अधः शिराः पूयवहो रुधिरान्धश्च विड्रभुजः

Transliteration

krimiśca krimabhakṣaśca lālābhakṣo viṣañjanaḥ / adhaḥ śirāḥ pūyavaho rudhirāndhaśca viḍrabhujaḥ

Translation

اس جہان میں ‘کْرِمی’، ‘کْرِم بھکش’، ‘لالا بھکش’ اور ‘وِشَنجن’؛ نیز ‘اَدھَہ شِرا’، ‘پُوی وَہ’، ‘رُدھِرانْدھ’ اور ‘وِڈْر بھُج’ نام کے عذاب بھوگنے والے جاندار بتائے گئے ہیں۔

Word by Word

• क्रिमिः: (the hell named) Krimi
• क्रिमिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रिमि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; नरक-नाम

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• क्रिमभक्षः: Krimabhakṣa (eater of worms)
• क्रिमभक्षः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रिमि (प्रातिपदिक) + भक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (क्रिमिणां भक्षः) नरक-नाम

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• लालाभक्षः: Lālābhakṣa (eater of saliva)
• लालाभक्षः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लाला (प्रातिपदिक) + भक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (लालायाः भक्षः) नरक-नाम

• विषञ्जनः: Viṣañjana (poison-ointment)
• विषञ्जनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष (प्रातिपदिक) + अञ्जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (विषम् अञ्जनम्/लेपनम्) नरक-नाम

• अधः: downwards/below
• अधः: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अधः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; दिशावाचक/क्रियाविशेषण

• शिराः: head-down (one)
• शिराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; बहुव्रीह्यर्थे विशेषण (अधःशिराः = whose head is downward)

• पूयवहः: Pūyavaha (carrying pus)
• पूयवहः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूय (प्रातिपदिक) + वह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (पूयम् वहति) नरक-नाम

• रुधिरान्धः: Rudhirāndha (blinded by blood)
• रुधिरान्धः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुधिर (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (रुधिरेण अन्धः/रुधिर-अन्धः) नरक-नाम

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• विड्रभुजः: Viḍrabhuja (eater of excrement)
• विड्रभुजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विड्/विट् (प्रातिपदिक) + भुज् (धातु) → भुज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (विड् भुङ्क्ते) नरक-नाम

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Naraka

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Papa ripens into experiences mirroring one’s moral pollution—disgust, blindness, inversion, and forced consumption symbolize ethical inversion.

Vedantic Theme: Adhyāsa-like inversion as bondage metaphor; tamas-dominant karma producing obscuration (āvaraṇa) and suffering.

Application: Avoid actions that degrade others’ dignity or exploit bodily needs; cultivate purity of means (śauca) and compassion to counter tamasic tendencies.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bibhatsa

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Geographic Context

Type: infernal sub-realms or torment-classes

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: lists of naraka torments and beings; ‘Adhaḥśirā’ motif appears in other naraka catalogues

Characters & Entities

• Garuda
• Naraka

FAQs

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

This verse functions as a catalog of specific hell-realms/torments, reinforcing the karmic principle that unethical actions lead to correspondingly harsh post-death consequences.

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

Within the Preta Kanda narrative, Vishnu describes the after-death jurisdictions where the soul experiences results of karma; this verse names several such punitive states associated with extreme impurity and suffering.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Treat it as a dharma reminder: avoid harmful, degrading, and impure conduct, cultivate self-control and compassion, and align daily choices with ethical living to reduce negative karmic outcomes.