Shloka 9

नरक-निर्णयः, पाप-कर्म-फल-व्यवस्था, प्रायश्चित्त-क्रमः, तथा हरि-स्मरण-परमत्वम्

Devanagari script

सुरापो ब्रह्महा हर्ता सुवर्णस्य च सूकरे प्रयाति नरके यश् च तैः संसर्गम् उपैति वै

Transliteration

surāpo brahmahā hartā suvarṇasya ca sūkare prayāti narake yaś ca taiḥ saṃsargam upaiti vai

Translation

شراب پینے والا، برہمن کا قاتل اور سونا چرانے والا—نرک میں جاتے ہیں؛ اور جو جان بوجھ کر ایسے مجرموں کی صحبت و قربت اختیار کرے وہ بھی نرک کو پہنچتا ہے۔

Word by Word

• सुरापः: drinker of liquor
• सुरापः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुरा (प्रातिपदिक) + पा (धातु) → प (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (सुरां पिबति)

• ब्रह्महा: slayer of a brāhmaṇa
• ब्रह्महा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + हन् (धातु) → -हा (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (slayer of a brāhmaṇa)

• हर्ता: stealer
• हर्ता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हृ (धातु) → हर्तृ (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि-तृच् (agent noun: thief/stealer)

• सुवर्णस्य: of gold
• सुवर्णस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुवर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध (genitive: of gold)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• सूकरे: in Sūkara (a hell)
• सूकरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अधिकरण (locative: in/into)

• प्रयाति: goes forth / goes
• प्रयाति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• नरके: in hell
• नरके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; अधिकरण (in hell)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• तैः: with them
• तैः: Sahakaraka (Association/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; सहार्थे करण (with them)

• संसर्गम्: association / contact
• संसर्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संसर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्म

• उपैति: approaches / enters into
• उपैति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-इ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic particle)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (in discourse to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: How specific transgressions—including association (saṃsarga) with offenders—produce naraka results.

Teaching: Ethical

Quality: revealing

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Surā-pāna, brahma-hatyā, and suvarṇa-haraṇa lead to naraka, and deliberate intimate association with such offenders shares in their demerit.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Avoid enabling networks of harm (substance abuse, exploitation, theft); cultivate sat-saṅga and ethical community standards.

Vishishtadvaita: Moral agency is relational within the Lord’s real world: saṅga (company) shapes karma, affirming an embodied, socially embedded dharma.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Shanta

FAQs

What is the significance of association (saṃsarga) in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse teaches that moral and spiritual consequences extend beyond direct action: intimate companionship with grave offenders is itself treated as a dharmic fault leading to suffering.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the logic of punishment for major sins here?

Parāśara lists archetypal mahāpātakas and adds that aligning oneself with such acts through deliberate association implicates a person in the same downward karmic trajectory.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this context?

Even when Vishnu is not named, the teaching presumes Vishnu as the upholder of ṛta/dharma: ethical law functions as His cosmic governance, steering beings toward upliftment or decline.