Shloka 3

सामान्यतो नरकगतिवर्णनम्

General Description of the Course of Hell / Naraka-gati

Devanagari script

सुगाढं हस्तयोर्बद्ध्वा ततश्शृंखलया नराः । महावृक्षाग्रशाखासु लम्ब्यन्ते यमकिंकरैः

Transliteration

sugāḍhaṃ hastayorbaddhvā tataśśṛṃkhalayā narāḥ | mahāvṛkṣāgraśākhāsu lambyante yamakiṃkaraiḥ

Translation

Amarrando os homens com firmeza pelas duas mãos e depois prendendo-os com correntes, os servos de Yama os penduram nos ramos mais altos de grandes árvores.

Word by Word

• सु-गाढम्: very tightly
• सु-गाढम्: क्रियाविशेषण (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + गाढ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण (intensively)

• हस्तयोः: of (their) hands
• हस्तयोः: सम्बन्ध (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हस्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), द्विवचन

• बद्ध्वा: having bound
• बद्ध्वा: पूर्वकाल-क्रिया (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: बन्ध् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive); ‘having bound’

• ततः: then
• ततः: क्रियाविशेषण (Temporal/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रमवाचक (then/thereafter)

• शृङ्खलया: with a chain
• शृङ्खलया: करण (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शृङ्खला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• नराः: men
• नराः: कर्म (Object of lambyante/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• महा-वृक्ष-अग्र-शाखासु: on the top-branches of great trees
• महा-वृक्ष-अग्र-शाखासु: अधिकरण (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + वृक्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + अग्र (प्रातिपदिक) + शाखा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), बहुवचन; समासः—बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (महावृक्षस्य अग्रशाखाः)

• लम्ब्यन्ते: are hung / hang down
• लम्ब्यन्ते: क्रिया (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लम्ब् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

• यम-किंकरैः: by Yama’s servants
• यम-किंकरैः: कर्ता (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम (प्रातिपदिक) + किंकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (यमस्य किंकराः)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Characters & Entities

• Yama

FAQs

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

It highlights the working of karma and pāśa (bondage): harmful actions bind the soul to painful consequences, urging the seeker to turn toward Shiva as Pati, the liberator from bondage.

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

By contrasting karmic punishment with liberation, it implicitly directs one to Saguna Shiva worship—Linga devotion, repentance, and dharmic living—as a purifying path that loosens bondage and leads toward Shiva’s grace.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Practice daily Shiva-smaraṇa with the Panchakshara mantra ("Om Namaḥ Śivāya"), along with simple purity disciplines (bhasma/tripundra and rudrāksha where appropriate) and ethical restraint to prevent karmic bondage.