Shloka 32
सामान्यतो नरकगतिवर्णनम्
General Description of the Course of Hell / Naraka-gati
लालाभक्षेषु पापास्ते पात्यंते दुःखदेषु वै । नानास्थानेषु पच्यंते नरकेषु पुनःपुनः
lālābhakṣeṣu pāpāste pātyaṃte duḥkhadeṣu vai | nānāsthāneṣu pacyaṃte narakeṣu punaḥpunaḥ
Those sinners are cast into the hells where saliva is their food—truly places that yield only misery—and there, in many regions, they are repeatedly tormented, as though “cooked” again and again.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pasha
Shiva Form: Rudra
FAQs
It warns that adharmic actions bind the soul through karma (pāśa), resulting in repeated suffering; the implied remedy is to turn toward Shiva-centered dharma, purification, and right conduct to move toward grace and liberation.
By contrasting the misery of karmic retribution with the uplift of devotion, it supports the Purana’s teaching that sincere Saguna Shiva worship—especially Linga-bhakti—purifies the mind and redirects life toward dharma, reducing bondage.
A practical takeaway is daily Shiva-smarana with the Panchakshara ("Om Namaḥ Śivāya"), along with purificatory observances (such as bhasma/tripundra and ethical vows) to restrain harmful acts that lead to such suffering.