Garuda Purana — Preta Kalpa, Shloka 10

Post-cremation Ripening of Karma and the Principal Narakas

Devanagari script

रौरवस्ते समाख्यातः प्रथमो नरको मया / महारौरवसंज्ञं तु शृणुष्व नरकं खग

Transliteration

rauravaste samākhyātaḥ prathamo narako mayā / mahārauravasaṃjñaṃ tu śṛṇuṣva narakaṃ khaga

Translation

Ta đã thuật cho ngươi về Raurava, địa ngục thứ nhất. Nay hãy lắng nghe, hỡi chim Garuḍa, về địa ngục mang danh Mahāraurava.

Word by Word

• रौरवः: Raurava (name)
• रौरवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रौरव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• समाख्यातः: has been declared/told
• समाख्यातः: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्+आ+ख्या (धातु) → समाख्यात (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त)

• प्रथमः: first
• प्रथमः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रथम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• नरकः: hell
• नरकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (Agent-instrument in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• महारौरवसंज्ञम्: (the hell) named Mahāraurava
• महारौरवसंज्ञम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाराैरव + संज्ञा (प्रातिपदिकानि)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; बहुव्रीह्यर्थे विशेषणवत्—‘महारौरव-संज्ञं (नाम यस्य तत्)’

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषार्थक-निपात (particle: but/indeed)

• शृणुष्व: listen
• शृणुष्व: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative/आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• नरकम्: hell
• नरकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

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

Speaker

Lord Vishnu

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Naraka

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: There are graded hells corresponding to graded sins; knowledge of consequences functions as moral instruction.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma as preparatory discipline (sādhana-catuṣṭaya’s ethical ground); fear of saṃsāra’s lower states prompts turning toward liberation.

Application: Use scriptural reflection (śravaṇa) as deterrence; examine conduct and undertake corrective vows, charity, and devotion.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Geographic Context

Type: nāraka realm (hell)

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: enumerations of narakas beginning with Raurava and proceeding to others; Dialogic frame: Viṣṇu/teacher addressing Garuḍa as ‘khaga’ in didactic sections

Characters & Entities

• Garuda
• Raurava
• Mahāraurava
• Naraka

FAQs

What is the importance of Raurava and Mahāraurava in the Garuda Purana?

This verse marks a structured progression in the Purana’s catalogue of narakas: after explaining Raurava as the first, Vishnu transitions to Mahāraurava, indicating an ordered teaching on karmic consequences.

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

It situates the post-death journey within moral causality: the soul may experience specific narakas according to karma, and the text teaches them sequentially to clarify consequences of wrongdoing.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Use the teaching as a reminder to avoid harmful actions and cultivate dharma; the Purana frames ethical living as the safeguard against painful after-death outcomes.