Shloka 5

सामान्यतो नरकगतिवर्णनम्

General Description of the Course of Hell / Naraka-gati

Devanagari script

अंतरिक्षस्थितानां च लोहभारशतं पुनः । पादयोर्बध्यते तेषां यमदूतैर्महाबलैः

Transliteration

aṃtarikṣasthitānāṃ ca lohabhāraśataṃ punaḥ | pādayorbadhyate teṣāṃ yamadūtairmahābalaiḥ

Translation

And for those who are suspended in mid-air, the mighty messengers of Yama again bind to their feet a hundred heavy loads of iron.

Word by Word

• अन्तरिक्ष-स्थितानाम्: of those situated in mid-air
• अन्तरिक्ष-स्थितानाम्: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्तरिक्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; समासः—सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषः (अन्तरिक्षे स्थिताः)

• च: and
• च: सम्बन्ध (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक

• लोह-भार-शतम्: a hundred iron weights
• लोह-भार-शतम्: कर्म (Object in passive/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोह (प्रातिपदिक) + भार (प्रातिपदिक) + शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (शतं भाराणां) + तत्पुरुष-सम्बन्धः (लोहस्य भारः)

• पुनः: again / further
• पुनः: क्रियाविशेषण (Temporal/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरुक्ति/क्रमवाचक (again/further)

• पादयोः: on the feet
• पादयोः: अधिकरण (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी/षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Locative/Genitive), द्विवचन; अत्र अधिकरणार्थे (on the feet)

• बध्यते: is bound / is fastened
• बध्यते: क्रिया (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: बन्ध् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: सम्बन्ध (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• यम-दूतैः: by Yama’s messengers
• यम-दूतैः: कर्ता (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम (प्रातिपदिक) + दूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (यमस्य दूताः)

• महा-बलैः: very strong
• महा-बलैः: कर्ता (Agent qualifier/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः (महद् बलं येषां ते) विशेषणम् (यमदूतैः)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Characters & Entities

• Yama
• Yamadutas

FAQs

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

The verse underscores karmic retribution: when the soul (paśu) remains bound by pāśa (impurities and wrongdoing), it is dragged into painful consequences. Shaiva Siddhanta frames this as a call to seek Śiva (Pati) through purification, devotion, and right conduct to transcend bondage.

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

Such descriptions of Yama’s punishments function as a warning that worldly power cannot protect one at death; refuge is taken in Śiva as the compassionate Lord. Linga-worship and Saguna Śiva-bhakti are presented as stabilizing disciplines that turn the mind from harmful acts and toward liberation.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is regular Śiva-smaraṇa with the Pañcākṣarī mantra ("Om Namaḥ Śivāya"), along with purificatory observances like Tripuṇḍra (bhasma) and ethical restraint, so that the soul’s bondage to karmic suffering is weakened.