Shloka 36

पापभेदवर्णनम्

Classification of Sins / Taxonomy of Pāpa

Devanagari script

अन्नाभिलाषान्दीनान्वा बालवृद्धकृशातुरान् । नानुकंपंति ये मूढास्ते यांति नरकार्णवम्

Transliteration

annābhilāṣāndīnānvā bālavṛddhakṛśāturān | nānukaṃpaṃti ye mūḍhāste yāṃti narakārṇavam

Translation

Those deluded people who show no compassion to the poor who long for food, or to children, the aged, the emaciated, and the sick—such hard-hearted ones fall into the ocean of hell.

Word by Word

• अन्न-अभिलाषान्: those desiring food
• अन्न-अभिलाषान्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न (प्रातिपदिक) + अभिलाष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (अन्नस्य अभिलाषः = desire for food)

• दीनान्: wretched, poor
• दीनान्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्प-बोधक (disjunctive particle)

• बाल-वृद्ध-कृश-आतुरान्: children, the old, the emaciated, and the sick
• बाल-वृद्ध-कृश-आतुरान्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाल (प्रातिपदिक) + वृद्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + कृश (प्रातिपदिक) + आतुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन; समासः—द्वन्द्व (children, old, emaciated, sick)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• अनुकम्पन्ति: show compassion
• अनुकम्पन्ति: Kriyā (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कम्प् (धातु) अनु-उपसर्ग; (अनुकम्प् = to pity)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; सम्बन्ध-सूचक सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• मूढाः: the deluded/fools
• मूढाः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूढ (√मुह् धातु, क्त/कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; क्तान्त-विशेषण (PPP used substantively)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; संकेत-सर्वनाम (demonstrative pronoun)

• यान्ति: go
• यान्ति: Kriyā (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन

• नरक-अर्णवम्: to the ocean of hell
• नरक-अर्णवम्: Gati/Karma (गति/कर्म; destination)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्णव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (नरकस्य अर्णवः = ocean of hell)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Shiva Form: Mahādeva

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: Not a Jyotirliṅga passage; it is a moral-eschatological warning: lack of compassion (anukampā-abhāva) toward the vulnerable is a binding pāśa leading to naraka.

Significance: Teaches that dāna/dayā are essential purifiers for devotees; without compassion, pilgrimage and ritual are ethically hollow and yield adverse karmic results.

Ritual Elements

Offering: naivedya

Cosmic Context

Cosmic Event: Naraka-arṇava (ocean of hell) imagery; no calendrical markers.

FAQs

What is the spiritual significance of this verse in the Shiva Purana?

It teaches that compassion (dayā) and support of the suffering are essential Shaiva virtues; cruelty and indifference strengthen pāśa (bondage) and lead to painful karmic results.

How does this verse relate to the worship of the Linga or Saguna Shiva?

Linga worship is not merely ritual—true devotion to Saguna Shiva must express itself as dharma: mercy, generosity, and protection of the vulnerable, aligning the devotee with Shiva’s grace.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Practice dāna (food charity/annadāna) and cultivate dayā alongside japa of “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” treating service to the needy as an offering to Shiva.