Shloka 37

श्रेयो-धर्मकर्मविचारः

Inquiry into Śreyas, Dharma, and Karma

Devanagari script

कृष्णस्य वर्णस्य गतिर्निकृष्टा स सज्जते नरके पच्यमान: । स्थानं तथा दुर्गतिभिस्तु तस्य प्रजाविसर्गान्‌ सुबहून्‌ वदन्ति

Transliteration

kṛṣṇasya varṇasya gatir nikṛṣṭā sa sajjate narake pacyamānaḥ | sthānaṃ tathā durgatibhis tu tasya prajāvisargān subahūn vadanti ||

Translation

ଭୀଷ୍ମ କହିଲେ— କୃଷ୍ଣବର୍ଣ୍ଣର ଗତି ନିକୃଷ୍ଟ ବୋଲି କୁହାଯାଏ। ନରକଦାୟକ ନିଷିଦ୍ଧ କର୍ମରେ ଆସକ୍ତ ହୋଇ ସେ ନରକାଗ୍ନିରେ ପକାଯାଏ। ଋଷିମୁନିମାନେ କହନ୍ତି— ତାହାର ସ୍ଥାନ ଦୁର୍ଗତି ପ୍ରାପ୍ତମାନଙ୍କ ମଧ୍ୟରେ; ଏବଂ କୁକର୍ମରେ ପ୍ରେରିତ ହୋଇ ପୁନଃପୁନଃ ପାପ କରିବାରୁ ସେ ଅନେକ ସୃଷ୍ଟିଚକ୍ର ପର୍ଯ୍ୟନ୍ତ ସେଠାରେ ରହେ।

Word by Word

• कृष्णस्य: of the black(-complexioned one)/of the कृष्ण
• कृष्णस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• वर्णस्य: of the varṇa/class/color
• वर्णस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ण
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• गतिः: course; destiny; state
• गतिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: गति
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• निकृष्टा: debased; low; inferior
• निकृष्टा: Visheshana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निकृष्ट
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सज्जते: clings; becomes attached
• Type: Verb
• Root: सञ्ज्
• Form: Present, Indicative, Atmanepada, 3rd, Singular

• नरके: in hell
• नरके: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• पच्यमानः: being cooked/tormented
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पच्
• Form: Present passive participle (शानच्), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• स्थानम्: place; abode
• स्थानम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• तथा: thus; likewise
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• दुर्गतिभिः: by misfortunes/evil destinies
• दुर्गतिभिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्गति
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Plural

• तु: but; indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• तस्य: of him/of that
• तस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• प्रजाविसर्गान्: many creations/emanations of progeny (cycles of begetting)
• प्रजाविसर्गान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजाविसर्ग
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• सुबहून्: very many
• सुबहून्: Visheshana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुबहु
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• वदन्ति: they say; they declare
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद्
• Form: Present, Indicative, Parasmaipada, 3rd, Plural

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Naraka (hell)
• Ṛṣi-muni (sages)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Attachment to prohibited, unethical actions (niṣiddha-karma) leads to a degraded destiny and prolonged suffering in hell; one’s conduct, not mere identity, determines one’s post-mortem course.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Bhīṣma’s instruction during Śānti Parva, he describes the karmic outcome of a person who repeatedly engages in forbidden deeds: sages are cited as authorities who state that such a person is tormented in naraka for many cycles of creation.