Shloka 31

अग्नित्रय-पितृवंश-रुद्रसृष्टि-वैराग्योपदेशः

Devanagari script

केन गच्छन्ति नरकं नराः केन महामते कर्मणाकर्मणा वापि श्रोतुं कौतूहलं हि नः

Transliteration

kena gacchanti narakaṃ narāḥ kena mahāmate karmaṇākarmaṇā vāpi śrotuṃ kautūhalaṃ hi naḥ

Translation

“By what do men go to hell, and by what do they avoid it, O great-minded one? Is it through action or through non-action? We long to hear, for we are truly curious.”

Word by Word

• kena: by what (cause/means)

• gacchanti: go (attain)

• narakam: hell, a state of torment born of demerit

• narāḥ: human beings

• kena: by what (cause/means)

• mahāmate: O great-minded/wise one

• karmaṇā: by action (deed)

• akarmaṇā: by non-action/inaction (or by freedom from binding action)

• vā api: or even

• śrotum: to hear

• kautūhalam: curiosity/eagerness to know

• hi: indeed

• naḥ: for us

Speaker

Sages of Naimiṣāraṇya (addressing Sūta Gosvāmin)

Characters & Entities

• Suta
• Sages
• Naraka

FAQs

What is the importance of this verse in the context of Linga worship?

It frames a core Shaiva concern: which actions bind the paśu (soul) to pāśa (karmic bondage) and painful states like naraka, and which actions (especially Shiva-oriented dharma and worship) purify and redirect the soul toward Pati, Lord Śiva.

How does this verse describe the nature of Shiva (Shiva-tattva)?

Indirectly, it implies Śiva-tattva as the supreme moral and liberating principle: the inquiry contrasts binding karma with liberating conduct, preparing for the teaching that devotion, right knowledge, and Śiva-aligned practice loosen pāśa and orient the soul toward the Lord.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

The verse itself is an inquiry, but it points toward Pāśupata discipline: discerning binding vs. non-binding action, adopting purificatory rites and Śiva-pūjā, and cultivating inner restraint so karma ceases to function as bondage.