Kālasūtra (Naraka)

Kālasūtra · kāla-sūtra, “the thread of Kāla”

Kālasūtra is one of the narakas, the places of suffering ruled by Yama into which those who do pāpa (wrong deeds) are cast after death. The Brahma Purāṇa describes it as a naraka made of threads of vajra. Those who stole the crops of others fall there.

In Vyāsa’s account of the narakas

The munis ask Vyāsa to tell them in full how those who do pāpa (wrong deeds) go along the southern road, the dakshiṇa-mārga. Vyāsa tells them of that dreadful road to Yama’s city, of Yama’s court, where the pāpīs see Yama and Citragupta, and of the Yama-kiṅkaras, Yama’s servants, who punish each offence in the very manner that Vasishṭha and the other maharshis laid down for it. Then he says: “Hear the terrible form of the narakas and their measures,” and names them one by one, with the deed that leads to each.

Source: Brahma Purāṇa, Chapter 215

The naraka and who falls there

Kālasūtra is made of vajra-sūtras, threads hard as the vajra. Those who stole others’ crops fall there.

Vyāsa names it after Paritāpa, the naraka made of the fire of pralaya for the giver of poison and the stealer of honey, and before Kaśmala, the naraka of mucus and phlegm.

Vyāsa ends the account of the narakas with these words: those who turned away from dharma in mind, speech, body and deed must suffer sorrows in the very dreadful torments of Yama-loka for thousands, lakhs and crores of years.

Source: Brahma Purāṇa, Chapter 215

Sources

  • Brahma Purāṇa, Chapter 215