Shloka 58

नरकलोकमार्गयमदूतस्वरूपवर्णनम् / Description of the Path to Naraka and the Nature of Yama’s Messengers

Devanagari script

अनेन परिचारेण वृतं तं घोरदर्शनम् । यमं पश्यंति पापिष्ठाश्चित्रगुप्तं च भीषणम्

Transliteration

anena paricāreṇa vṛtaṃ taṃ ghoradarśanam | yamaṃ paśyaṃti pāpiṣṭhāścitraguptaṃ ca bhīṣaṇam

Translation

Cercados por esse séquito, os mais pecadores contemplam Yama—terrível de se ver—e também o temível Chitragupta.

Word by Word

• अनेन: by this
• अनेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Masc/Neut), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• परिचारेण: by (their) attendance/retinue
• परिचारेण: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परिचार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• वृतम्: surrounded
• वृतम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; from √वृ ‘to cover/surround’, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular); कर्मणि-भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle)

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• घोर-दर्शनम्: of dreadful appearance
• घोर-दर्शनम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर (प्रातिपदिक) + दर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (as epithet of यम)

• यमम्: Yama
• यमम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• पश्यन्ति: they see
• पश्यन्ति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural), परस्मैपद

• पापिष्ठाः: the most sinful (people)
• पापिष्ठाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पापिष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक; superlative of पाप)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• चित्रगुप्तम्: Citragupta
• चित्रगुप्तम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चित्रगुप्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• भीषणम्: terrible
• भीषणम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भीषण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (of चित्रगुप्त)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Shiva Form: Mahākāla

Characters & Entities

• Yama
• Chitragupta

FAQs

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

The verse underscores karmic accountability: those bound by pāśa (impurities and sin) are forced to face Yama and Chitragupta, symbolizing the inescapable moral order that Shaiva teaching urges one to transcend through purification and devotion to Pati (Shiva).

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

By contrasting the terror of karmic judgement with the refuge of Shiva, the passage implicitly points to Saguna Shiva worship—especially Linga-bhakti—as a means of cleansing pāpa and loosening bondage, moving the soul toward Shiva’s grace rather than fear-driven afterlife consequences.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is regular Shiva-upāsanā—japa of the Panchakshara (Om Namaḥ Śivāya), wearing rudrākṣa, and applying tripuṇḍra (bhasma)—as disciplines for purification and reducing karmic fear.