Shloka 18

नरकलोकवर्णनम् (Narakaloka-varṇanam) — Description of the Hell-Realms

Devanagari script

घोराख्या प्रथमा कोटिः सुघोरा तदधः स्थिता । अतिघोरा महाघोरा घोररूपा च पंचमी

Transliteration

ghorākhyā prathamā koṭiḥ sughorā tadadhaḥ sthitā | atighorā mahāghorā ghorarūpā ca paṃcamī

Translation

“The first division is called Ghorā. Beneath it is situated Sughorā. Then come Atighorā and Mahāghorā; and the fifth is called Ghorarūpā.”

Word by Word

• घोराख्या: named ‘Ghorā’
• घोराख्या: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर + आख्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; नामवाचक-विशेषणम् ‘घोर-आख्या’ = ‘named Ghora’

• प्रथमा: first
• प्रथमा: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रथम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; ordinal qualifying कोटिः

• कोटिः: koṭi/tier
• कोटिः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोटि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन

• सुघोरा: very terrible (named Sughorā)
• सुघोरा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + घोर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; ‘very terrible’ (सु- उपसर्गवत् उपपद)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; here used adverbially with अधः (‘below that’)

• अधः: below
• अधः: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अधः (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (adverb)

• स्थिता: is situated
• स्थिता: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्थित (√स्था धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय; कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; ‘is situated’

• अतिघोरा: exceedingly terrible (Atighorā)
• अतिघोरा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अति + घोर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; ‘excessively terrible’

• महाघोरा: great-terrible (Mahāghorā)
• महाघोरा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा + घोर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; ‘greatly terrible’

• घोररूपा: terrible-formed (Ghorarūpā)
• घोररूपा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; ‘having a terrible form’

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

• पञ्चमी: the fifth
• पञ्चमी: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्चम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; ordinal ‘the fifth’ (koṭi implied)

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating to the sages at Naimisharanya, Uma-samhita discourse context)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Shiva Form: Bhairava

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: Not a Jyotirliṅga episode; it enumerates graded ‘ghora’ strata—names that function as personified terrors within the domain of pāśa.

Significance: Contemplation of ‘ghora’ gradations supports dispassion and motivates refuge in Śiva (Pati) beyond māyā.

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Kali

Role: destructive

Cosmic Context

Cosmic Event: Layered underworld taxonomy (koṭi/division) expressing increasing density of tamas (concealment).

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It presents a graded sequence of increasingly fearsome “koṭis” (levels/divisions), implying that conditioned experience can descend into darker states; Shaiva teaching points beyond them to Pati (Shiva) as the liberating refuge who cuts pāśa (bondage).

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

By naming terrifying grades of experience, the text implicitly directs the seeker to steady devotion to Saguna Shiva—worship of the Linga and remembrance of Shiva—as the stabilizing support that leads the mind away from fear and toward Shiva’s grace.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Take refuge in japa of the Panchakshara (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) with Tripuṇḍra (bhasma) and Rudrāksha as supports, cultivating fearlessness and inner steadiness while contemplating Shiva as Pati beyond all ghoratā (terror).