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—
यथा सर्पादिकास्तेऽपि नरके निपतन्ति हि । दन्दशूकाभिधाने च यत्रोत्तिष्ठन्ति सर्वतः
—just as serpents and the like, they too fall into hell, specifically into the one called Dandaśūka, where such creatures rise up everywhere.
पञ्चाननः सप्तमुखा ग्रसन्ति नरकागतान् । यथा बिलेशया विप्र क्रूरबुद्धिसमन्विताः
There, beings with five or seven mouths devour those who have entered hell, just as fierce-minded burrowing creatures do in their holes.
येऽवटेषु कुसूलादिगुहादिषु निरुन्धते । तानमुत्रोद्यतकराः कीनाशपरिसेवकाः ॥ १९ तेष्वेवोपविशित्वा च सगरेण च वह्निना । धूमेन च निरुन्धन्ति पापकर्मरतान्नरान्
Those who confine others in pits, spikes, caves, and the like—there, the servants of Yama, with raised hands, seize them; sitting there, they torment the wicked with fire, smoke, and the ocean.
योऽतिथीन्समयप्राप्तान्दिधक्षुरिव चक्षुषा । पापेनेहालोकयेच्च स्वयं गृहपतिर्द्विजः
If a householder, O twice-born one, looks upon guests who arrive at the proper time with a burning gaze, as if to burn them, motivated by sin—
तस्यापि पापदृष्टेर्हि निरये यमकिङ्कराः । अक्षिणी वज्रतुण्डा ये कङ्काः काकवटादयः
—then, because of that sinful look, in hell the servants of Yama, who are like crows, vultures, and other birds with beaks of diamond, attack his eyes.
गृध्राः क्रूरतराश्चापि प्रसह्योत्पाटयन्ति हि । य आढ्याभिमतिर्याति अहङ्कृत्यातिगर्वितः
Even fiercer vultures tear them out by force; those who are wealthy and proud, filled with arrogance—
तिर्यक्प्रेक्षण एवात्राभिविशङ्की नराधमः । चिन्तयार्थस्य सर्वत्रायतिव्ययस्वरूपया
—such a vile man, suspicious of everyone, looks askance at others, always anxious about his wealth and its loss.
शुष्यद्धृदयवक्त्रश्च निर्वृतिं नैव गच्छति । ग्रहवद्रक्षते चार्थं स प्रेतो यमकिङ्करैः
His heart and mouth become parched, and he never finds peace; like a ghost, he clings to his wealth, guarded by the servants of Yama.
सूचीमुखे च नरके पात्यते निजकर्मणा । वित्तग्रहं च पुरुषं वायका इव याम्यकाः
By his own actions, he is cast into the hell called Sūcīmukha; the servants of Yama, like weavers, bind the man attached to wealth with threads.
किङ्कराः सर्वतोऽङ्गेषु सूत्रैः परिवयन्ति हि । एते बहुविधा विप्र नरकाः पापकर्मणाम्
The servants bind all his limbs with threads; these are the many kinds of hells, O Brahmin, for those who commit evil deeds.