Shloka 23

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

Devanagari script

अगारदाही मित्रघ्नः शाकुनिर् ग्रामयाजकः रुधिरान्धे पतन्त्य् एते सोमं विक्रीणते च ये

Transliteration

agāradāhī mitraghnaḥ śākunir grāmayājakaḥ rudhirāndhe patanty ete somaṃ vikrīṇate ca ye

Translation

വീടുകൾ കത്തിക്കുന്ന അഗാരദാഹി, സുഹൃത്തെ കൊല്ലുന്ന മിത്രഘ്നൻ, പക്ഷിശകുനങ്ങളിൽ ജീവിക്കുന്ന ശാകുനി, സദാചാരമില്ലാതെ കൂലിക്കായി ഗ്രാമയാജകനായി കർമ്മങ്ങൾ ചെയ്യുന്നവൻ—കൂടാതെ പവിത്ര സോമം വിൽക്കുന്നവർ—ഇവർ എല്ലാവരും ‘രുധിരാന്ധ’ എന്ന നരകത്തിൽ വീഴും; അത് ‘രക്താന്ധകാരം’.

Word by Word

• अगारदाही: house-burner
• अगारदाही: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अगार + दाहिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (अगारं दहति इति)

• मित्रघ्नः: slayer of a friend
• मित्रघ्नः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मित्र + घ्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (मित्रं हन्ति इति)

• शाकुनिः: bird-catcher; one who lives by omens/birds
• शाकुनिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाकुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• ग्रामयाजकः: village priest (officiating for a village)
• ग्रामयाजकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्राम + याजक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (ग्रामे यजति/याजयति इति)

• रुधिरान्धे: in the blood-dark (hell/region)
• रुधिरान्धे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुधिर + अन्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः (रुधिरेण अन्धम् इव/रुधिर-अन्धम्)

• पतन्ति: fall
• पतन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• एते: these
• एते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; निर्देशवाचक-सर्वनाम (demonstrative)

• सोमम्: Soma (ritual drink)
• सोमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• विक्रीणते: sell
• विक्रीणते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + क्री (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• ये: who (those who)
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Specific sins leading to particular narakas (hell-realms)

Teaching: Ethical

Quality: warning

Cosmological Context

Cosmic Hierarchy: Lokas (worlds)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Grave violations—arson, betrayal, fraudulent divination, mercenary priestcraft, and selling Soma—lead to severe post-mortem suffering (Rudhirāndha).

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Avoid harm to community, betrayal of trust, and commercialization of sacred rites; keep spiritual practice free from exploitation.

Vishishtadvaita: Sacred substances and rites belong to Bhagavān’s order; profaning them is an offense against the divine body of the world and its moral law.

Characters & Entities

• Parāśara
• Maitreya
• Soma
• Rudhirāndha (Naraka)

FAQs

What is the significance of Rudhirāndha in the Vishnu Purana?

Rudhirāndha is named as a specific Naraka where certain grave ethical and ritual violations—like arson, betraying a friend, exploitative divination, corrupt officiation, and selling Soma—ripen into painful karmic results.

How does Sage Parāśara explain moral order (dharma) through this verse?

By listing concrete actions and their destination, Parāśara frames dharma as an objective cosmic law: deeds that destroy trust, social safety, and sacred rites inevitably produce corresponding consequences.

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

Even when Vishnu is not directly named, the Vishnu Purana presents him as the supreme ground of ṛta/dharma—so karmic justice and the governance of Narakas function within Vishnu’s sovereign order of the universe.