Types of Narakas in Hinduism

Will you go to hell if you’ve been a bad person? Not as per Hinduism & here’s the tea.

Both the concepts of “hell” & “sins” come from Abrahamic religions but in Hinduism we only have karma which is neutral because its basically action.

So if you do bad karma which are actions that hurt others, Yama who rules Yamaloka, will make your soul go through punishments as a kind of a karmic detox & then send you back in another life to get the chance to do good & move upwards towards what call Samadhi or Moksha, which is becoming one with God.

While it’s not entirely hopeless, there are hundreds of scary narakas or punishments & 28 popular ones which have scary stuff.

First, you have Kumbhipakam in which people who eat animals will be boiled alive in hot oil. Similarly, in Raksobjaksam, you are eaten by all the animals you abused.

Second, you have Rauvaram (RAWWRAV) where people who steal are bitten by snakes for a long period of time.

Third, for people who’ve cheated & abused their power, they’re drowned in Vaitarani, which is an endless dirty river of blood, human excreta & other filthy elements.

Fourth, you have Ayahpanam for alcoholics, in which we’re made to drink hot melted iron & lava.

Fifth, for murderers of innocent people, you have Sulaprotam in which they’re impaled on a trident & made to suffer in hunger & pain until they’ve done their time.

You’ll find more in the Garuda Purana, Vishnu Purana & Manu Smriti.

Now we don’t have to be scared because this age, everyone including myself has done some bad karma, so what are some ways to make it positive?