3 - Description of Hell

Suta said: 

1. Thus encouraged, Garuda asked about the description of Hells, being curious to know about their nature and function. 

Garuda said: 

2. O Lord, tell me about the nature and division of hells where the evil-doers are thrown mercilessly. 

Lord Krishna said: 

3. O younger brother of Aruna, there are thousands of hells. It is not possible to describe all of them in detail. I shall tell you about the principal hells thoroughly. 

4. The principal hell is Raurava. The person who tells lies and gives false evidence goes to this hell. 

5. Raurava is two thousand yojanas in measurement. There is a knee-deep pit, difficult to cross. 

6. It is levelled upto the ground by a heap of burning coal. And the ground there is well-heated by fire. 

7. The servants of Yama leave the sinner there in the middle. Burnt by burning fire he runs helter-skelter. 

8. At every step his foot is burnt. Day and night he moves here and there lifting and putting his feet. 

9. There he is left along a thousand Yojanas. Then for the purgation of remaining sins he goes to other hells. 

10. Thus I have told you about the first hell named Raurava. Now, O bird, hear about the hell called Maharaurava. 

11. It is five thousand Yojanas in measurement. It has copper-coloured earth scorched below. 

12. When heated by it, the earth shines like lightning. It appears extremely fierce to the sinner. 

13. The servants of Yama tie hands and feet of the sinner and throw him in this hell where he goes down rolling. 

14. While rolling down in the way he is bit by fearful crows, cranes, ants, mosquitoes and scorpions. 

15. Thus being burnt, he loses his wits and cries restlessly, 'O father, O father,' again and again, but attains no peace.

16. The persons who have committed sins with bad intentions are thrown into this hell and get release from there only from myriads of years. 

17. Then there is another hell by name and nature Atishita (very cold). It is as big as Maharaurava and full of dense darkness. 

18. There in the fierce darkness, the sinners are tied and left, suffering from cold. Meeting each other they clasp lightly. 

19. Shivering with cold their teeth sound loudly. Even there the overpowering trouble of hunger and thirst exists, O Garuda. 

20. The fierce wind blowing over the blocks of ice pierces the bones. The hungry men consume decayed marrow, blood and bones. 

21. Meeting together and clasping each other they wander here and there. The persons who had been boarding wealth suffer too much in that darkness, O the best of birds. 

22. Then there is another hell called Nrukruntana. 

23. A series of potter's wheel is moving round and round there, O bird. There the sinners, whose feet and head are tied by a string are held by Yama's servants in their fingers. 

24-25. O bird, their life is not destroyed but their organs are cut into hundred pieces and restored again to their original position. Thus, for thousands of years, the sinners rotate till their sins are exhausted completely. 

26-27. Now hear, I shall tell you about the hell named Apratishtha. The people who go to this hell suffer intensely. There too the potter's wheels and the ghatiyantra operate constantly. 

28. Those sinners who had caused untold sufferings to men are placed there on the potter's wheels and rotate incessantly.

29. They remain there for thousands of years, tied as they are to ghatiyantra¹ like the water-pots.

1. A machine for raising water.

30. The sinners rotate there vomitting blood again and again. Their intestines come out through mouth and their eyes are suspended by intestines. 

31. Now hear about another hell named Asipatravana, where the sinners suffer unbearable miseries. 

32-33. There over a thousand Yojanas a fierce fire burns with seven fierce rays. The sinners thrown in this hell feel burnt without recess. In the midst is seen a tree with a big trunk, overgrown with cool and smooth leaves which are torn here and there, O Garuda. 

34-36. There powerful dogs roam about, always eager to cat meat. They have fierce jaws, fierce mouths and are powerful like tigers. Then seeing in front, the forest with cool shade, the miserable sinners suffer from hunger and heat, run to it, crying 'O mother, O brother, O father.' 

37-38. Then their feet burn by the ground-fire. Still then, a very cool wind blows forcefully which makes those sharp blades fall upon them. Cut into pieces they fall in the burning fire. 

39-40. Then the licking dogs tear their bodies into pieces even as they weep woefully. Thus, I have told you about the Asipatravana. 

41. Now hear about a more fierce hell called Taptakumbha, where all around are kept heated pitchers full of burning flames. 

42. The pitchers are full of burning fire, hot oil and iron filings. Therein are thrown the sinners by the attendants of Yama. 

43. They (the attendants of Yama) boil their bodies disintegrating, marrow flowing out, heads, eyes and bones breaking 

44. Fierce vultures tear them taking them out and again throwing them in. They boil there till they are merged into oil. 

45. When their head, limbs, sinews, flesh, skin and bones are liquefied, then Yama's servants stir them with a ladle. 

46. The sinners are boiled in oil in Yama's abode. Thus, I have narrated to you in detail about Tapta-Kumbha, O bird. 

47-48. So, the first hell is Raurava, the second Maharaurava, the third Atishita, the fourth Nishkruntana, the fifth Apratishtha and the sixth Asitapatravana and the seventh Taptakumbha. These are the seven hells. 

49. We hear about some other hells also where the sinners fall according to their sins. 

50-53. They are Rodha, Shukara, Tala, Taptakumbha, Mahajvala, Sabala, Vimohana, Krimi, Krumibhaksha, Lalabhaksha, Vishanjana, Adhahshiras, Puyavaha, Rudhirandha, Vidbhuj. Vaitarani, Suma, Asipatra Vana, Agnijvala, Mahaghora, Sandamsha, Abhojana, Tamas, Kalasutra, Loha, Abhida, Apratishtha, Avichi. 

54. These dark hells are situated in Yama's country. Herein fall the sinners in the order of their sins.

55. These hells, Raurava, etc, lie below the earth. Now hear about the sins which drive the sinners to particular hells. 

56. A man who kills a cow, a foetus or indulges in arson, falls in Rodha, A killer of brahmana falls in Shukara. So also, a drunkard, a stealer of gold, a killer of kshatriya or vaishya falls in Tala. 

57. He who kills a brahmana or defiles his teacher's bed or has sexual union with his sister falls in Taptakumbha. So also, a soldier who speaks lies. 

58. In the similar way, he who sells liquor or he who discards a devotee also falls there. 

59. He who co-habits with his daughter or daughter-in law, he who sells Veda, or he who blames the Vedas falls into Mahajvala. 

60. He who insults his teacher or abuses him or he who co-habits with an unworthy woman falls into Shabala.

61. He who transgresses codes of moral conduct prescribed for the conduct of war falls into Vimohana. He who does an undesirable act falls into Krumibhaksha. 

62-63. He who holds no honour for deities or the twice born brahmanas falls into Lalabhaksha. A potter who digs pits or a physician who flouts trust or a person who sets fire to parks, falls into Vishanjana. So also, a brahmana who receives prohibited gifts or performs sacrifice for a wrong person. 

64-65. Or a Kshatriya who does not live by valour falls into Adhomukha. He who sells milk, liquor, meat or cuts wood or deals in scents, juices, gingelly seeds, falls into fierce Puyavaha. He who catches cocks, cats pigs, birds, deer and goats fall into this hell. 

66-67. He who deals in buffaloes, or a juggler or he who sells liquor, an actor, or brahmana who is a bird-hunter or a village-priest who indulges in arson or he who administers poison or he who is a pump or he who sells soma, or a drunkard, a meat-cater or a killer of animals-- 

68. All these fall into Rudhirandha. Those who administer poison to their guests, sitting in a row, fall into the fierce hell Vidbhuj. There is no doubt in this. 

69. He who drinks wine falls into Vaitarani. He who calls others by bad names falls into Mutra. 

70. He who has not lived a pious life falls into Asitapatravana. So also, he who is hot-tempered. A deer-hunter falls into Agnijvala where he is eaten by the crows. 

71. The person who breaks his vow during the course of sacrifice falls into Sandamsha. So also, Brahmacharins who discharge their semen in dream 

72. The father who are taught by their sons or who receive orders from them fall into Abhojana. 

73. Those who perform acts violating the rules of their Varna and Ashrama, on account of anger or pleasure go to hell. 

74. There is the hot Raurava above and the cold Tamasa below. 

75. In this way, the hells are situated one below the other. The climax of misery is due to bad acts. 

76. And the climax of joy accrues from good acts, The gods look down and see the fierce hells. 

77. The sinners of hell also look up and see the gods above. There are thus hundreds of hells, O bird. 

78-79. Daily in the hell, the sinners are cooked, burnt, torn, broken, pounded, moistened, boiled, heated and blown by winds. A day in hell is equal to one hundred years of the mortal. 

80-82. Having crossed these, the sinner is reborn as a worm, a germ, a fly, a one-hoofed creature, a wild elephant, a cow, an ass, a horse, a mule, a buffalo, Sharabha, a chamari, a six-hoofed animal or one having five nails. In these and other yonis he takes birth. 

83. If born as a human being he becomes hunch-backed or a dwarf or a chandala in wretched yonis. 

84. The sinner is born again and again and dies again and again till he has exhausted his sin and acquired virtue. 

85. Then some time he steps into the yoni of Shudra or Vaishya or Kshatriya or Brahmana or a deity. 

86. Thus I have told you how a sinner falls into hell. Now I shall tell you how and where the virtuous go after death. 

87. The virtuous obtain good yonis as directed by Yama. Immediately after the soul leaves the body, the Gandharvas come singing and dancing, adorned with garlands and anklets. 

88. And then appear splendid aerial cars decorated with sweet smelling garlands (which take the virtuous souls to heaven). 

89-90. When their merits are exhausted, the virtuous souls fall from heaven and are born in the houses of kings or nobles of illustrious character, where they enjoy various pleasures. Thus, men go up and down the ladder as stated before. 

91. Death is certain for the mortals who are born on this earth. The soul of the sinner leaves the body from the downward path, undoubtedly.

92. Earth mingles with earth, water with water, fire with fire, air with air. 

93. Sky mingles with sky, pervading all around. In the body there exist love, anger and five organs. 

94. O Garuda, there abide thieves in the body in the form of love, anger and pride. Mind is the leader of all these. 

95. Death is temporal. The jiva along with sins, virtues and five subtle organs enters into new body just as a house-holder enters into a new house when the old one is burnt. 

96-98. In the body exist seven elements and seven Koshas. All these exist in the body-urine, waste, allied matter, bile, cough, marrow, flesh, fat, bones, semen, sinews which are destroyed along with the body (when the soul departs). 

99. Thus I have told you, o bird, about the end of all bodies. Now I shall tell you, O bird, how their body looks like. 

100-102. It is a shrub of sinews adorned with three trunks, combined with organs and having nine openings. Full of sensual pleasures, love, anger, desire and envy, possessing a high way robber in the form of greed, caught in the net of avarice and covered by the cloth of affection. It is bound by illusion and inhabited by greed. 

103. These qualities in here in the bodies of all creatures. Those who do not realize their self are nothing more than beasts. 

104. Thus I have told you about the fourfold body. Formerly, eighty-four yonis were created [for the jiva to pass through]. 

105. While narrating about the hell I told you about all these-that are born from the earth, from the sweat, from the eggs and from the embryo. 

106. I shall tell you more as and when necessary or do you possess a desire to ask more?