Shloka 24

Adhyaya 12 — The Son Describes the Narakas: Mahāraurava, Tamas, Nikṛntana, Apratiṣṭha, Asipatravana, and Taptakumbha

Sanskrit

दुःखानि ते प्राप्नुवन्ति यान्यसह्यानि जन्तुभिः ।

असिपत्रवनं नाम नरकं शृणु चापरम् ॥

Transliteration

duḥkhāni te prāpnuvanti yāny asahyāni jantubhiḥ | asipatravanaṃ nāma narakaṃ śṛṇu cāparam ||

Translation

Sie erleiden Leiden—für Lebewesen unerträglich. Höre auch von einer anderen Hölle namens Asipatravana („Wald der Schwertblätter“).

Word by Word

• दुःखानि: sufferings
• दुःखानि: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुःख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), बहुवचन; neuter, nominative/accusative plural

• ते: of you / your
• ते: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6), एकवचन; genitive singular (to/for you)

• प्राप्नुवन्ति: attain / befall
• प्राप्नुवन्ति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आप् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; present indicative, 3rd person plural

• यानि: which
• यानि: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), बहुवचन; relative pronoun, neuter nom/acc plural

• असह्यानि: unbearable
• असह्यानि: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: असह्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), बहुवचन; adjective agreeing with दुःखानि

• जन्तुभिः: by living beings
• जन्तुभिः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्तु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन; instrumental plural

• असिपत्रवनम्: the ‘sword-leaf’ forest
• असिपत्रवनम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असि + पत्र + वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; accusative singular; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (असिपत्राणि यस्य तत् वनम्)

• नाम: named
• नाम: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; नाम-शब्दः ‘called/named’ इत्यर्थे (indeclinable, naming particle)

• नरकम्: hell
• नरकम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; accusative singular (apposition to असिपत्रवनम्)

• शृणु: hear
• शृणु: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; imperative, 2nd person singular

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• अपरम्: another
• अपरम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; accusative singular; ‘another (one)’ (elliptic with नरकम्/वर्णनम्)

Speakers

• Frame-dialogue narrator (Purāṇic teacher) addressing a listener (e.g.
• dvija/son); exact speaker names not specified in supplied excerpt

Verse Rasa

{ "primaryRasa": "bhayanaka", "secondaryRasa": "karuna", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

Key Themes

• Karmaphala
• Naraka
• Ethical consequence
• Didactic warning

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The verse frames naraka as a moral pedagogy: actions generate consequences that become ‘unbearable’ experiences. The intent is deterrence and ethical self-regulation (dharma) through vivid consequence-imagery.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

This passage aligns most closely with secondary didactic material supporting Dharma and karmaphala rather than the five core topics directly; it is adjacent to ‘manvantara/vaṃśa’ sections in many Purāṇas but here functions as ethical instruction.

What is the esoteric significance?

‘Sword-leaves’ symbolize how what appears desirable (a cool forest) can become cutting suffering when approached with deluded craving—an allegory for sense-objects that wound the unrestrained mind.