Shloka 11
ये पुराणकथां श्रुत्वा निंदंत्युपहसंति वै । तेषां करस्था नरका बहुक्लेशकराः सदा
ye purāṇakathāṃ śrutvā niṃdaṃtyupahasaṃti vai | teṣāṃ karasthā narakā bahukleśakarāḥ sadā
పురాణకథ విని దానిని నిందించి హాస్యాస్పదం చేసే వారికి నరకాలు చేతిలో ఉన్నట్లే—ఎల్లప్పుడూ అనేక క్లేశాలు కలిగించేవి.
Unspecified (narratorial/teaching voice within Brahma-khaṇḍa context)
Concept: Mockery and disparagement of Purāṇic sacred narrative constitutes a serious offense leading to painful hellish states.
Application: Practice disciplined listening: suspend cynicism during sacred study; if doubts arise, ask respectfully after the session rather than mocking; cultivate śraddhā and humility.
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: raudra
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A Purāṇa recitation unfolds with calm devotees seated in rows, but at the edge a few listeners sneer and whisper, their faces turned away in contempt. The composition shows a stark moral split: the central space glows with warm lamp-light around the speaker, while the mockers stand under a cold shadow where a ‘palm-held hell’ is symbolized as a dark, miniature abyss hovering near their hands.","primary_figures":["purāṇa-vācaka","devotee listeners","mocking listeners (nindaka/upahāsaka)","symbolic naraka-vision"],"setting":"Indoor temple hall with hanging lamps, manuscript stand, and a simple dais; side corridor where the mockers linger.","lighting_mood":"lamp-lit with contrasting shadow","color_palette":["warm ochre","deep maroon","cold slate blue","soot black","muted gold"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: central vācaka and attentive devotees rendered with gold leaf halos and ornate textiles; at the margins, mockers in subdued tones with a stylized dark ‘nāraka’ vignette near their hands; heavy gold embossing on sacred center, emphasizing the contrast between śraddhā and nindā.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: refined interior with delicate expressions; the mockers’ subtle smirks and sideways glances are captured with fine linework; a symbolic dark cloud shaped like a small pit appears near them; cool-warm tonal contrast and lyrical architectural details.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines and flat pigments show the assembly; the mockers are placed in a side panel with a dark naraka motif; strong reds/yellows in the sacred center, green-black shadows for the offenders.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: a framed devotional scene with ornate floral borders; the faithful sit within the lotus-bordered sanctum, while mockers are outside the border where the cloth pattern turns thorny and dark; deep blues and gold accents with narrative symbolism."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["steady tanpura drone","soft bell at verse ends","whispering wind (symbolic)","pages turning","brief silence after warning"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: निंदंत्युपहसंति = निन्दन्ति + उपहसन्ति; पुराणकथाम् = पुराण-कथाम् (समास/तत्पुरुष); बहुक्लेशकराः = बहु-क्लेश-कराः (समास); करस्थाः = कर-स्थाः (समासार्थः ‘करे स्थिता’).
FAQs
It warns against disparaging or ridiculing sacred Purāṇic teachings after hearing them, presenting such contempt as a serious moral fault with grave karmic consequences.
Literally “hells situated in the hand/palm,” it is an idiom of immediacy—suggesting that the consequence is close at hand, unavoidable, and swiftly encountered.
The verse supports a devotional and reverential posture toward sacred narration (kathā/śravaṇa), implying that receptivity and respect are integral to spiritual benefit, while mockery blocks it and accrues demerit.