KARMA AND REWARD / कर्म तथा फल / 28 तरह के नरक : गरुड़ पुराण

 

                                                                  KARMA AND REWARD

कर्म तथा फल

28 तरह के नरक : गरुड़ पुराण

 

 (The article I am writing is as per my practical knowledge and understanding of the religious terms as guided by my spiritual gurus)

नियति भेद नहीं करती जो लेती है वो देती है!

जो बोयेगा वो पायेगा ये जग कर्मों की खेती है!!

कर्म यदि हैं पावन सभी! डूबेगी नहीं कभी नाव तेरी!!

तेरी बांह पकड़ने को वो भेष बदल के आएगा!

पता नहीं किस रूप में आकर नारायण मिल जायेगा!!

 

Our sacred books teach us a lot about life and how to live without hurting someone. We are always taught to follow Dharma.

Dharma is a word without direct translation but implies to duty and righteousness. It derives from a Sanskrit word meaning to uphold or sustain, mean sustaining the path of righteousness, proper religious practices and performing one's own moral duties, not hurting anyone on this planet. The basic principles of cosmos should remain unaltered as change in ecology disturbs the whole life on earth. 

(धर्म का शास्त्रीय अर्थ है "धारण करना, बनाए रखना, रखना।" हिंदू धर्म में, धर्म का अर्थ है वह व्यवहार जो जीवन और ब्रह्मांड का साथ संभव बनाता है। आध्यात्मिक अनुशासन के साथ संयुक्त होने पर एक नैतिक कानून व्यक्ति के जीवन का मार्गदर्शन करता है। यम को धर्म के देवता के रूप में भी जाना जाता है जो हिंदू धर्म में किसी व्यक्ति के व्यक्तिगत लौकिक कर्तव्य की पूर्ति है। वह मृतक पर न्याय लागू करने के लिए जिम्मेदार है और यह निर्धारित करता है कि आत्मा स्वर्ग में जाएगी, पृथ्वी पर वापस आएगी, या नरक में जाएगी)

Not everything is physical or geographical in this world. No one has seen any institutes like a hell or heaven on this earth, it is the state of a mind or a state of surroundings or a place where you are living. We can think and collect in memory so many places around us which are a hell. Heaven and hell are experienced on this earth, water, while living or even after death. It can happen in any of 84 lakhs species on earth.

As per Bhagwad Gita there are 84 lakh or 8.4 million species of life. We get information from the Padma Puraana that the 8.4 million species of life are divided into six groups, namely aquatics, trees, insects, birds, animals and humans. There are nine hundred thousand (9 lakh) types of aquatics, two million (20 lakh) types of trees, 1.1 million types of insects, a million types of birds, three million types of animal bodies and four hundred thousand types of human bodies. These aggregate to 8.4 million. It is difficult to say how this maps to the scientific way of marking a species. Here the focus is about the different consciousness exhibited by the living entity.

One has to experience the result of his Karma on this earth, if he has done good to others then he is in a state of heaven and if someone cheats others, kills someone, hurt someone then he is surely going to be punished by the universe. The queue is a representation that everyone has to wait for the results of his karma.

Every Karma generates a positive or negative impact on the universe and the people living here directly or indirectly. E.g. killing one or two fishes for the sake of food is not a problem, problem is when we accumulate. Same way killing animals for sake of your luxury and fashion are not good for the ecology, the greed of earning from them is a problem. I have never seen a bird eating more than his capacity. They have faith on god that I will get it tomorrow also. Human are the most selfish who have disturbed every food chain and ecosystem. It is not that we need something and we cannot take it from mother earth, but the greed (vasana) of accumulating it for the sake of self interest make it a sin and then we has to suffer consequences.

Now the universe has started draining from human. Every now and then new diseases erupt and kill millions of people. Mountains are getting disturbed, the solar system has been disturbed a lot, rise in temperature and melting of glaciers is an example. Life on earth has begun so many times and vanished many times. We read about so many civilisations from our past. 

The need of the literature is to guide people that we should maintain the law and order of the universe as well as the society, so some rules are to be followed. Every institute need some rules to maintain discipline, same way our huge universe also need some rules. But, there are always some people who have negative approach to everything they do not want to follow rules. Since childhood, we have been listening to there has always been a fight between GODS(Devta)and DEMONS(Asura). Same way both negative and positive karma are there.

When a person accumulates negative karma, he has to suffer in hell. It is written in Garud puraan that sinners are sent to the Various Narakas (Hells) by Yamadharma, according to their nature and seriousness of their Sins. There are total 28 Narakas.

If you see they are the type of punishments written. We need to understand that these are the consequences one has to go through if some wrong deeds are done. People wonder do we have to go through some compartments somewhere up in the sky or down under the earth, where one room is having boiling oil, the other having hot poles, one room for hitting, then a room of snakes and so on.  No, they are metaphorical, just to make people understand. We can see everything written in these 28 Narak occurring around us. One can suffer from any punishment in any of 84 lakh species, it is not that only human beings are to be punished.  Any one going out of syllabus of his own nature and default setting has to suffer. In Garuda Puraan it is written as Jeevatma, so one can suffer in anyspecies, it can be fish, sheep, deer, chicken, turkey or lion. So, anything can happen to anyone at anytime. We always say “pata nahi kaun se karmo ki saza mili hai”, we have to suffer at any time or any place, but surely need to suffer.

We have seen in practical also that every misdeed done follows the consequences. Here I am writing the deeds and the result they have as written in puraan. I will try to simplify with examples. Here I would like to add that we have not seen hell as such but the Torture room in police station is not less than a hell. We can see most of the punishments are given in the police stations.

(1) Tamisram (Heavy flogging) -

It is written those who rob others of their wealth are bound with ropes by Yama’s Servants and cast into the naraka known as Tamisram.  

As per my experience Yama servants are not people who will be somewhere above in the sky. They are some people out of us only, who got suffered directly or indirectly by the act of that person. We see lot of people being beaten up, tied in robs and are given a thrashing. When they recover their senses, the beating is repeated. This is done until their time is up. Sometime we even don’t know the reason why a person is getting beaten up, but we surely see lot of incidents taking place around us. We see this type of treatment in police stations.

(2) Andhatamtrsam (Flogging)-

This Hell is reserved for the Husband or the Wife, who treat their spouses well till they are of profit or pleasure to them. Those who forsake (to leave a person) their wives or husbands for no apparent reasons are also sent here.

The punishment is almost the same as Tamisram, but the excruciating pain, suffered by the victims on being tied fast, makes them fall down senseless. We see relatives or brother of the wife sometimes beat the husband. Sometimes full family of the husband torture the lady, we see they sometimes even kill the girls, reason may be any but it happens in the society.

(3) Rauravam (torment of snakes)-

This is the hell for sinners who seize and enjoy another man’s property or resources. When these people are thrown into this hell, those whom they have cheated, assume the shape of “Ruru”, a dreadful serpent. The serpent(s) will torment them severely until their time is up.

It is again metaphorical, but we see people bitten up by serpents and dying.

(4) Mahararuravam (death by snakes)-

Here there is also Ruru serpents but fiercer. Those who deny the legitimate heirs, their inheritance and possess and enjoy others property will be squeezed and bitten nonstop by this terrible serpents coiling around them. Those who steal another man’s wife or lover will also be thrown here.

(5) Kumbhipakam (cooked by oil)-

This is the hell for those who kill animals for pleasure. Here oil is kept boiled in huge vessels and sinners are plunged in these vessels. We see it in lot of restaurants where non veg is getting made and served, lot of videos on internet about fried non vegetarian foods. Cannabilism also prevails in some species. 

(6) Kalasutram (Hot as hell)-

This hell is terribly hot. Those who don’t respect their elders especially, when their elders have done their duties are sent here. Here they are made to run around in this unbearable heat and drop down exhausted from time to time. This is very common punishment we see around us.

(7) Asitapatram (sharp flogging)-

This is the hell in which sinners abandon one’s own duty. They are flogged by Yama’s Servants with whips made of asipatra (sharp-edged sword-shaped leaves). If they run about under the flogging, they will trip over the stones and thorns, to fall on their faces. Then they are stabbed with knives until they drop unconscious, when they recover, the same process is repeated until their time is up in this Naraka. The acts of TALIBAAN resemble it.

(8)Sukaramukham (Crushed and tormented)-

Rulers who neglect their duties and oppress their subjects by misrule, are punished in this hell. They are crushed to a pulp by heavy beating. When they recover, it is repeated until their time is up. Lot of incident around us where people beat someone to death.

(9) Andhakupam ( Attack of the animals)-

This is hell for those who oppress the good people and not helping them if requested despite having the resources. They will be pushed into a well, where beasts like Lions, tigers, eagles and venomous creatures like snakes and scorpions. The sinners have to endure the constant attacks of these creatures until the expiry of the period of their punishment.

(10) Taptamurti ( Burnt Alive)-

Those who plunder or steal Gold and jewels are cast into the furnaces of this Naraka which always remains hot in blazing fire.

The stories like TANDOOR KAND are a perfect example of it. Lot of non-vegetarian receipes are prepared in tandoor.

(11) Krimibhojanam (Food for worms)-

Those who do not honour their Guests and make use of men or women only for their own gain, are thrown into this Naraka. Worms, insects and serpents eat them alive. Once their bodies are completely eaten up, the sinners are provided with new bodies, which are also eaten up in the above manner. This continues, till the end of their term of punishment.

(12) Salmali (Embracing hot images)-

This Naraka is intended for men and women who have committed adultery. A figure made of iron, heated red-hot is placed there. The sinner is forced to embrace it, while Yama’s servants flog the victim behind. Seekh kabab can be the perfect example of it.

(13) Vajrakantakasali-(Embracing sharp images)-

This Naraka is the punishment for Sinners who have unnatural intercourse with animals. Here, they are made to embrace iron images full of sharp diamond needles that pierce through their bodies.

(14) Vaitarani (River of Filth)-

Rulers who abuse their power and adulterers are thrown here. It is the most terrible place of punishment. It is a river which is filled with human excreta, blood, hair, bones, nails, flesh and all kinds of dirty substances. There are various kinds of terrible beasts as well. Those who are cast into it are attacked and mauled by these creatures from all sides. The sinners have to spend the term of their punishment, feeding upon the contents of this river.

People who are forced to drink their own urine, faecal matter are an example, We have listen to the stories during BRITISH TIME, they used to give this punishment to the inmates.

(15) Puyodakam (Well of hell)-

This is a well filled with excreta, urine, blood, phlegm. Men who have intercourse and cheat women with no intention of marrying them are considered like animals. Those who wander about irresponsibly like animals are thrown in this well to get polluted by its contents. They are to remain here till their time is up.

(16) Pranarodham (Piece by Piece)-

This Naraka is for those who keep dogs and other mean animals and constantly hunt and kill animals for food. Here the servants of Yama, gather around the sinners and cut them limb to limb while subjecting them to constant insult.

We have seen so many episodes in crime petrol where a person kills the other and cut him into pieces and throws one organ after the other.

(17) Visasanam (Bashing from Clubs)-

This Naraka is for the torture of those rich people who look down at the poor and spend excessively just to display their wealth and splendour. They have to remain here at the whole term of their punishment where they will be bashed nonstop from heavy clubs from Yama’s Servants.

(18) Lalabhaksam-(River of semen)-

This is the Naraka for lustful men. The lascivious fellow, who makes his wife swallow his semen, is cast into this hell. Lalabhaksam is a sea of semen. The sinner lies in it, feeding upon semen alone until his period of punishment.

(19) Sarameyasanam (Torment from dogs)-

Those guilty of unsocial acts like poisoning food, mass slaughter, ruining the country are cast into this hell. There is nothing but the flesh of dogs for food. There are thousands of dogs in this Naraka and they attack the sinners and tear their flesh from their bodies with their teeth.                                                                              Dogs killing some people after eating their flesh.

(20) Avici (turned into dust)-

This Naraka is for those who are guilty for false witness and false swearing. There are hurled from a great height and they are utterly smashed into dust when they reached the ground. They are again restored to life and the punishment is repeated till the end of their time.

(21) Ayahpanam (Drinking of burning substances)-

Those who consume alcohol and other intoxicating drinks are sent here. The women are forced to drink melted iron in liquid form, whereas the men will be forced to drink hot liquid molten lava for every time they consume an alcoholic drink in their earthly lives.

(22) Raksobjaksam (Revenge attacks)-

Those who do animal and human sacrifices and eat the flesh after the sacrifice will be thrown in this hell. All the living beings they killed before would be there and they will join together to attacking, biting, and mauling the sinners. Their cries and complaints would be no avail here.

(23) Sulaprotam(Trident Torture)-

People who take the lives of others who have done no harm to them and those who deceives others by treachery are sent to this “Sulaportam” hell. Here they are impaled on a trident and they are forced to spend their whole term of their punishment in that position, suffering intense hunger and thirst, as well as enduring all the tortures inflicted on them.

(24) Ksharakardamam(hanged upside down) -

Braggarts and those who insult good people are cast into this hell. Yama’s servants keep the sinners upside down and torture them in many ways.

(25) Dandasukam(eaten alive)-

Sinners who persecute others like animals will be sent here. There are many beasts here. They will be eaten alive by these beasts.

(26) Vatarodham(weapon torture)-

This hell is for those who persecute animals which live in forests, mountain peaks and trees. After throwing them in this hell, sinners are tortured with fire, poison and various weapons during their time here in this Naraka.

(27) Paryavartanakam (torture from birds)-

One who denies food to a hungry person and abuses him is thrown here. The moment the sinner arrives here, his eyes are put by being pierced the beaks of birds like the crows and eagles. They will be pierced later on by these birds till the end of their punishment.

(28) Sucimukham (Tortured by needles)-

Proud and Miserly people who refuse to spend money even for the basic necessities of life, like better food or buying food for their relations or friends will find their place in this hell. Those who do not repay the money they have borrowed will also be cast into this hell. Here, their bodies will be constantly be pricked and pierced by needles.

Whoever hurts or disturbs the other person is surely to get hurt back, as per my knowledge and thinking and universe surely gives it back to that person in return. No one has seen HELL OR HEAVEN, practically we have seen the incidents of being punished or rewarded around us. The book is just a reminder that every action has a reaction.

DR. INDERJIT KAUR

MD RASA SHASTRA AND BHAISHJYA KALPANA

PhD ASTROLOGY & VASTU

Can mail: piousayurveda@gmail.com