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—
असिपत्रवनं नाम नरकं वेशयन्ति च । कशया प्रहरन्त्येव नारकी तद्गतस्तदा
—is cast into the hell called Asipatravana, where the hell-guards strike him with whips.
इतस्ततो धावमान उत्तालमतिवेगतः । असिपत्रैश्छिद्यमान उभयत्र च धारभिः
Running here and there at great speed, he is cut by the sharp edges of sword-leaves on both sides.
संछिद्यमानसर्वाङ्गो हाहतोऽस्मीति मूर्च्छितः । वेदनां परमां प्राप्तः पतत्येव पदे पदे
With all his limbs being cut, he cries out, 'I am struck!' and faints; experiencing extreme pain, he falls at every step.
स्वधर्मानुगतं भुङ्क्ते पाखण्डफलमल्पधीः । यो राजा राजपुरुषो दण्डयेद्वै त्वधर्मतः
A king or royal official who punishes according to unrighteousness, even while following his own duty, reaps the fruit of heresy, O dull-minded one.
द्विजे शरीरदण्डं च पापीयान्नारकी च सः । नरके सूकरमुखे पात्यते यमकिङ्करैः
He who inflicts bodily punishment on a twice-born is more sinful and becomes a denizen of hell, thrown by Yama's servants into the hell called Sūkaramukha.
विनिष्यिष्टावयवको बलवद्भिस्तथेक्षुवत् । आर्तस्वरेण स्वनयन्मूर्च्छितः कश्मलङ्गतः
There, his limbs are crushed by strong beings, like sugarcane in a press; he cries out in pain, faints, and is overcome by distress.
स पीड्यमानो बहुधा वेदनां यात्यतीव हि । विविक्तपरपीडो योऽप्यविविक्तपरव्यथाम्
Tormented in many ways, he suffers intense pain; one who causes suffering to others, whether openly or secretly—
ईश्वराङ्कितवृत्तीनां व्यथामाचरते स्वयम् । स चान्धकूपे पतति तदभिद्रोहयन्त्रिते
—and who himself inflicts pain on those marked by the Lord, falls into the dark pit, bound by the machinery of betrayal.
तत्रासौ जन्तुभिः क्रूरैः पशुभिर्मृगपक्षिभिः । सरीसृपैश्च मशकैर्यूकामत्कुणजातिभिः
There, he is tormented by cruel creatures: animals, wild beasts, birds, reptiles, mosquitoes, lice, and bugs.
मक्षिकाभिश्च तमसि दन्दशूकैश्च पीड्यते । परिक्रामति चैवात्र कुशरीरे च जन्तुवत्
He is afflicted by flies, darkness, and venomous snakes; he wanders there, with a wretched body, like another creature.