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Srimad Bhagavatam — Panchama Skandha, Shloka 18

Naraka-varṇana: The Hellish Planets and the Karmic Logic of Punishment

यस्त्विह वा असंविभज्याश्नाति यत्किञ्चनोपनतमनिर्मितपञ्चयज्ञो वायससंस्तुत: स परत्र कृमिभोजने नरकाधमे निपतति तत्र शतसहस्रयोजने कृमिकुण्डे कृमिभूत: स्वयं कृमिभिरेव भक्ष्यमाण: कृमिभोजनो यावत्तदप्रत्ताप्रहूतादोऽनिर्वेशमात्मानं यातयते ॥ १८ ॥

yas tv iha vā asaṁvibhajyāśnāti yat kiñcanopanatam anirmita-pañca-yajño vāyasa-saṁstutaḥ sa paratra kṛmibhojane narakādhame nipatati tatra śata-sahasra-yojane kṛmi-kuṇḍe kṛmi-bhūtaḥ svayaṁ kṛmibhir eva bhakṣyamāṇaḥ kṛmi-bhojano yāvat tad aprattāprahūtādo ’nirveśam ātmānaṁ yātayate.

一个人如果只顾自己吃而不分给客人,那就跟乌鸦没两样。死后他会堕入 Kṛmibhojana 地狱,变成一条虫,在虫湖中吃其他的虫。

yaḥwho
yaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootyad (प्रातिपदिक)
FormPronoun, Masculine, Nominative, Singular
tubut
tu:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Roottu (अव्यय)
FormParticle
ihahere
iha:
Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootiha (अव्यय)
FormAdverb
or
:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootvā (अव्यय)
FormDisjunctive particle
asaṁvibhajyawithout sharing
asaṁvibhajya:
Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeIndeclinable
Roota + sam-vi-bhaj (धातु)
FormAbsolutive/Gerund (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय), avyaya; ‘without distributing/sharing’
aśnātieats
aśnāti:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootaś (धातु)
FormLaṭ (Present), Parasmaipada, 3rd person, Singular
yatwhatever
yat:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootyad (प्रातिपदिक)
FormPronoun, Neuter, Accusative, Singular
kiñcanaanything
kiñcana:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootkiñcana (प्रातिपदिक)
FormIndefinite pronoun used substantively, Neuter, Accusative, Singular
upanatamobtained
upanatam:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeAdjective
Rootupa-nam (धातु)
FormPast passive participle (क्त), Neuter, Accusative, Singular; ‘obtained/come to hand’
anirmita-pañca-yajñaḥnot having performed the five daily sacrifices
anirmita-pañca-yajñaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Roota-nirmita + pañca + yajña (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular; bahuvrīhi ‘one who has not performed the five sacrifices’
vāyasa-saṁstutaḥcommended by crows (i.e., crow-like)
vāyasa-saṁstutaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootvāyasa + sam-stu (धातु)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular; past passive participle ‘praised/approved’; tatpuruṣa ‘praised by crows’ (i.e., fit for crows)
saḥhe
saḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Roottad (प्रातिपदिक)
FormPronoun, Masculine, Nominative, Singular
paratrahereafter
paratra:
Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootparatra (अव्यय)
FormAdverb
kṛmi-bhojanein Kṛmibhojana (worm-eating hell)
kṛmi-bhojane:
Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootkṛmi + bhojana (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter, Locative, Singular; tatpuruṣa ‘worm-food’ (name of hell)
naraka-adhamein the most vile hell
naraka-adhame:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootnaraka + adhama (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine/Neuter, Locative, Singular; tatpuruṣa ‘in the lowest hell’ (qualifying kṛmibhojane)
nipatatifalls
nipatati:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootni-pat (धातु)
FormLaṭ, Parasmaipada, 3rd person, Singular
tatrathere
tatra:
Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
TypeIndeclinable
Roottatra (अव्यय)
FormAdverb
śata-sahasra-yojanein (a pit) of 100,000 yojanas
śata-sahasra-yojane:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootśata + sahasra + yojana (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter, Locative, Singular; dvigu numeral compound ‘(measuring) a hundred-thousand yojanas’
kṛmi-kuṇḍein a worm-pit
kṛmi-kuṇḍe:
Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootkṛmi + kuṇḍa (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter, Locative, Singular; tatpuruṣa ‘worm-pit’
kṛmi-bhūtaḥhaving become a worm
kṛmi-bhūtaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootkṛmi + bhū (धातु)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular; past participle (भूत) used adjectivally; tatpuruṣa ‘become a worm’
svayamhimself
svayam:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootsvayam (अव्यय)
FormAdverb
kṛmibhiḥby worms
kṛmibhiḥ:
Karaṇa (करण)
TypeNoun
Rootkṛmi (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Instrumental, Plural
evaindeed
eva:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rooteva (अव्यय)
FormEmphatic particle
bhakṣyamāṇaḥbeing eaten
bhakṣyamāṇaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootbhakṣ (धातु)
FormPresent passive participle (शानच्), Masculine, Nominative, Singular; ‘being eaten’
kṛmi-bhojanaḥeating worms
kṛmi-bhojanaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootkṛmi + bhojana (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular; tatpuruṣa ‘worm-eater’ (i.e., feeding on worms)
yāvatas long as/until
yāvat:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootyāvat (अव्यय)
FormTemporal adverb/conjunction (कालवाचक)
tadthen/that
tad:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Roottad (प्रातिपदिक)
FormPronoun, Neuter, Accusative, Singular (adverbial use ‘then/that’)
aprattā-prahūtā-adaḥone who did not give/offer food
aprattā-prahūtā-adaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Roota-pratta + pra-hūta + ada (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular; bahuvrīhi ‘one whose food is not given/offered (to others/guests)’
anirveśamwithout respite
anirveśam:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Roota-nirveśa (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine/Neuter, Accusative, Singular; ‘no respite/settling’
ātmānamhimself
ātmānam:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootātman (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
yātayatetorments
yātayate:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootyat (धातु)
FormLaṭ (Present), Ātmanepada, 3rd person, Singular; causative/denominative sense ‘torments/causes to suffer’

As stated in Bhagavad-gītā (3.13) :

M
Mahārāja Parīkṣit

FAQs

This verse states that one who eats selfishly without distributing food to others and without honoring sacred duties (pañca-yajñas) incurs severe karmic reactions and falls into the hell called Kṛmibhojana.

Śukadeva explains the destinations created by karma to instruct Parīkṣit on dharma and detachment, strengthening his resolve to hear and remember the Lord rather than live in selfish, sinful habits.

Before eating, offer food in gratitude and devotion, share with others (especially guests and the needy), and live responsibly—so daily life becomes purified rather than driven by selfish consumption.