Shloka 5

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

Devanagari script

श्वभोजनो ऽथाप्रतिष्ठो अवीचिश् च तथापरः इत्य् एवमादयश् चान्ये नरका भृशदारुणाः

Transliteration

śvabhojano 'thāpratiṣṭho avīciś ca tathāparaḥ ity evamādayaś cānye narakā bhṛśadāruṇāḥ

Translation

There is the hell called Śvabhojana; then Apratiṣṭha, Avīci, and others besides. Thus—beginning with these—there are many more hells, exceedingly dreadful, where the fruits of grievous actions are met.

Word by Word

• श्वभोजनः: Śvabhojana (dog-food; a hell-name)
• श्वभोजनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्वन्/श्व (प्रातिपदिक) + भोजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (श्वनां भोजनः)

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha/Discourse marker (सम्बन्ध/अनुक्रम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रमसूचक

• अप्रतिष्ठः: Apratiṣṭha (unsupported; a hell-name)
• अप्रतिष्ठः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अ- (नञ्) + प्रतिष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नञ्-समासार्थ (without support/standing)

• अवीचिः: Avīci (a hell-name)
• अवीचिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अवीचि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordinator/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक

• तथा: also
• तथा: Sambandha/Discourse marker (सम्बन्ध/अनुक्रम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अनुक्रमसूचक

• अपरः: Apara (another; a hell-name)
• अपरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• इति: thus
• इति: Quotation marker (इति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; इत्यादि-निर्देशक/उद्धरण-समाप्तिसूचक

• एवम्: in this way
• एवम्: Prakaraṇa (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (thus/in this manner)

• आदयः: and others beginning with these
• आदयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Plural); 'आदि' इत्यस्य बहुवचन-प्रयोगः (etc.)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordinator/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक

• अन्ये: other
• अन्ये: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying 'नरकाः')

• नरकाः: hells
• नरकाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• भृशदारुणाः: exceedingly dreadful
• भृशदारुणाः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भृश (अव्यय) + दारुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (भृशं दारुणाः = exceedingly terrible)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Cosmological Context

Cosmic Hierarchy: Lokas (plurality of naraka realms)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The moral universe contains many gradations of consequence; suffering-states are numerous, matching the diversity of adharma.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Avoid rationalizing ‘small’ wrongs; commit to incremental purification—honesty, compassion, and responsible livelihood.

Vishishtadvaita: Multiplicity of realms coexists within one divine sovereignty, consistent with a qualified non-dual cosmos of real distinctions upheld by the Lord.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Narayana (cosmic)

Characters & Entities

• Parāśara
• Maitreya
• Naraka (hell-realms)

FAQs

What is the significance of Naraka descriptions in the Vishnu Purana?

They reinforce karmic moral order: actions inevitably mature into results, and the Purana uses named hell-realms to impress the inevitability and seriousness of adharma.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the variety of punishments after death?

By listing multiple Narakas by name and implying many more, he presents a graded, diverse system of consequences corresponding to different kinds of wrongdoing.

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

Even when Vishnu is not named in the verse, the narrative assumes a cosmos governed by divine order—where karmic law operates within Vishnu’s overarching sovereignty and maintenance of dharma.