एता ह्येवेह तु नृभिर्गतयो मुनिसत्तम । गन्तव्या बहुशो यद्वद्यथाकर्मविनिर्मिताः
O best of sages, these are indeed the paths in this world that people must take, again and again, each according to the actions they have performed.
यथोपदेशं च कामान्सदा कामयमानकैः । एतावतीर्हि राजेन्द्र मनुष्यमृगपक्षिषु
And as people continually desire various pleasures according to instruction, so, O king, these are the extents of human, animal, and bird existence.
विपाकगतयः प्रोक्ता धर्मस्य वशगास्तथा । उच्चावचा विसदृशा यथाप्रश्नं निबोधत
These are called the ripened destinies, governed by righteousness, and are of many kinds—high and low, dissimilar; now listen as I explain them according to your question.
नारद उवाच वैचित्र्यमेतल्लोकस्य कथं भगवता कृतम् । समानत्वे कर्मणां च तन्नो ब्रूहि यथातथम्
Nārada said: How has the Lord created such diversity in this world, even when actions are the same? Please tell us the truth of this matter.
श्रीनारायण उवाच कर्तुः श्रद्धावशादेव गतयोऽपि पृथग्विधाः । त्रिगुणत्वात्सदा तासां फलं विसदृशं त्विह
Śrī Nārāyaṇa said: Even the destinies of the doer are of various kinds, depending on the strength of their faith; because of the three qualities, their results are always different here.
सात्त्विक्या श्रद्धया कर्तुः सुखित्वं जायते सदा । दुःखित्वं च तथा कर्तू राजस्या श्रद्धया भवेत्
By faith of the sattvic kind, the doer always attains happiness; by faith of the rajasic kind, the doer experiences suffering.
दुःखित्वं चैव मूढत्वं तामस्या श्रद्धयोदितम् । तारतम्यात्तु श्रद्धानां फलवैचित्र्यमीरितम्
By tamasic faith, suffering and delusion arise; thus, because of the gradations of faith, the variety of results is declared.
अनाद्यविद्याविहितकर्मणां परिणामजाः । सहस्रशः प्रवृत्तास्तु गतयो द्विजपुङ्गव
O best of twice-born, countless destinies arise from actions performed under the influence of beginningless ignorance, as their outcome.
तद्भेदान्वर्णयिष्यामि प्राचुर्येण द्विजोत्तम । त्रिजगत्या अन्तराले दक्षिणस्यां दिशीह वै
Now, O best of twice-born, I will describe their distinctions in detail; in the space between the three worlds, in the southern direction, indeed—
भूमेरधस्तादुपरि त्वतलस्य च नारद । अग्निष्वात्ताः पितृगणा वर्तन्ते पितरश्च ह
Below the earth and above the realm of Atala, O Nārada, dwell the Agniṣvātta ancestors and the forefathers.
वसन्ति यस्यां स्वीयानां गोत्राणां परमाशिषः । सत्याः समाधिना शीघ्रं त्वाशासानाः परेण वै
In that region reside those who, with true intent, swiftly grant supreme blessings to their own lineages, through deep meditation.
पितृराजोऽपि भगवान् सम्परेतेषु जन्तुषु । विषयं प्रापितेष्वेषु स्वकीयैः पुरुषैरिह
There, the Lord of the ancestors, when beings have departed and their own people have brought them to that realm, presides over them.
सगणो भगवत्प्रोक्ताज्ञापरो दमधारकः । यथाकर्म यथादोषं विदधाति विचारदृक्
Accompanied by his attendants, devoted to the commands spoken by the Lord, upholding self-control, he judges according to each one's actions and faults, with discernment.
स्वान्गणान्धर्मतत्त्वज्ञान्सर्वानाज्ञाप्रवर्तकान् । सदा प्रेरयति प्राज्ञो यथादेशनियोजितान्
He continually directs his own attendants, who know the essence of righteousness and execute his commands, always assigning them according to his instructions.
नरकानेकविंशत्या संख्यया वर्णयन्ति हि । अष्टाविंशमितान्केचित्ताननुक्रमतो ब्रुवे
They describe the hells as being twenty-eight in number; some say twenty-nine. I will now enumerate them in order.
तामिस्र अन्धतामिस्रो रौरवोऽपि तृतीयकः । महारौरवनामा च कुम्भीपाकोऽपरो मतः
Tāmisra, Andhatāmisra, and Raurava are the first three; then comes Mahāraurava, and another called Kumbhīpāka.
कालसूत्रं तथा चासिपत्रारण्यमुदाहृतम् । सूकरस्य मुखं चान्धकूपोऽथ कृमिभोजनः
Kālasūtra and the forest of sword-leaves are mentioned next; the mouth of a boar, a dark well, and the hell of worm-food.
संदंशस्तप्तमूर्तिश्च वज्रकण्टक एव च । शाल्मली चाथ देवर्षे नाम्ना वैरतणी तथा
Saṃdaṃśa, the hell of heated forms, and Vajrakaṇṭaka are next; then Śālmalī, and, O divine sage, another called Vairataṇī.
पूयोदः प्राणरोधश्च तथा विशसनं मतम् । लालाभक्षः सारमेयादनमुक्तमतः परम्
Pūyoda, Prāṇarodha, and Viśasana are known as such; then Lālābhakṣa and Sārameyādana, and beyond these, others.
अवीचिरप्ययः पानं क्षारकर्दम एव च । रक्षोगणाख्यसम्भोजः शूलप्रोतोऽप्यतः परम्
Avīci, Ayaḥpāna, and Kṣārakardama are next; then Rakṣogaṇabhakṣa and Śūlaprota, and beyond these, others.
दन्दशूकोऽवटारोधः पर्यावर्तनकः परम् । सूचीमुखमिति प्रोक्ता अष्टाविंशतिनारकाः
Dandaśūka, Avaṭārodha, and Paryāvartanaka are next; Sūcīmukha is also named. Thus, there are twenty-eight hells.
इत्येते नारका नाम यातनाभूमयः पराः । कर्मभिश्चापि भूतानां गम्याः पद्मजसम्भव
These are the hells, the supreme realms of torment, O you born from the lotus; beings reach them according to their deeds.
नरकप्रदपातकवर्णनम् नारद उवाच कर्मभेदाः कतिविधाः सनातनमुने मम । श्रोतव्याः सर्वथैवैते यातनाप्राप्तिभूमयः
Description of the sins leading to hell. Nārada said: O ancient sage, tell me how many kinds of actions there are; I wish to hear of all these causes that lead to the realms of torment.
श्रीनारायण उवाच यो वै परस्य वित्तानि दारापत्यानि चैव हि । हरते स हि दुष्टात्मा यमानुचरगोचरः
Śrī Nārāyaṇa said: Whoever steals the wealth, wives, or children of another is truly wicked and falls under the power of Yama's attendants.
कालपाशेन सम्बद्धो याम्यैरतिभयानकैः । तामिस्रनामनरके पात्यते यातनास्पदे
Bound by the noose of time, seized by the terrifying servants of Yama, he is cast into the hell called Tāmisra, the place of torment.
ताडनं दण्डनं चैव सन्तर्जनमतः परम् । याम्याः कुर्वन्ति पाशाढ्याः कश्मलं याति चैव हि
There, beatings and punishments are inflicted, and threats as well; the servants of Yama, armed with nooses, torment him, and he becomes impure.
मूर्च्छामायाति विवशो नारकी पद्मभूसुत । यः पतिं वञ्चयित्वा तु दारादीनुपभुज्यति
Overcome and helpless, he falls unconscious, O son of Padmabhū; whoever enjoys another's wife after deceiving her husband meets this fate.
अन्धतामिस्रनरके पात्यते यमकिङ्करैः । पात्यमानो यत्र जन्तुर्वेदनापरवान्भवेत्
He is cast by Yama's servants into the hell called Andhatāmisra, where the creature, as he falls, is overwhelmed by pain.
नष्टदृष्टिर्नष्टमतिर्भवत्येवाविलम्बतः । वनस्पतिर्भज्यमानमूलो यद्वद्भवेदिह
His sight and mind are lost at once, just as a tree whose roots are being destroyed here.
तस्मादप्यन्धतामिस्रनाम्ना प्रोक्तः पुरातनैः । एतन्ममाहमिति यो भूतद्रोहेण केवलम्
Therefore, the ancients have called this hell Andhatāmisra; whoever, out of selfishness, harms living beings, thinking only 'this is mine,'