Shloka 1

सामान्यतो नरकगतिवर्णनम्

General Description of the Course of Hell / Naraka-gati

Devanagari script

सनत्कुमार उवाच । एषु पापाः प्रपच्यंते शोष्यंते नरकाग्निषु । यातनाभिर्विचित्राभिरास्वकर्म्मक्षयाद्भृशम्

Transliteration

sanatkumāra uvāca | eṣu pāpāḥ prapacyaṃte śoṣyaṃte narakāgniṣu | yātanābhirvicitrābhirāsvakarmmakṣayādbhṛśam

Translation

ສະນັດກຸມາຣະ (Sanatkumāra) ກ່າວວ່າ: «ໃນສະພາບນະລົກເຫຼົ່ານີ້ ບາບຖືກຕົ້ມສຸກຢ່າງສິ້ນເຊີງ ແລະຖືກເຜົາໃນໄຟນະລົກ. ໂດຍການທໍລະມານຫຼາຍຮູບແບບອັນຮຸນແຮງ ມັນຖືກເຮັດໃຫ້ແຫ້ງຫນັກ ຈົນກວ່າກຳຂອງຕົນຈະສິ້ນ»។

Word by Word

• सनत्कुमारः: Sanatkumāra
• सनत्कुमारः: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sanat + kumāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• एषु: in these
• एषु: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/location)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: etad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम-विशेषण; पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), बहुवचन; ‘नरकाग्निषु’ इत्यर्थे (in these)

• पापाः: sinners/evil-doers
• पापाः: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• प्रपच्यन्ते: are cooked/tormented
• प्रपच्यन्ते: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra√pac (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive)

• शोष्यन्ते: are dried up
• शोष्यन्ते: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śuṣ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive)

• नरक-अग्निषु: in the fires of hell
• नरक-अग्निषु: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: naraka + agni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• यातनाभिः: by tortures
• यातनाभिः: Karaṇa (करण/instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yātanā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• विचित्राभिः: various/strange
• विचित्राभिः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/modifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vicitra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘यातनाभिः’ इत्यस्य विशेषण

• आ: indeed/fully
• आ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपसर्ग-सदृश अव्यय (intensifier/particle)

• स्वकर्म-क्षयात्: from the exhaustion of (their) own karma
• स्वकर्म-क्षयात्: Hetu (हेतु/cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva + karma + kṣaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• भृशम्: excessively
• भृशम्: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण/adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: bhṛśam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

Speaker

Sanatkumara

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

FAQs

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

It teaches that suffering in Naraka is not random punishment but the ripening and depletion of pāpa-karma; when karma is exhausted, the soul (paśu) moves onward in its journey, highlighting the law of karma under the Lord’s cosmic order.

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

By showing that karmic bondage (pāśa) produces painful results, the verse indirectly urges refuge in Saguna Shiva—worship of the Liṅga, devotion, and Śiva-anugraha (grace)—as the purifying path that reduces pāpa and turns the mind toward liberation.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is karmic purification through daily japa of the Pañcākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”), along with Śiva-pūjā/abhisheka and living by dharma to prevent further pāpa and orient the mind toward Śiva’s grace.