Shloka 7

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

Devanagari script

इति श्रीशिवमहापुराणे पञ्चम्यामुमासंहितायां नरकलोकमार्गयमदूतस्वरूपवर्णनं नाम सप्तमोऽध्यायः

Transliteration

iti śrīśivamahāpurāṇe pañcamyāmumāsaṃhitāyāṃ narakalokamārgayamadūtasvarūpavarṇanaṃ nāma saptamo'dhyāyaḥ

Translation

Như vậy, trong Śrī Śiva Mahāpurāṇa, quyển thứ năm—Umā-saṃhitā—kết thúc chương bảy, mang tên: “Mô tả con đường đến cõi địa ngục và hình tướng các sứ giả của Diêm Vương (Yamadūta).”

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; वाक्यसमाप्त्यर्थक/उद्धरणसूचक (quotative/closing particle)

• श्रीशिवमहापुराणे: in the Śrī Śiva Mahāpurāṇa
• श्रीशिवमहापुराणे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री (प्रातिपदिक) + शिव (प्रातिपदिक) + महापुराण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; अधिकरण-सप्तमी; समास: (श्री-शिव)-महापुराणे (honorific + proper name + ‘great purāṇa’)

• पञ्चम्याम्: in the fifth (book/section)
• पञ्चम्याम्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्चमी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; locative singular ‘in the fifth’ (refers to the fifth book/section)

• उमासंहितायाम्: in the Umāsaṃhitā
• उमासंहितायाम्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उमा (प्रातिपदिक) + संहिता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: उमायाः संहिता; locative singular

• नरकलोकमार्गयमदूतस्वरूपवर्णनम्: the description of the path to the hell-world and the nature of Yama’s messengers
• नरकलोकमार्गयमदूतस्वरूपवर्णनम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक) + लोक (प्रातिपदिक) + मार्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + यम (प्रातिपदिक) + दूत (प्रातिपदिक) + स्वरूप (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्णन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष-समास (determinative chain): नरकलोकस्य मार्गः; यमदूतानां स्वरूपम्; तस्य वर्णनम्

• नाम: named
• नाम: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; नाम-शब्दः ‘called/named’ (naming particle)

• सप्तमः: seventh
• सप्तमः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; ordinal ‘seventh’

• अध्यायः: chapter
• अध्यायः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अध्याय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; nominative singular

Speaker

Suta Goswami (as the conventional frame-narrator concluding the chapter to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Uma (Parvati)
• Yama
• Yamadutas
• Naraka

FAQs

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

This is a colophon marking the completion of a chapter; its significance is to frame the teaching: karmic bondage (pāśa) leads to fearful post-death consequences, while turning to Śiva as Pati (the liberating Lord) is the higher Shaiva aim.

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

Though not prescribing a rite directly, the chapter title reinforces the Purāṇic contrast: those who remain bound to adharma face Yama’s domain, whereas devotion to Saguna Śiva (including Liṅga-worship) and pursuit of Śiva’s grace are presented as protective and elevating.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

No specific practice is stated in this colophon; the implied takeaway in Shaiva usage is steady Śiva-smaraṇa and mantra-japa (especially the Pañcākṣarī, “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) as a corrective to karmic decline.