Shloka 46

नरक-निर्णयः, पाप-कर्म-फल-व्यवस्था, प्रायश्चित्त-क्रमः, तथा हरि-स्मरण-परमत्वम्

Devanagari script

मनःप्रीतिकरः स्वर्गो नरकस् तद्विपर्ययः नरकस्वर्गसंज्ञे वै पापपुण्ये द्विजोत्तम

Transliteration

manaḥprītikaraḥ svargo narakas tadviparyayaḥ narakasvargasaṃjñe vai pāpapuṇye dvijottama

Translation

Heaven is what brings delight to the mind; hell is its very opposite. O best of the twice-born, what are called “hell” and “heaven” are in truth demerit and merit themselves, named according to the experience they produce.

Word by Word

• मनः-प्रीति-करः: causing delight to the mind
• मनः-प्रीति-करः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रीति (प्रातिपदिक) + कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (मनसः प्रीतिं करोति इति) — विशेषणम् (qualifying 'स्वर्गः')

• स्वर्गः: heaven
• स्वर्गः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

• नरकः: hell
• नरकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

• तत्-विपर्ययः: the opposite of that
• तत्-विपर्ययः: Visheshya (Predicate nominal/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + विपर्यय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (तस्य विपर्ययः)

• नरक-स्वर्ग-संज्ञे: (the two) called ‘hell’ and ‘heaven’
• नरक-स्वर्ग-संज्ञे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक) + स्वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + संज्ञा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया/सप्तमी?—अत्र प्रथमा-द्विवचनम् (nominative dual) 'संज्ञे' (two designations); समासः द्वन्द्वः (नरकसंज्ञा च स्वर्गसंज्ञा च) — विशेषणम् (qualifying 'पापपुण्ये')

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चयार्थक-निपात (emphatic particle: indeed)

• पाप-पुण्ये: sin and merit
• पाप-पुण्ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक) + पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), द्विवचन; समासः द्वन्द्वः (पापं च पुण्यं च)

• द्विजोत्तम: O best of the twice-born
• द्विजोत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th case), एकवचन; समासः कर्मधारयः (द्विजः उत्तमः)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Definition of svarga/naraka as experiential results of puṇya/pāpa

Teaching: Ethical

Quality: revealing

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: ‘Heaven’ and ‘hell’ are names for experiences produced by puṇya and pāpa: delight of mind versus its opposite.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Evaluate actions by their ethical and inner consequences; cultivate puṇya while aiming beyond both pleasure and pain toward liberation.

Vishishtadvaita: Moral causality is real within the Lord’s order; yet these experiences remain within saṃsāra, encouraging transcendence through devotion.

Characters & Entities

• Parāśara
• Maitreya
• Dvija (twice-born)

FAQs

What is the significance of Svarga and Naraka in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse frames heaven and hell primarily as the experiential outcomes of merit (puṇya) and demerit (pāpa), rather than merely distant locations—highlighting karmic law governing pleasure and suffering.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the relationship between mind and afterlife states?

Parāśara defines svarga as whatever is mind-delighting and naraka as its opposite, implying that karmic results are known through the quality of experience they generate, especially at the level of the mind.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this context?

By grounding svarga–naraka in moral causality, the text supports Vishnu’s role as the sovereign upholder of dharma—through whose ordered law (karma) beings reap fitting results of puṇya and pāpa.