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,'
पुष्णाति प्रत्यहं स्वीयं कुटुम्बं कार्यलम्पटः । एतद्विहाय चात्रैव स्वाशुभेन पतेदिह
and daily nourishes his own family, greedy for gain, abandoning all else, falls here through his own evil.
रौरवे नाम नरके सर्वसत्त्वभयावहे । इह लोकेऽमुना ये तु हिंसिता जन्तवः पुरा
He falls into the hell called Raurava, which inspires terror in all beings; those creatures whom he harmed in this world before, fall there.
त एव रुरवो भूत्वा परत्र पीडयन्ति तम् । तस्माद्रौरवमित्याहुः पुराणज्ञा मनीषिणः
Those very beings, having become 'Rurus', torment him in the next world; therefore, the knowers of the Purāṇas and the wise call it 'Raurava'.
रुरुः सर्पादतिक्रूरो जन्तुरुक्तः पुरातनैः । एवं महारौरवाख्यो नरको यत्र पूरुषः
'Ruru' is said by the ancients to be a creature more terrible than a serpent; thus, the hell called Mahāraurava is where a person—
यातनां प्राप्यमाणो हि यः परं देहसम्भवः । क्रव्यादा नाम रुरवस्तं क्रव्ये घातयन्ति च
—having obtained a body for suffering, is attacked by beings called 'Rurus', eaters of flesh, who kill him for his flesh.
य उग्रः पुरुषः क्रूरः पशुपक्षिगणानपि । उपरन्धयते मूढो याम्यास्तं रन्धयन्ति च
That fierce and cruel man, who ignorantly destroys even groups of animals and birds, is cooked by the servants of Yama.
कुम्भीपाके तप्ततैले उपर्यपि च नारद । यावन्ति पशुरोमाणि तावद्वर्षसहस्रकम्
In Kumbhīpāka, in boiling oil, O Nārada, for as many thousands of years as there are hairs on the animals.
पितृविप्रब्राह्मणध्रुक्कालसूत्रे स नारके । अग्न्यर्काभ्यां तप्यमाने नारकी विनिवेशितः
In the hell called Kālasūtra, he who has harmed ancestors, priests, or Brāhmaṇas is placed, burning with the heat of fire and sun.
क्षुत्पिपासादह्यमानोऽन्तःशरीरस्तथा बहिः । आस्ते शेते चेष्टते चावतिष्ठति च धावति
Burned by hunger and thirst, both inside and outside his body, he sits, lies down, moves, stands, and runs.
निजवेदपथाद्यो वै पाखण्डं चोपयाति च । अनापद्यपि देवर्षे तं पापं पुरुषं भटाः
He who, without cause, abandons his own Vedic path and turns to heresy, O divine sage, that sinful man—