Garuda Purana Concepts - Part 4 (Narakas)
When we say the word “hell”, we think of a negative place for all sinners, right?
But in Hinduism Narakas are more like personalised correction facilities for your soul to feel i.e. go through “bhoga” or experience of the effects of your karmic actions & cleanse yourself for the next birth.
You’re given a temporary Yāmya or Kritrim Sharīra for this very reason & punishments as per your sins. There are hundreds of Narakas, with as many as 28 described in texts like Garuda Purana.
Some visceral & horrible ones described to create “paapa bhaya” i.e. fear of committing sin in the darkest of minds are…
1) Tamisra (तामिस्र) - for robbers & sinners - they are bound with ropes and repeatedly beaten until they faint
2) Raurava (रौरव) - for people who steal & harm others - they are thrown in a pit of ruru snakes who bite & torment them
3) Kumbhipaka (कुम्भीपाक) - for those who eat & harm animals for pleasure - they’re cooked alive in a cauldron of hot oil
4) Krimibhojana (कृमिभोजन) - for those who refuse to honour guests, hoard food or don’t practice hospitality - they’re eaten by worms, insects & serpents
5) Vaitaarani (वैतरणी) - for those who cheat, betray, abuse their power, or engage in corruption - they’re thrown & drowned in a filthy river of blood, piss, excreta, semen & flesh
6) Taptamurti (तप्तमूर्ति) - those who steal or do sexual crimes - they’re beaten & forced to embrace a red-hot iron statue
7) Pranarodha (प्राणरोध) - for reckless hunters & animal killers - they’re sliced limb from limb while being shot by arrows
8) Puyodakam (पूयोदक) - for those who cheat on women & have illicit sex with them without any intention of marriage - they’re thrown into a polluted well of excreta, urine, blood & phlegm
9) Sulaprota (शूलप्रोत) - for those who abuse trust or commit murder - they’re pierced by sharp spears & eaten by birds
10) Avici (अवीचि) - for liars & oath-breakers - they’re hurled from great heights & smashed into dust when they reach the ground
11) Aayapana (आयःपान) - for those who break vows & drink alcohol - forced to drink melted iron or lava
… and there are many more morbidly dark creative ones.
As graphic as these sound, remember the intention is to firstly instil a healthy fear to prevent us from straying away from the path of Dharma, and secondly to cleanse us from the filth of our sins so we can move into the next life.