वैतरण्यां पतन्त्येव भिन्नमर्यादपातकाः । नद्यां निरयदुर्गस्य परिखायां च नारद
Fall into the Vaitaraṇī river, those who have transgressed boundaries and committed grave sins, into the moat of the fortress of hell, O Nārada.
यादोगणैः समन्तात्तु भक्ष्यमाणा इतस्ततः । नात्मना वियुजन्त्येव नासुभिश्चापि नारद
There, surrounded on all sides by hosts of aquatic creatures, they are devoured from every direction, yet do not part from their bodies or their lives, O Nārada.
स्वीयेन कर्मपाकेनोपतपन्ति च सर्वतः । विण्मूत्रपूयरक्तैश्च केशास्थिनखमांसकैः
They are tormented everywhere by the ripened fruits of their own actions, with excrement, urine, pus, blood, hair, bone, nail, and flesh.
मेदोवसासंयुतायां नद्यामुपपतन्ति ते । वृषलीपतयो ये च नष्टशौचा गतत्रपाः
They fall into a river filled with fat and marrow, those who are lords of outcastes, who have lost purity and shame.
आचारनियमैस्त्यक्ताः पशुचर्यापरायणाः । तेऽत्रानुकष्टगतयो विण्मूत्रश्लेष्मरक्तकैः
Abandoning rules of conduct, devoted to the ways of beasts, they fall here into a miserable state, with excrement, urine, phlegm, and blood.
श्लेष्ममलसमापूर्णे निपतन्ति दुराग्रहाः । तदेव खादयन्त्येतान्यमानुचरवर्गकाः
Falling into a mass filled with phlegm and filth, those stubborn ones are devoured by the hosts of Yama's attendants.
ये श्वानगर्दभादीनां पतयो वै द्विजातयः । मृगयारसिका नित्यमतीर्थे मृगघातकाः
Those twice-born who are masters of dogs, donkeys, and the like, always fond of hunting, killing animals even at sacred places—
परेतांस्तान्यमभटा लक्षीभूतान्नराधमान् । इषुभिश्च विभिन्दन्ति तांस्तान्दुर्नयमागतान्
Yama's attendants, taking the form of ghosts, pierce those wicked men who have come to an evil end with arrows.
ये दम्भा दम्भयज्ञेषु पशून्घ्नन्ति नराधमाः । तानमुष्मिन्यमभटा नरके वैशसे तदा
Those lowest of men who, out of hypocrisy, kill animals in pretentious sacrifices—at that time, the fierce servants of Yama cast them into the hell called Vaiśasa.
निपात्य पीडयन्त्येव कशाघातैर्दुरासदैः । यो भार्यां च सवर्णां वै द्विजो मदनमोहितः
There, those difficult to endure, torment them with blows from whips; and the twice-born who, maddened by desire, has intercourse with a woman of his own caste—
रेतः पाययति मूढोऽमुत्र तं यमकिङ्कराः । रेतःकुण्डे पातयन्ति रेतः सम्पाययन्ति च
The deluded one is made to drink semen there by Yama’s servants; they throw him into a pit of semen and force him to drink it.
ये दस्यवोऽग्निदाश्चैव गरदा सार्थघातकाः । ग्रामान्सार्थान्विलुम्पन्ति राजानो राजपूरुषाः
Those who are thieves, arsonists, poisoners, highway robbers, who plunder villages and caravans, and kings or royal officials—
तान्परेतान्यमभटा नयन्ति श्वानकादनम् । विंशत्यथिकसंख्याताः सारमेया महाद्भुताः
The servants of Yama lead those departed ones to be eaten by dogs; there, extraordinary dogs, numbering twenty or more,
सप्तशत्या समाख्याता रभसं खादयन्ति ते । सारमेयादनं नाम नरकं दारुणं मुने । अतः परं प्रवक्ष्यामि अवीचिप्रभुखान्मुने
Are said to be seven hundred in number, and they ravenously devour them; this dreadful hell is called Sārameyādana, O sage. Now, I shall describe to you the hells beginning with Avīci, O sage.
अवशिष्टनरकवर्णनम् श्रीनारायण उवाच ये नराः सर्वदा साक्ष्ये अनृतं भाषयन्ति च । दाने विनिमयेऽर्थस्य देवर्षे पापबुद्धयः
Description of the remaining hells. Śrī Nārāyaṇa said: Those men who always speak falsehood as witnesses, or with wicked intent in giving, exchanging, or dealing with wealth, O sage among gods—
ते प्रेत्यामुत्र नरके अवीच्याख्येऽतिदारुणे । योजनानां शतोच्छ्रायाद्गिरिमूर्ध्नः पतन्ति हि
After death, they fall into the exceedingly terrible hell called Avīci, where they are cast down from the summit of a mountain a hundred yojanas high.
अनाकाशेऽधःशिरसस्तदवीचीतिनामके । यत्र स्थलं दृश्यते च जलवद्वीचिसंयुतम्
Head downward, in empty space, into that place called Avīci, where the ground appears as if covered with waves, like water.
अवीचिमत्ततस्तत्र तिलशश्छिन्नविग्रहः । म्रियते नैव देवर्षे पुनरेवाऽवरोप्यते
There in Avīci, their bodies are cut into pieces like sesame seeds; yet, O sage among gods, they do not die, but are made to fall again and again.
यो वा द्विजो वा राजन्यो वैश्यो वा ब्रह्मसम्भव । सोमपीथस्तत्कलत्रं सुरां वा पिबतीव हि
Whether a Brāhmaṇa, Kṣatriya, Vaiśya, or one born of Brahmā, who drinks soma, approaches another’s wife, or drinks liquor—
प्रमादतस्तु तेषां वै निरये परिपातनम् । कुर्वन्ति यमदूतास्ते पानं कार्ष्णायसो मुने
Out of negligence, they are made to fall into hell; the servants of Yama make them drink molten iron, O sage.
वह्निना द्रवमाणस्य नितरां ब्रह्मसम्भव । सम्भावनेन स्वस्यैव योऽधमोऽपि नराधमः
When molten iron is poured into them by fire, O descendant of Brahmā, even the lowest of men, who, out of pride in their own birth,
विद्याजन्मतपोवर्णाश्रमाचारवतो नरान् । वरीयसोऽपि न बहु मन्यते पुरुषाधमः
Do not respect those who are superior in knowledge, birth, austerity, or observance of varṇa and āśrama, such a base man—
स नीयते यमभटैः क्षारकर्दमनामके । निरयेऽर्वाक्शिरा घोरा दुरन्तयातनाश्नुते
Is led by Yama’s servants to the hell called Kṣārakardama, head downward, where he endures terrible and unending torments.
ये वै नरा यजन्त्यन्यं नरमेधेन मोहिताः । स्त्रियोऽपि वा नरपशुं खादन्त्यत्र महामुने
Those men who, deluded, perform human sacrifices, or women who eat human flesh, O great sage—
पशवो निहितास्ते तु यमसद्यनि सङ्गताः । सौनिका इव ते सर्वे विदार्य शितधारया
The animals offered there are gathered at Yama’s assembly; all those like butchers, with sharp blades, tear them apart—
असृक्पिबन्ति नृत्यन्ति गायन्ति बहुधा मुने । यथेह मांसभोक्तारः पुरुषादा दुरासदाः
They drink blood, dance, and sing in many ways, O sage, just as here, those who eat flesh are like dreadful cannibals.
अनागसोऽपि येऽरण्ये ग्रामे वा ब्रह्मपुत्रक । वैश्रम्भकैरुपसृतान्विश्रम्भय्यजिजीविषून्
O son of Brahma, even those who are innocent, whether in the forest or in the village, if approached by deceivers and, trusting them, desire to live—
शूलसूत्रादिषु प्रोतान्क्रीडनोत्कारकानिव । पातयन्ति च ते प्रेत्य शूलपाते पतन्ति ह
—are impaled on stakes or bound with cords, like playthings for amusement; and after death, they are cast down and fall into the hell called Śūlapāta.
शूलादिषु प्रोतदेहाः क्षुत्तृड्भ्यां चातिपीडिताः । तिग्मतुण्डैः कङ्कबकैरितश्चेतश्च ताडिताः
Their bodies are pierced on stakes and they are tormented by hunger and thirst; they are struck here and there by vultures and crows with sharp beaks.
पीडिता आत्मशमलं बहुधा संस्मरन्ति हि । ये भूतानुद्वेजयन्ति नरा उल्बणवृत्तयः
Afflicted, they remember their own impurities in many ways; those men of cruel conduct who torment living beings—