198 - Torments in Hell

Nachiketas said:

1. Yama, the god of the d cad, gave me audience in his assembly.

2. He duly honoured me with seat, pãdya and arghya according to Vedic rites.

3. He then asked me to sit in a golden scat on which were strewn darbha grass and flowers.

4. His face which is always terrific, became calm as I was looking at it.

5. Due to his kindness for me, his reddish eyes soon became gentle like lotus petals.

6. His attitude crated confidence in me and I became glad.

7. Then issued from my mouth a hymn in his praise which removes all sins, brings about all desires, confers fame and is commended even by gods.

8. Yama, the great upholder of dharma, was pleased at this.

The sage’s son (Nachiketas) said:

9. O four-footed lord, the god of the manes, you are the ordainer and sustainer of Shräddha. I bow to you.

10. O Dharmaräja, the great god of the dead, you are the knower of time, the knower of whatever that is done, and one wedded to truth. I bow to you.

11. You are action and the actuator of action. You are the lord of past, present and future. You are the purifier as well the stupefier. You are the essence as well as elaboration o uneven-eyed holder of rod and noose, I bow to you. 

12. O you resplendent like the sun, the observer of the life of all, black in complexion, indomitable, having the form of sesamum oil, I bow to you. 

13. You are lustrous like the Sun, you are the carrier of offerings to gods as well as to the manes. You are a mighty lord. I bow to you. 

14. You are destroyer of sins, you stand in austerity, you are ever the guardian of Shraddha, you are a great ascetic. With one eye transformed into many you are Käla and Death. I bow to you. 

15. Sometimes you appear with a rod, sometimes with a fully shaven head, sometimes as the fearful Kala, sometimes as a boy, sometimes as an old man, sometimes in a form that strikes terror, I bow to you. 

16. The world is controlled by you through dharma. You see to this directly and, without you, dharma cannot be accomplished. 

17. You are the god of gods, the penance among penances and the japa among japas. In this I don’t find anyone other than you. 

18-19. You never attempt to push down from here sages without any relations or friends and chaste women in distress engaged in penance. 

20. So, among all gods, you are the greatest upholder of dharma. 

Vaišhampāyana said: 

21. Listening to this hymn uttered by the son of sage Uddalaka, Yama was extremely pleased.

Yama said: 

22. I am delighted at your sweet hymn. May good befall you. Tell me frankly what I may do for you. 

23. O Brahmin, ask of me any boon you like, whether it be prosperity or health or longevity. 

The sage’s son (Nachiketas) said: 

24. “O great lord, I desire neither death nor life. If you, who look after the welfare of all, are pleased with me and wish to grant me a boon, then let me see this entire region of yours as it is. 

25. If you are inclined to give me a boon, then show me the whole thing so as to know what befalls the good people and what befalls the sinners. 

26-27. Show me also, O lord, Chitragupta who considers on your behalf what is to be meted out to whom according to the particular action done by each.” 

28. When I said thus, he called the man at the door and said “Take this Brahmin safely to Chitragupta. 

29. Tell him that he should treat him in a sitting manner 

30. I was then quickly led by that attendant to the presence of Chitragupta. 

31. He rose up and, thinking for a while, welcomed me saying ‘O great sage, make yourself quite at ease here’. 

32. Telling me thus, he gave instructions to his fierce-looking servants who were remaining there with folded hands. 

Chitragupta said: 

33. “Listen to me, O my devoted and dutiful servants, 

34. With my permission, this Brahmin is going to the place where the dead reside. He should be well concealed and care fully guarded. 

35. He should not have anything to feel unhappy. He should not have fatigue either from heat or from cold; nor should he suffer for food or drink. I command you so. 

36. This Brahmin who is full of compassion for all beings and is following the wish of his father, has been granted such a boon by me. 

37. Let him sec this city of Dharmarāja as much as he likes,” So saying he asked me to go and see it. 

38. The attendants were asked to lead me there. (Going here I saw) mighty beings running and chasing people and beating, binding and burning them. 

39. They break their bones by beating them again and again with bamboo sticks and often with more heavy objects. 

40. With broken bones and bruised heads, the people piteously cry aloud, but find none to help them. 

41. In deep and dark abysses, many are scorched in fire and also used as fuel for the fire. 

42. Some fall in boiling oil, some in molten lime as the result of their own evil deeds. 

43. They are severely tortured again and again. 

44. Some are put into machines and crushed like sesamum and blood flows out profusely from them. 

45. There is the horrible river Vaitarani with eddy and foam, difficult to cross for sinful persons. 

46. Hundreds of people are held by the feet, thrown over the trident and then thrown into Vaitarani. 

47. Hundreds of people in their curdled blood are bitten by numerous snakes. 

48. When they sink in the river unable to cross it, whirl pools and ripples arise there in abundance. 

49. The sinful people get parched there, sinking and vomiting, but find none to save them. 

50. Many are thrown over the deceptive Shälmali tree, full of metallic nails and severely beaten again and again with swords and spears. 

51. I saw in its branches, a large number of goblins and demons furiously hanging down. 

52. Those thrown over the tree move to the branches, being unable to bear the pain of piercing nails. 

53-54. The demons in the branches then pounce upon them swiftly like monkeys in big trees and eat them up. 

55. I could hear the crushing sound like that of a mleccha eating fowl. 

56-57. They eat them in their fierce mouths as if these were ripe mango fruits and after sipping the marrow also, throw down on the ground their skeletal form. 

58. Those in the forests also are similarly handled.

59-60. The sinners standing below in large numbers implore the servants of Yama to leave them in mercy, but they are only further tortured. 

61. Hit by showers of stones and choked by clouds of dust, many rush to the shade of the tree, only to find there scorching fire. 

62. They are then beaten up and thrown in blazing fire. 

63. Many request these attendants to be pleased to give them a pot of cold water. 

64. But what is given to them is boiling water by drinking which they get scalded and cry aloud. 

65. In their agony they fall down clasping one another. So do many others becoming unconscious due to hunger. 

66. But there is also sumptuous sweet-smelling food in heaps. 

67. There is curd and milk, sesamum cakes and milky soup, also honey and liquor. 

68. There is fruit juice of various kinds and cool and fragrant drinks. 

69. There are also drinks mixed with milk, ghee or curd. All these await the good souls going there. 

70. We find there for them incense and fine sandal paste. Everything is inviting and abundant. 

71. For serving food for these souls there are handsome women well ornamented. 

72. They hold basketful of fruits in their hands and keep flowers and water for pădya. They are graceful with jingling anklets. 

73. They serve food for thousands of them. 

74. While these women honour the virtuous in this way, the servants of Yama beat the sinners under their control, laugh at them and say: 

75. “O you ungrateful, avaricious, adulterous wretches, 

76. Evil in mind, bad in action, reluctant to gifts, active to speak ill of others, conversing only with sinners, 

77. Shamelessly ready to ask from others. When you were affluent on earth, you never gave anything, food, drink or fuel. 

78. Therefore it is that all these torments are imposed on you. 

79. When the effects of your misdeeds are over, you will be released from here to be born again on earth in misery. 

80. The sinners are born in poor families in human world with the sins adhering in them. 

81. But those that have lived an irreproachable life, particularly those belonging to the four castes, being truthful, peaceful compassionate and virtuous, 

82. Rest here for sometime with their followers, and then go to the supreme abode or are born on earth again in a high family, 

83. Affluent, well ordered, full of beautiful women and then attain supreme bliss.”