Shloka 22
नरकनामनिर्णयः
Catalogue of Narakas and Karmic Causes
एते चान्ये च नरकाः शतशोऽथ सहस्रशः । येषु दुष्कृतकर्माणः पच्यते यातनागताः
ete cānye ca narakāḥ śataśo'tha sahasraśaḥ | yeṣu duṣkṛtakarmāṇaḥ pacyate yātanāgatāḥ
Estes e muitos outros infernos—às centenas e até aos milhares—existem; neles, os que praticam más ações são “cozidos” no tormento, por terem caído em estados de punição. Do ponto de vista śaiva, tal sofrimento nasce do pāśa (laço) criado pelo próprio karma, até que a alma se volte para Pati (o Senhor Śiva) e para o caminho da purificação.
Suta Goswami (narrating the Shiva Purana discourse to the sages, consistent with Purana frame narrative)
Tattva Level: pasha
FAQs
It emphasizes that suffering is not arbitrary: karmic bondage (pāśa) ripens into painful results. The verse urges ethical living and a turn toward Śiva (Pati) through purification and devotion to end the cycle of punishment and rebirth.
By highlighting the consequences of duṣkṛta (harmful deeds), it indirectly points to the remedial path taught in Shaiva tradition—approaching Saguna Śiva through Liṅga worship, repentance, and disciplined practice, which purifies karma and loosens pāśa.
A practical takeaway is regular japa of the Panchākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) with a vow of non-harming and self-restraint; this aligns conduct with dharma and supports karmic purification.