Buddhist term for the infernal realms. Used in religious contexts; the loanword from Sanskrit naraka.
from Sanskrit naraka
very bottom; the end; worst possible circumstances
Figurative use derived from the Buddhist hell: a situation of utter despair, rock bottom, or the worst possible outcome. Often used in expressions like 奈落の底.
失業して、彼は奈落の底に突き落とされた気分だった。
After losing his job, he felt as if he had been thrown into the abyss.
trap room; below-stage basement
Only when written 奈落
Theatrical term for the space beneath the stage, used for trapdoor effects and storage. Restricted to the 奈落 spelling.
舞台の奈落には大道具が収められている。
Stage props are stored in the trap room beneath the stage.
In Buddhism, it is taught that accumulating evil deeds leads to falling into Naraka.
その事故で彼の人生は奈落へと転がり落ちた。
The accident sent his life tumbling into the depths.
奈落 evokes a bottomless abyss or pit of doom, while 地獄 more broadly names the realm or state of suffering itself.
奈落 evokes hell or a bottomless pit and is used almost only figuratively, whereas 淵 can describe either a literal deep pool or a figurative depth of despair.
Avici hell; the deepest hell in Buddhism
to the utmost limits; to the bitter end; down to the bedrock
Standard kanji spelling for all senses. The theatrical sense is restricted to this form.
Rarely used kanji form.
Rarely used kanji form.
Borrowed from Sanskrit naraka via Buddhist texts. The kanji 奈落 are ateji used phonetically. The theatrical sense derives from the idea of a dark, hidden space beneath the stage, likened to the underworld.