Garuda Purana

तत्राङ्गारचयौघेन कृतं तद्धरणीसमम् । तत्राग्निना सुतीव्रेण तापिताङ्गारभूमिना ॥ २,३.

There, a mass of burning coals is spread out, level with the ground, and the earth is heated by intense fire.

तन्मध्ये पापकर्माणं विमुञ्चन्ति यमानुगाः । स दह्यमानस्तीव्रेण वह्निना परिधावति ॥ २,३.

In the midst of that, the attendants of Yama cast those who have committed evil deeds; burning with intense fire, they run about.

पदेपदे च पादोऽस्य स्फुट्यते शीर्यते पुनः । अहोरात्रेणोद्धरणं पादन्यासेन गच्छति ॥ २,३.

At every step, their feet burst and fall apart again; in a day and night, by placing their feet, they move forward.

एवं सहस्रं विस्तीर्णं योजनानां विमुच्यते । ततोऽन्यत्पापशुद्ध्यर्थं तादृङ्निरयमृच्छति ॥ २,३.

Thus, for a thousand yojanas in extent, one is released; then, for the purification of other sins, he reaches another such hell.

रौरवस्ते समाख्यातः प्रथमो नरको मया । महारौरवसंज्ञं तु शृणुष्व नरकं खग ॥ २,३.

I have described to you Raurava, the first hell; now, O bird, listen to the hell called Mahāraurava.

योजनानां सहस्राणि सन्ति पञ्च समन्ततः । तत्र ताम्रमयी भूमिरधस्तस्या हुताशनः ॥ २,३.

There, five thousand yojanas in every direction, is a land of copper below which is blazing fire.

तया तपन्त्या सा सर्वा प्रोद्यद्विद्युत्समप्रभा । विभाव्यते महारौद्रा पापिनां दर्शनादिषु ॥ २,३.

That land, burning and shining like a flashing lightning, appears exceedingly terrifying to sinners in all their perceptions.

तस्यां बद्धकराभ्यां च पद्भ्यां चैव यमानुगैः । मुच्यते पापकृन्मध्ये लुण्ठमानः स गच्छति ॥ २,३.

There, with hands and feet bound by the servants of Yama, the sinner is cast into the midst and dragged about.

काकैर्बकैर्वृकोलूकैर्मशकैर्वृश्चिकैस्तथा । भक्ष्यमाणैस्तथा रौद्रैर्गतो मार्गे विकृष्यते ॥ २,३.

On the way, he is dragged while being devoured by crows, herons, wolves, owls, mosquitoes, and scorpions, all fierce.

दह्यमानो गतमतिर्भ्रान्तस्तातेति चाकुलः । वदत्यसकृदुद्वग्नो न शान्तिमधिगच्छति ॥ २,३.

Burning, his mind bewildered, he cries out in distress, 'Father!' again and again, tormented and never finding peace.

एवं तस्मान्नरैर्मोक्षस्त्वतिक्रान्तैरवाप्यते । वर्षायुतायुतैः पापं यैः कृतं दुष्टबुद्धिभिः ॥ २,३.

In this way, release from that hell is obtained by men whose evil deeds, committed with wicked minds, have been exhausted over tens of thousands of years.

तथान्यस्तु ततो नाम सोऽतिशीतः स्वभावतः । महारौरववद्दीर्घस्तथान्धतमसा वृतः ॥ २,३.

Next, there is another hell by name, which is extremely cold by nature, long like Mahāraurava, and enveloped in utter darkness.

शीतार्तास्तत्र बध्यन्ते नरास्तमसि दारुणे । परस्परं समासाद्य परिरभ्याश्रयन्ति ते ॥ २,३.

There, men tormented by cold are bound in that dreadful darkness; coming together, they embrace each other for support.

दन्तास्तेषां च भज्यन्ते शीतार्तिपरिकम्पिताः । क्षुतृषातिबलाः पक्षिन्नथ तत्राप्युपदवाः ॥ २,३.

Their teeth, chattering from the pain of cold, are broken; suffering greatly from hunger and thirst, O bird, there too are further torments.

हिमखण्डवहो वायुभिनत्त्यस्थीनि दारुणः । मज्जासृगस्थिगलितमश्रन्त्यत्र क्षुधान्विताः ॥ २,३.

A cruel wind carrying pieces of ice shatters their bones; there, exhausted and afflicted by hunger, their marrow, blood, and flesh ooze out.

आलिङ्ग्यमाना भ्राम्यन्ते परस्परसमागमे । एवं तत्रापि सुमहान्क्लेशस्तमसि मानवैः ॥ २,३.

Clinging to each other, they wander about in that darkness; thus, even there, great suffering is experienced by men.

प्राप्यते शकुनिश्रेष्ठ यो बहूकृतसञ्चयः । निकृन्तन इति ख्यातस्ततोऽन्यो नरकोत्तमः ॥ २,३.

That is attained, O best of birds, by one who has accumulated many evil deeds; next, listen to the hell called Nikṛntana, renowned as supreme.

कुलालचक्राणि तत्र भ्राम्यन्त्यविरतं खग । तेष्वापाष्ये निकृष्यन्ते कालसूत्रेण मानवाः ॥ २,३.

There, potter's wheels spin ceaselessly, O bird; on them, men are cut by the thread of time.

यमानुमाङ्गुलिस्थेन आपादतलमस्तकम् । न चैषां जीवितभ्रंशो जायते पक्षिसत्तम ॥ २,३.

By the servants of Yama, with a thread at their fingers, from foot to head, yet, O best of birds, their life does not depart.

छिन्नानि तेषां शतशः खण्डान्यैक्यं व्रजन्ति हि । एवं वर्षसहस्राणि भ्राम्यन्ते पापकर्मिणः ॥ २,३.

Their bodies are cut into hundreds of pieces, yet the fragments rejoin; thus, for thousands of years, sinners are whirled about.

तावद्यावदशेषं च तत्पापं संक्षयं गतम् । अप्रातष्ठं च नरकं शृणुष्व गदतो मम ॥ २,३.

So long, until all that sin is completely destroyed; now, listen as I describe the hell called Aprātaṣṭha.

तत्रस्थैर्नारकैर्दुः खमसह्यमनुभूयते । तान्येव तत्र चक्राणि घटीयन्त्राणि चान्यतः ॥ २,३.

There, the torments endured by the hell-dwellers are unbearable; those very wheels and crushing machines are present there in other forms as well.

दुः खस्य हेतुभूतानि पापकर्मकृतां नृणाम् । चक्रेष्वारोपिताः केचिद्भाम्यन्ते तत्र मानवाः ॥ २,३.

These are the causes of suffering for people who have committed evil deeds; some are mounted upon wheels and are ground there.

यावद्वर्षसहस्राणि न तेषां स्थितिरन्तरा । घटीयन्त्रेषु बद्वा ये बद्धा तोयवटी यथा ॥ २,३.

For thousands of years, there is no respite for those bound in the crushing machines, just as water jars are tightly fastened.

भ्राम्यन्ते मानवा रक्तमुद्गिरन्तः पुनः पुनः । अन्त्रैर्मुखविनिष्क्रान्तैर्नेत्रैरन्त्रावलम्बिभैः ॥ २,३.

Humans are whirled about, repeatedly vomiting blood, with their entrails emerging from their mouths and their eyes dangling with intestines.

दुः खानि प्राप्नुवन्तीह यान्यसह्यानि जन्तुभिः । असिपत्रवनं नाम नरकं शृणु चापरम् ॥ २,३.

Here, they experience torments that are unbearable even for other creatures; now listen about another hell called the Forest of Sword-leaves.

योजनानां सहस्रं यो ज्वलत्यग्न्याशृतावनिः । सप्ततीव्रकराश्चैण्डर्यत्र तीव्र सुदारुणे ॥ २,३.

There is a land, a thousand yojanas wide, blazing with fire on all sides, where seventy fierce guardians dwell in this extremely terrible place.

प्रतपन्ति सदा तत्र प्राणिनो नरकौकसः । तन्मध्ये चरणं शीतस्निग्धपत्रं विभाष्यते ॥ २,३.

There, the inhabitants of hell are always scorched; in the midst of that, a path appears covered with cool, moist leaves.

पत्राणि यत्र खण्डानि फलानां पक्षिसत्तम । श्वानश्च तत्र सुबलाश्चरन्त्यामिषभोजनाः ॥ २,३.

In that place, the leaves are sharp-edged, O best of birds, like the wings of fruit; and there, strong dogs roam, feeding on flesh.