In the realms described by the Varaha Purana, a vivid tapestry of experiences unfolds for souls journeying through the cycle of samsara. There are places where drinks made from cow’s milk are always at hand, served in special vessels, and the air is rich with the fragrance of garlands, incense, and a variety of delightful scents. Among all kinds of foods, beautiful and charming women move gracefully, some carrying bowls filled with fruits, others bearing vessels in their hands. Here, those devoted to charity provide meals to thousands, ensuring that capable women are present to assist in these acts of giving. Yet, not all is benevolent. Fierce messengers, harsh in their speech, kill and laugh, their hearts devoid of remorse or generosity, forever lost to any hope of atonement. Some shameless housewives are given, their minds always open to requests, and basic needs like water, firewood, and whatever food is easily found are provided. Among them are those born in extreme poverty, who commit evil deeds. Still, those who remain upright and steadfast enjoy the rewards of gold, especially among the four castes, and rest for a while with their followers. They dwell among many beautiful women, immersed in prosperity and focused attention. Thus, in the sacred Varaha Purana, this chapter unfolds, describing the forms of torment found in the endless cycle of samsara. Again, the scripture reveals the many forms of suffering: the whole earth appears covered with illusory thorns. Some souls are seen with severed feet, hands, heads, and necks, their bodies broken by their past actions. But those devoted to righteousness, generosity, and beauty—just as in their homes—stand ready, always offering cool water and food to those in need. Having performed supreme worship, they await the arrival of others. In the light, wondrous trees and entire worlds are revealed. Into these realms, the fierce messengers enter, terrifying in their appearance. Some souls are set upon by savage dogs, who devour them from the soles of their feet to the crowns of their heads. Others, monstrous in form with great fangs and a terrifying visage, appear—even when various foods and delicacies are offered to them. Among these torments, a dreadful woman made of iron arrows, heated in fire, pursues a fleeing man. As she chases him, she cries out, “O wicked-minded one! Your mother’s sister, your maternal uncle’s wife, your father’s sister—the wives of learned Brahmanas and twice-born men—you have violated them. Why do you run, shameless one, tormented by your own vices?” Relentlessly, she repeats these accusations, making him hear them again and again. Among thousands of the wise, such women are born repeatedly to enact this retribution. She continues, “Why do you cry out again and again, O wretch, suffering countless torments inflicted by women of low birth? Tenfold, O sinner, I shall drag you again and again. You will not escape me, O sinner; where do you think you are going, truly deluded one? Wherever you run, adulterer, I shall not abandon you.” Like cowherds driving cattle with sticks, these beings pursue him ceaselessly. He is torn by other beasts of prey, by dogs, and by crows as well. Before his eyes blazes a fire, fierce as a forest conflagration, its flames leaping on every side. Burned and scorched, he seeks refuge under trees, only to find the cycle of torment continues. Thus, the Varaha Purana paints a vivid picture of reward and retribution, of acts noble and base, and the consequences that await souls as they traverse the endless wheel of samsara.