Srimad Bhagavatam — Panchama Skandha, Shloka 2
Naraka-varṇana: The Hellish Planets and the Karmic Logic of Punishment
ऋषिरुवाच त्रिगुणत्वात्कर्तु: श्रद्धया कर्मगतय: पृथग्विधा: सर्वा एव सर्वस्य तारतम्येन भवन्ति ॥ २ ॥
ṛṣir uvāca tri-guṇatvāt kartuḥ śraddhayā karma-gatayaḥ pṛthag-vidhāḥ sarvā eva sarvasya tāratamyena bhavanti.
O sábio disse: Ó Rei, como o agente é influenciado pelas três guṇas e conforme sua fé, os caminhos do karma são variados; e os frutos também diferem por graus.
FAQs
This verse states that because the doer is influenced by the three modes, his faith and actions vary, producing many different karmic destinations with higher and lower gradations.
He links destinations—including suffering realms—to the inner orientation of a person: faith shaped by the gunas drives specific actions, and those actions lead to corresponding results.
Examine what shapes your faith and choices (goodness, passion, ignorance), cultivate sāttvika habits and devotion, and align actions with dharma to avoid degrading karmic outcomes.