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Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 96

Pāpa-bheda, Naraka-yātanā, Mahāpātaka-vicāra, Atonement Limits, Daśa-vidhā Bhakti, and Gaṅgā as Final Remedy

स घोरं नरकं यातिव्याघ्रपक्षं चतुर्युगम् । यः स्वकर्मपरित्यागी पाषण्डीत्युच्यते बुधैः ॥ ९६ ॥

sa ghoraṃ narakaṃ yātivyāghrapakṣaṃ caturyugam | yaḥ svakarmaparityāgī pāṣaṇḍītyucyate budhaiḥ || 96 ||

Người ấy sẽ đi vào địa ngục ghê rợn tên Vyāghrapakṣa suốt bốn yuga—kẻ từ bỏ bổn phận được quy định cho mình, bậc trí gọi là pāṣaṇḍin (kẻ lạc đạo).

सःhe
सः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)
घोरम्terrible
घोरम्:
Visheshana (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootघोर (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); agreeing with नरकम्
नरकम्hell
नरकम्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootनरक (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)
यातिgoes
याति:
Kriya (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootया (धातु)
FormPresent/लट्, 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन); Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)
व्याघ्रपक्षम्(the hell called) Vyāghrapakṣa
व्याघ्रपक्षम्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootव्याघ्रपक्ष (प्रातिपदिक; व्याघ्र + पक्ष)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); as a specific hell-name/apposition
चतुर्युगम्for a caturyuga
चतुर्युगम्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootचतुर्युग (प्रातिपदिक; चतुर् + युग)
FormNeuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); duration-object
यःwho
यः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootयद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); relative pronoun
स्व-कर्म-परित्यागीone who abandons his own duties
स्व-कर्म-परित्यागी:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootस्व (प्रातिपदिक) + कर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + परित्यागिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)
पाषण्डीa heretic
पाषण्डी:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootपाषण्डिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); predicate-noun
इतिthus
इति:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/quotative)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootइति (अव्यय)
FormQuotative particle (इति-प्रयोग)
उच्यतेis called
उच्यते:
Kriya (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootवच् (धातु)
FormPresent/लट्, 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन); Ātmanepada (आत्मनेपद); Passive (कर्मणि)
बुधैःby the wise
बुधैः:
Karana (करण)
TypeNoun
Rootबुध (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural (बहुवचन)

Sanatkumara (in instruction to Narada, within the Narada–Sanatkumara dialogue on dharma)

Vrata: none

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: vira

FAQs

It asserts that spiritual progress requires fidelity to one’s scripturally defined responsibilities (svakarma); rejecting them is portrayed as a grave dharmic rupture with severe karmic consequences.

It implies bhakti must be aligned with dharma—devotion is not a license to discard righteous conduct; abandoning ordained duties is condemned as pāṣaṇḍa rather than praised as spirituality.

The verse points to the applied side of Dharma-śāstra and Kalpa (ritual and conduct): knowing and performing one’s prescribed rites and obligations instead of rejecting them under misguided doctrines.