Hell is the prison of this world. Diseases and various kinds of troubles come from this punishment department. The punishment department is Yampuri, where the complete account of deeds is taken. Here, Yamraj immediately sees the misdeeds of the dead beings brought by his messengers and assigns them the punishment.
There are a total of twenty-eight hells whose names are as follows:
Tamisra, Andhatamisra, Raurava, Maharaurava, Kumbhipaka, Kalasutra, Asipatravana, Shukaramukha, Andhakupa, Krimibhojana, Sandarsa, Taptasurmi, Vajrakantaka-salmali, Vaitarni, Puyoda, Pranarodha, Visashana, Lalabhaksa, Sarameyadana, Avici, Ayahpana, Ksarakardama, Raksogana-bhojana, Shulaprota, Dandasuka, Avata-nirodhana, Paryavartana and Sucimukha.
1. Punishment For Those Who Take Away Another’s Wealth, Children And Women
The man who steals the wealth of others, kidnaps children, seduces and kidnaps the women of others, commits sinful deeds, and is thrown into the Tamisra hell. The dreadful punishment of this hell is that there is no light anywhere in it. In it, he is not given any kind of food, grain, or water, and the Yamdoots continuously beat him with a stick. It is not possible to die there, so you will have to suffer till the punishment is over. He faints, falls, no food, no water and utter darkness. This punishment is given for a long time, like a hundred years, fifty thousand years, or one Kalpa (millions of years).
2. Punishment For One Who Engages In Adultery With A Friend’s Wife
If a person convinces another person that he is his friend and develops a sexual relationship with his wife and deceives that person, then the messengers of Yamraj take him to Andhatamisra hell. He experiences terrible pain like a cut tree, loses his senses and his limbs are given many kinds of pain. His body is cut into pieces.
3. Punishment For Those Who Use Their Strength To Harm Others
Those who think they are very strong and steal the wealth of others, commit rape whenever they wish, betray others and nourish themselves and their family by stealing from others; when they leave their body, they go to Raurava hell. The messengers of Yamraj take the form of those they harmed and give terrible and extreme pain to the culprit. Creatures with cruel nature, like snakes, bite them. Raurava and Maharaurava hells are attained by such people who, in their bodily pride (ego), give various types of pain to others, snatch their things, kidnap them and steal things for enjoyment for themselves and their families.
4. Punishment For The Meat Eater
Those who eat the meat and eggs of other creatures, the fierce messengers of Yamraj, chop up and feed them their own flesh. This punishment is given for a very long time. People say that we do not believe in all this. Whether you believe in the law of the land or not, you will definitely get punished if you commit a crime. Similarly, whether you believe in hell or not, when you get to experience all this, then you will know. Those who roast animals and cook their meat, the messengers of Yamraj take them to Kumbhipaka hell. After they are taken there, they are put in big cauldrons of boiling oil.
5. Punishment For Those Who Insult Their Parents
The person who abuses his mother, beats her, abuses his father, beats him, betrays devotees, opposes the Vedic scholars and criticizes the scriptures is taken to Kalasutra hell by the Yamadutas. There is a circle of ten thousand yojanas, and the land there is full of fire and red like copper. From above is the sun’s scorching heat; from below, there is a burning fire, and he is left there to run; just keep running. For how many days? For Kalpas (millions of years). Seventy years, eighty years, ninety years, do whatever you want, but you will suffer the consequences.
Do not think that whatever you are doing will not be accounted for. Now that poor person keeps running in such a long land burning; he will not die there. The restlessness increases; he struggles, stands up, runs, screams, and calls out, but who listens? For how many days? For as many thousands of years as the number of hair he had on his body!
6. Punishment For A Person Who Abuses Religion
The man who violates the Vedic path, takes refuge in hypocritical religion, disregards the Vedic path, abuses the Vedic principles, is taken to Asipatravana hell by the messengers of Yama, beating him with whips. The leaves of Asipatravan hell are like swords. The soul is thrown over the trees there. The soul is torn into pieces, falls, and is thrown again. He faints repeatedly, remembering his misdeeds and is filled with remorse.
7. Punishment For The Person Who Abuses His Position
The person who is a government employee and punishes the innocent to get money, that great sinner, is thrown into the hell called Shukaramukha. You have the authority; God has given you the service of the world. If you know that someone is absolutely crimeless and you punish him by taking money from someone or coming under someone’s pressure, then you will get hell. The mighty Yamduts jump on him. Then, he is put in the crusher and punished.
8. Punishment For Killing Innocent Creatures
One who kills creatures like bedbugs, mosquitoes, snakes, scorpions, and lizards on seeing them is thrown into the hell of Andhakupa. God has created these creatures according to their deeds. Drinking blood is their nature. They do not know that their bite will cause you pain. Blood is their food, which has been determined by God only. You should protect yourself, use mosquito repellent, spray medicine, etc. beforehand. But our scriptures do not allow you to kill mosquitoes, lizards, or scorpions. In the hell of Andhakupa, poisonous and dangerous creatures like snakes, etc., drink the blood of that sinner.
9. Punishment For The Person Who Cooks Food Only For Himself
When you cook food, keep one bread for the cow. Keep some pieces for the birds. If a hungry person or a guest comes, ask him for food. Do not eat without offering food to God. Those who do not feed all these people first and cook food only for themselves fall into the worst hell called Krimibhojana. In the Gita, God has said that whoever eats without offering it to Him first eats only sin. In the Krimibhojana hell, there is a pit of insects, one lakh yojans long and wide. Such a person is thrown into it.
10. Punishment For A Brahmin Who Misbehaves
One who steals, grabs property by force or considers himself to be born in a high family and yet does lowly deeds is taken to the hell called Sandarsa and is punished with hot iron balls. If you are a Brahmin and drink alcohol, you will be forced to drink hot iron.
11. Punishment For Adultery (Boyfriend, Girlfriend and Live In Relationship)
If someone, tormented by lust, abandons the principles of the scriptures and fulfils his lust, then he is taken to a hell called Taptasurmi. Burning red hot iron bodies exist in the form of men and women, and he is forced to embrace them. The duration of this punishment is also very long.
12. Punishment For Those Who Commit Adultery With Animals
The one who commits adultery with animals due to lust, after death, the messengers of Yamraj throw him into the hell Vajrakantaka-salmali. There is a tree with thorns as hard as thunderbolts. He is thrown on that tree from above and then dragged down. The body is torn apart; he does not die there; he keeps on suffering.
13. Punishment For One Who Abandons Religious Decency Due To Pride Of Belonging To A Noble Family
Those born in the house of royal men or noble families who become arrogant and lose their religious dignity are thrown into the river Vaitarni. Faeces, urine, pus, blood, hair, nails, bones, fat and crushed flesh flow in it. There are big poisonous creatures in that river that bite such people repeatedly.
14. Punishment For One Who Abandons Purity And Rules
Those who abandon purity, abandon the conduct prescribed by the scriptures, abandon rules, abandon modesty and behave indecently are sent to the hell called Puyodha, where they are thrown into pools filled with faeces, urine and phlegm. They rot for a long time amidst these disgusting things.
15. Punishment For Slaughtering Animals
Those who slaughter animals are thrown into a hell called Pranarodha, where the messengers of Yamaraj repeatedly pierce them with arrows.
16. Punishment for Hypocrites
Those who spread hypocrisy and sacrifice animals in sacrifices are thrown into a hell called Visashana, and they are beheaded repeatedly. No god or goddess is pleased by violence against any living creature; do not fool yourself.
17. Punishment For Looting Others’ Wealth And Destroying Property Of Others
Government officers who loot others’ wealth or destroy someone’s property are sent to Sarameyadana hell. Some examples of this are setting the entire city on fire, getting someone punished without any crime, looting the entire village, and looting groups of traders. In Sarameyadana hell, there are such Yamduts whose jaws are as strong as thunderbolts; twenty such Yamduts take the form of fierce dogs and attack the person.
18. Punishment For One Who Does Business By Telling Lies
Those who take money from others and give false testimony, do business by lying, and those who give false temptations to get their work done are thrown into the hell called Avici. He is thrown from a height of a hundred yojanas, then taken up and thrown again; this continues. When he is thrown, every nerve of his body breaks, but he does not die; only continues to get tortured.
19. Punishment For One Who Breaks His Vow
Whoever takes a vow that from today I will not do this or from today I will do this and breaks his vow is thrown into the hell called Ayahpana. The messengers of Yamaraj climb on his chest and make him drink molten iron.
20. Punishment For Insulting Elders
He who stops respecting elders due to the pride of his penance, knowledge, birth or caste is like a living dead. Respect your elders, and respect great men. Respect your mother, father, elders and teachers. You will be thrown into the Ksarakardama hell if you do not do this.
21. Punishment For One Who Sacrifices Animals
Those who sacrifice animals in the worship of Bhairav, Yaksha, Rakshasa, etc., eat them and celebrate are taken to the hell called Raksogana-bhojana. There, the messengers of death eat their flesh after chopping it with axes and celebrate with great fervour.
22. Punishment For Those Who Harm Animals For Their Enjoyment
Those who first lure innocent creatures and then trap them and then tease them, torment them with thorns, tie them with ropes, and hurt them are pierced with thorns in the hell called Shulaprota.
23. Punishment For Those Who Are Jealous And Angry With Others
Men who have a fierce nature, like snakes, and who torment others due to jealousy and anger are thrown into the hell called Dandasuka after their death. There, terrible snakes with five to seven faces are released upon them.
24. Punishment For Those Who Kidnap Others And Keep Them In Dark Places
Those who kidnap someone and keep them in dark places like wells, canals or mountain caves, the Yamduts keep such people in a hell called Avata-nirodhana. There is a well filled with poisonous gas; the living being is thrown into it, and he suffocates.
25. Punishment For One Who Looks At Guests With Evil Eyes
A householder who looks at the guests, sages and devotees who come to his house with a crooked eye, as if he will burn them to ashes, is sent to the hell of Paryavartana. There, vultures and birds with hard beaks are released upon him, who peck out his eyes.
26. Punishment For Those Who Are Greedy For Money
The person who considers himself to be very rich, keeps insulting others, considering them to be inferior and remains worried about the accumulation and protection of wealth and falls into the Sucimukha hell after death. The messengers of death sew all the body parts of that sinful soul with big needles.
Conclusion
No one should doubt that all these are written things; a person who commits sins must surely suffer. He goes to hell one after the other and suffers terrible pain. Similarly, a person who is righteous and does good deeds goes to heaven and enjoys various kinds of heavenly pleasures. When the pleasures and punishments of heaven and hell are suffered, the sins and good deeds are over; then he takes birth on the earth with some sins and some good deeds. Many good and bad conditions of a person are seen here. Some are rich, some are poor, some are healthy, some are sick, all this is according to sins and good deeds.
You think, why should I meditate or be spiritual? What is the need to associate with saints? What is the need to follow rules and discipline? You need to do all this to avoid such horrible conditions described above. You think, just earn, eat, behave like animals, and do as you please; nobody sees. Do not make the mistake. Be afraid not to commit any offence against anyone, and keep chanting Radha-Radha continuously!
Description of Hell By: Pujya Shri Hit Premanand Ji Maharaj
