Garuda Purana — Preta Kalpa, Shloka 44

Post-cremation Ripening of Karma and the Principal Narakas

Devanagari script

गृध्रैरुत्पाट्य मुच्यन्ते पुनस्तेष्वेव वेगितैः / पुनश्चिमचिमायन्ते तैलनैक्यं व्रजन्ति च

Transliteration

gṛdhrairutpāṭya mucyante punasteṣveva vegitaiḥ / punaścimacimāyante tailanaikyaṃ vrajanti ca

Translation

Họ bị kền kền xâu xé rồi thả ra; ngay lập tức những kẻ nhanh nhẹn đó lại bắt lấy họ. Một lần nữa họ bị làm cho xèo xèo nứt nẻ, hòa tan như thể đã trở thành dầu.

Word by Word

• गृध्रैः: by vultures
• गृध्रैः: Karana (Instrument/Agent in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृध्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया विभक्तिः (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• उत्पाट्य: having torn out
• उत्पाट्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उत्+पट् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्तः—क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund), अव्ययप्रयोगः

• मुच्यन्ते: are released/let go
• मुच्यन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लकारः—लट् (वर्तमानकालः/Present), पुरुषः—प्रथम (3rd), वचनम्—बहुवचन (Plural), प्रयोगः—कर्मणि (Passive)

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्—काल/पुनरावृत्त्यर्थक क्रियाविशेषणम् (adverb of repetition)

• तेषु: among/into them
• तेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (Pronoun), पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसके (contextual), सप्तमी विभक्तिः (Locative/7th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Nipata (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्—निश्चय/अवधारणार्थक (emphatic particle)

• वेगितैः: swift, impetuous
• वेगितैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वेगित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया विभक्तिः (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural); विशेषणम् (गृध्रैः)

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्—पुनरावृत्त्यर्थक क्रियाविशेषणम्

• चिमचिमायन्ते: make a crackling/sizzling sound
• चिमचिमायन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चिमचिम् (धातु-नाद/अनुकरण)
• Form: लकारः—लट् (वर्तमानकालः/Present), पुरुषः—प्रथम (3rd), वचनम्—बहुवचन (Plural), आत्मनेपदम्; धातुः—अनुकरणात्मक (onomatopoetic)

• तैल: oil
• तैल: Samasa-anga (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तैल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (as compound member)

• न: not
• न: Nipata (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्—निषेध (negation particle)

• ऐक्यम्: unity, becoming one
• ऐक्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऐक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया विभक्तिः (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• व्रजन्ति: go, attain
• व्रजन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्रज् (धातु)
• Form: लकारः—लट् (वर्तमानकालः/Present), पुरुषः—प्रथम (3rd), वचनम्—बहुवचन (Plural), परस्मैपदम्

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्—समुच्चयार्थक (conjunction)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Naraka

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Karmic punishment can be repetitive and cyclic; release is only momentary until the force of pāpa is spent.

Vedantic Theme: Saṃsāra as recurring grasping and suffering; impetus for vairāgya.

Application: Break cycles of wrongdoing now; adopt vows (vrata), confession, and corrective conduct to prevent repetition.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bibhatsa

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Geographic Context

Type: naraka (hell-region)

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa 2.3.43–46 (continuation of taptakumbha sequence)

Characters & Entities

• Garuda
• Pretas
• Yama's messengers

FAQs

What is the importance of punishments described in the Garuda Purana?

This verse uses vivid imagery (vultures, sizzling in oil) to stress karmic consequence—actions create specific post-death experiences meant to deter adharma and encourage purification through dharma and proper rites.

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

In the Preta Kanda narrative, the departed (preta) is led through Yama’s realm and undergoes consequences shaped by karma; here the text describes repeated cycles of harm and enforced suffering as part of that journey.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Live with restraint and compassion (avoid cruelty and harm), and follow dharmic conduct; for families, perform sincere śrāddha and related death rites as prescribed to support the departed and cultivate ethical accountability.