Agni Purana

यमं दृष्ट्वा यमोक्तेन चित्रगुप्तेन चेरितान् । प्राप्नोति नरकान्रौद्रान्धर्मी शुभपथैर्दिवम् ।। ३७१.

Seeing Yama and the deeds recorded by Citragupta as declared by Yama, he attains the dreadful hells, or, by righteous paths, heaven.

भुज्यन्ते पापिभिर्वक्ष्ये नरकांस्ताश्च यातनाः । अष्टाविंशतिरेवाधः क्षितेर्नरककोटयः ।। ३७१.

I will describe the hells and their torments, which are endured by sinners; there are exactly twenty-eight crores of hells beneath the earth.

सप्तमस्य तलस्यान्ते घोरे तमसि संस्थिताः । घोराख्या प्रथमा कोटिः सुघोरा तदधः स्थिता ।। ३७१.

At the end of the seventh layer, situated in dreadful darkness, is the first crore called 'Terrible'; beneath that is 'Very Terrible.'

अतिघोरा महाघोरा घोररूपा च पञ्चमी । षष्ठी तरलताराख्या सप्तमी च भयानका ।। ३७१.

'Exceedingly Terrible,' 'Greatly Terrible,' and 'Terrifying in Form' are the next three; the sixth is called 'Quivering Star,' and the seventh is 'Frightful.'

भयोत्कटा कालरात्री महाचण्डा च चण्डया । कोलाहला प्रचण्डाख्या पद्मा नरकनायिका ।। ३७१.

'Intensely Fearful,' 'Night of Death,' 'Greatly Fierce,' and 'Fierce' follow; 'Tumultuous,' 'Extremely Fierce,' and 'Padma,' the mistress of hells, are next.

पद्मावती भीषणा च भीमा चैव करालिका । विकराला महावज्रा त्रिकोणा पञ्चकोणिका ।। ३७१.

'Padmavati,' 'Terrifying,' 'Formidable,' and 'Fanged'; 'Horrific,' 'Great Thunderbolt,' 'Triangular,' and 'Pentagonal' follow.

सुदीर्खघा वर्तुला सप्तभूमा चैव सुभूमिका । दीप्तमायाऽष्टाविंशतयः कोटयः पापिदुःशदाः ।। ३७१.

'Very Long,' 'Circular,' 'Seven-leveled,' and 'Well-grounded'; these, shining with illusion, are the twenty-eight crores of dreadful hells for evil-doers.

अष्टाविंशतिकोटीनां पञ्च पञ्च च नायकाः । रौरवाद्याः शतञ्चैकं चत्वारिंशच्चतुष्टयं ।। ३७१.

Of these twenty-eight crores, each has five lords; beginning with Raurava, there are one hundred and forty-four such.

तामिश्रमन्घतामिश्रं महारौरवरौरवौ । असिपत्रं वनञ्चैव लोहभारं तथैव च ।। ३७१.

Tāmiśra, Andhatāmiśra, Mahāraurava, Raurava, Asipatra forest, and Lohabhāra are among them.

नरकं कालसूत्रञ्च महानरकमेव च । सञ्जीवनं महावीचि तपनं सम्प्रतापनं ।। ३७१.

There are also Kālasūtra, Mahānaraka, Sañjīvana, Mahāvīci, Tapana, and Sampratāpana hells.

सङ्घातञ्च सकाकोलं कुद्मलं पूतिमृत्तिकं । लोहशङ्कुमृजीषञ्च प्रधानं शाल्मलीं नदीम् ।। ३७१.

Saṅghāta, Sakākola, Kudmala, Pūtimṛttika, Lohaśaṅku, Mṛjīṣa, the principal Śālmalī, and the river are also among the hells.

नरकान् विद्धि कोटीशनागान्वै घोरदर्शनान् । पात्यन्ते पापकर्म्माण एकैकस्मिन्बहुष्वपि ।। ३७१.

Know that these hells are countless crores, terrifying to behold; sinners are cast into many of them, sometimes into several at once.

मार्जारोलूकगोमायुगृध्रादिवदनाश्च ते । तैलद्रोण्यां नरं क्षिप्त्वा ज्वालयन्ति हुताशनं ।। ३७१.

With faces like cats, owls, jackals, and vultures, they throw a man into a cauldron of oil and ignite the fire beneath.

अम्बरीषेषु चैवान्यांस्ताम्रपात्रेषु चापरान् । अयःपात्रेषु चैवान्यान् बकहुवह्निकणेषु च ।। ३७१.

Some are placed in cauldrons of copper, others in vessels of iron, and yet others in pots of brass or in burning embers.

शूलाग्रारोपिताश्चान्ये छिद्यन्ते नरकेऽपरे । ताड्यन्ते च कशाभिस्तु भोज्यन्ते चाप्ययोगुड़ान् ।। ३७१.

Some are impaled on the tips of spears, others are cut apart in hell; some are beaten with whips, and others are devoured by iron-beaked beings.

यमदूतैर्नराः पांशून्विष्ठारक्तकफादिकान् । तप्तं मद्यं पाययन्ति पाटयन्ति पाटयन्ति पुनर्नरान् ।। ३७१.

The messengers of Yama make men drink sand, excrement, blood, phlegm, and hot liquor; they tear them apart again and again.

यन्त्रेषु पीडयन्ति स्म भक्ष्यन्ते वायसादिभिः । तैलेनोष्णेन सिच्यन्ते छिद्यन्ते नैकधा शिरः ।। ३७१.

They are tormented in machines, devoured by crows and others; they are drenched with hot oil, and their heads are severed in many ways.

हा तातेति क्रन्दमानाः स्वकन्नन्दन्ति कर्म्म ते । महापातकजान्घोरान्नरकान्प्राप्य गर्हितान् ।। ३७१.

Crying out, 'Alas, father!' they wail, but their own actions mock them; having reached these terrible, condemned hells born of great sins.

कर्म्मक्षयात्प्रजायन्ते महापातकिनस्त्विह । मृगश्वशूकरोष्ट्राणां ब्रह्महा योनिमृच्छति ।। ३७१.

When their karma is exhausted, the great sinners are reborn here; the killer of a Brahmin attains the womb of a deer, horse, pig, or camel.

खरपुक्कशम्लेच्छानां मद्यपः स्वर्णहार्य्यंपि । कृमिकीटपतङ्गत्वं गुरुगस्तृणगुल्मतां ।। ३७१.

Among the harsh, outcaste, and foreign peoples, those who drink liquor or steal gold become worms, insects, or moths; those who violate the teacher's bed become grass or brush.

ब्रह्महा क्षयरोगी स्यात् सुरापः श्यावदन्तकः । स्वर्णहारी तु कुनखी दुश्चर्म्मा गुरुतल्पगः ।। ३७१.

A slayer of a Brahmin is afflicted with consumption; a drinker of liquor has blackened teeth; a gold thief is born with deformed nails and diseased skin; one who violates the teacher's bed is likewise afflicted.

यो येन संस्पृशत्येषां स तल्लिह्गोऽभिजायते । अन्नहर्ता मायावी स्याम्मूको वागपहारकः ।। ३७१.

Whoever comes into contact with these, takes on their mark; a food thief becomes a deceiver or mute, or one who steals speech.

धान्यं हृत्वाऽतिरिक्ताङ्गः पिशुनः पूतिनासिकः । तैलहृत्तैलपायी स्यात् पूतिवक्त्रस्तु सूचकः ।। ३७१.

One who steals grain is born with extra limbs, is slanderous, or has a foul-smelling nose; one who steals oil becomes an oil drinker, and one who exposes secrets has a foul mouth.

परस्य योषितं हृत्वा ब्रह्मस्वमपहृत्य च । अरण्ये निर्जने देशे जायते ब्रह्मराक्षसः ।। ३७१.

One who steals another's wife or the property of a Brahmin is born as a brahma-rakshasa in a deserted, lonely place.

रत्नहारी हीनजातिर्गन्धान् छुछुन्दरी शुभान् । पत्रं शाकं शिखी हृत्वा मुखरो धान्यहारकः ।। ३७१.

A jewel thief is born in a low caste; one who steals perfumes becomes a musk rat; one who steals leaves or vegetables becomes a peacock; a grain thief is born talkative.

अजः पशुंपयः काको यानमुष्ट्रः फलं कपिः । मधु दंशः फलं गृध्रो गृहकाक उपस्करं ।। ३७१.

A goat steals cattle; a crow steals vehicles; a monkey steals fruit; a bee steals honey; a vulture steals fruit; a house-crow steals household items.

श्वित्री वस्त्रं सारसञ्च झिल्ली लवणहारकः । उक्त आध्यात्मिकस्तापः शत्राद्यैराधिभौतिकः ।। ३७१.

A person with vitiligo steals cloth; a crane steals rice; a cricket steals salt. The suffering just described is called 'adhyatmika'; suffering caused by enemies and others is 'adhibhautika.'

ग्रहाग्निदेवपीड़ाद्यैराधिदैविक ईरितः । त्रिधा तापं हि संसारं ज्ञानयोगाद्विनाशयेत् ३७१.

Suffering caused by planets, fire, gods, and so on is called 'adhidaivika.' One should destroy the threefold suffering of existence through knowledge and yoga.

अग्निरुवाच संसारतापमुक्त्यर्थं वक्ष्याम्यऽष्टाङ्गयोगकं । ब्रह्मप्रकाशकं ज्ञानं योगस्तत्रैकचित्तता ।। ३७२.

Agni said: To teach the means of liberation from the suffering of existence, I will explain the eight-limbed yoga, the knowledge that reveals Brahman; in yoga, the mind is made one-pointed.