Shloka 26

आत्यन्तिक-लयहेतुः: तापत्रय-विवेचनम् तथा ‘भगवान्/वासुदेव’ शब्दार्थः

Threefold Suffering and the Path to Final Liberation; Meaning of Bhagavān and Vāsudeva

Devanagari script

नरकं कर्मणां लोपात् फलम् आहुर् महर्षयः तस्माद् अज्ञानिनां दुःखम् इह चामुत्र चोत्तमम्

Transliteration

narakaṃ karmaṇāṃ lopāt phalam āhur maharṣayaḥ tasmād ajñānināṃ duḥkham iha cāmutra cottamam

Translation

Los grandes rishis declaran que el infierno es el fruto de abandonar los deberes prescritos. Por eso, para el ignorante, el dolor se vuelve supremo: aquí y también en el más allá.

Word by Word

• नरकम्: hell
• नरकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• कर्मणाम्: of actions
• कर्मणाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• लोपात्: from/owing to the omission
• लोपात्: Apadana (Source/Cause/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (अपादान), एकवचन

• फलम्: the result
• फलम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता/उद्देश्य), एकवचन

• आहुः: they say
• आहुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आह् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• महर्षयः: great sages
• महर्षयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महर्षि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• तस्मात्: therefore/from that
• तस्मात्: Apadana (Reason/From that/तस्मात्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अज्ञानिनाम्: of the ignorant
• अज्ञानिनाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अज्ञानिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• दुःखम्: suffering
• दुःखम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुःख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• इह: here (in this world)
• इह: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-बोधक (conjunction)

• अमुत्र: there (in the other world)
• अमुत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अमुत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-बोधक (conjunction)

• उत्तमम्: supreme/very great
• उत्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (दुःखम् इति विशेष्यस्य)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (in instruction to Maitreya)

Characters & Entities

• Maharshis (Great Sages)
• The ignorant (ajñānins)

FAQs

What is the significance of Naraka in the Vishnu Purana?

In this verse, Naraka is presented as a karmic consequence—specifically the result of neglecting prescribed duties—showing that moral order governs both earthly life and the afterlife.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the role of ignorance (ajñāna)?

Parāśara links ignorance with compounded suffering: the unknowing incur sorrow not only in this life but also after death, because they fail to discern and uphold dharma.

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

Even when not named, the Vishnu Purana frames such karmic law as part of Vishnu’s sustaining order—dharma operates as the divine governance by which beings experience the fruits of action and omission.