The Hindu Theory of Hell

 Introduction

A number of religious communities all over the world today have conceptualised ideas like the conformation of the cosmos, planetary positions, astronomical significance, and worlds existing within our own, by means of their beliefs, scriptural sources, and mythologies, and Karmic influx, one’s actions, good and bad deeds, destiny, and the sequence of one’s life are often believed to be attune with these cosmological reflections. Within the existence of these notions, comes one which has functioned as the balance scale of Karma, and added to the connotations of death and the afterlife: Heaven and Hell.

Mythologies have their own vision of Heaven and Hell, the former denoting purity, goodness, and liberation, with the latter representing punishment, evil, and torment and how one is atoned for their sins or remunerated for their virtues in each, respectively. For example, according to the Christian culture, Heaven and Hell are consequents of the kind of life one lives on this earth; a virtuous life leading to Heaven and an immoral one leading to Hell, and this is how balance on these Karmic scales is secured. According to Islam, Heaven is Jannah where one who does good deeds go and Hell is Jahannam where the wrongdoers go. According to Zoroastrianism, after death, virtuous souls who have done good deeds in their lifetime, see a beautiful woman, while the evil souls and wrongdoers see a witch. The good souls will be led by the beautiful woman to Paradise, or as called in Zoroastrianism, the “House of Songs” as angel-like beings who will guard good souls on earth. The souls of those who have lived evil lives will be attacked by the witch and will fall as demons into Hell or as called in Zoroastrianism, “House of Lies”. According to Greek Mythology, Heaven is Elysium, Home of the honoured dead, and Hell is Tartarus, a Place for Sinners.

Plate:1
Hell scene depicting two Sinners, walking on fours limbs, pulling a cart on which the four armed
and horned Yamaraja is sitting.  Late 19th century CE painting from the collections of the National Museum, New Delhi

Amongst these world religions and mythologies, comes Hinduism, one of major and oldest religions of the world, described by followers as a way of life, its ideology elucidated as “Apauruṣeya”, meaning "not of human" or "impersonal, authorless” which implies its creation or origin is not credited to any single human or being, and is rather intuited by sages called Rishis. Hinduism and its religious sects and denominations, accept the concept of Heaven and Hell, if simply put, as Swarga and Narka, respectively. The origin of these comes from one of the most relied upon and oldest sources in Hindu Scriptures, “the Puranas”, (“Purana” literally meaning “old”) which are a vast genre of the Hindu literature that talk about and explain legends, mythology, history, traditional folklore etc. They are extremely encyclopaedic in nature and include stories about kings and dynasties, cosmology, medicine, grammar, humour, folklore, love stories, and many more. There are 18 Major Puranas called “Mukhya Puranas”, and 18 Minor Puranas called “Upa Puranas”, both comprising of 4, 00,000 versus in total. Many stories of Hindu Gods and Goddesses, their powers, demons slayed by them, festivals celebrated in their regard and other facets of Hindu culture and tradition as a whole, are all mentioned in the Puranas. Out of the 18 Major Puranas, the 3^rd, which is Vishnu Purana, gives a detailed account on the concept of Heaven and Hell.

Hinduism expounds the structure of the cosmos is extant in the form of three realms or Lokas – Svarga-Loka the Upper Realm, Martya-Loka the Middle Realm, and Patala-Loka the Lower Realm. These 3 realms are further divided into 14 dimensions of existence, separated into 7 Upper Realms or “Vyahrtis”, and 7 Lower Realms or “Patalas”. The Upper Realm is for those with a higher sense of consciousness, awareness, and enlightenment, whereas the Lower Realm is reached when one’s awareness, knowledge of self, and level of consciousness are low.

Beyond the Vyahrtis, the highest realm is “Vaikuntha”, the abode of the Supreme God of Hinduism, Lord Vishnu, where devotees reach upon attaining liberation. And at the end of all Patalas, the lowest realm is “Naraka”, the abode of the Hindu God of Death, Yama, where sinners reach for the atonement of their sins. The former can thus be understood as the concept of Heaven and the latter as Hell in Hinduism.

Plate:2
Hell scene depicting Sinners being punished by Demons, Late 19th century CE painting
from the collections of the National Museum, New Delhi

Looking beyond Narka, under the domain of Yamaraja, there are further 28 hells within Narka-Loka. These are:

Raurav, Rodha, Sukar, Rudhirandha, Tal, Vaitarni, Taptakumbha, Taptaloha, Mahajwala, Lavan, Vilohit, Krimibhaksha, Lalabhaksha, Vedhak, Vishsan Krimish, Krimibhojan, Asipatravana, Krishna, Darun, Puyuvah, Pap, Vahnijwal, Adhahshira, Sandansh, Kalsutra, Tamas, Avichi, Swabhojan, Apratishthit and Aprachi.

A further detailed account of some of these has been given in the Vishnu Purana, which explains:

1. Raurav: Hell for those who give false witnesses.
2. Rodha: Thell for those who destroy villages and kill unborn humans and animals.
3. Sukar: Hell for thieves, murderers, and those who consume alcohol.
4. Tal: Hell for those who kill a Kshatriya (Royal class of Hindu Society) or a Vaishya (Working/middle-class of Hindu Society).
5. Rudhirandh: Hell for those who kill their friends, or are backbiters, or sell alcohol.
6. Vaitarni: Hell for those who destroy religious ceremonies and rituals.

There are also Hells for crimes against Humanity like:

1. Taptakumbh: Hell for those who copulate with their sisters or their teacher’s wife.
2. Taptaloha: Hell for those who are engaged in Human Trafficking or Poaching.
3. Mahajwal: Hell for those who copulate with their daughters or daughters-in-law. 

Further, there are Hells for those who disrespect the surroundings around them and important aspects of their life:

1. Lavan: Hell for those who disrespect their Gurus or teachers, and the Vedas. (Even those who sell the Vedas).
2. Vilohit: Hell for those who violate social norms.
3. Krimibhaksha: Hell for those who disrespects or envies the Gods, the Brahmins (Highest class of Hindu Society) or their parents.
4. Lalabhaksha: Hell for those who dine before serving God, their parents, or guests.

Hells have also been created for the manufacturers of weapons of war that lead to destruction and loss of human life:

1. Vedhak: Hell for manufacturers of Arrows.
2. Vishsan: Hell for the manufacturers of Swords.

Furthermore, Hell and Yama, the God of Death, have been depicted in a myriad of ways not only in Indian culture but also in other Southeast Asian cultures such as Sri Lanka and Tibet. These depictions are particularly notable in various art forms, including painting and sculpture. Throughout these cultures, artists have explored diverse interpretations of Hell and Yama, reflecting the rich tapestry of beliefs and artistic expressions across the region. One such artwork is “The Vedic God Yama, the God of Death, and Guardian of the South” (Plate3), from Tiruchchirappalli. While the artist of the painting is unknown, it beautifully illustrates the central idea behind Yama and his most common portrayal across cultures. He rides on a black buffalo and has four arms with a mace for punishing sinners in one arm, a noose for tying them in another, a trident in one arm and the rein of his buffalo in another.

Another such artwork includes the famous Kalighat Painting “Yama the God of Death” (Plate 4), by Sahajahan Chitrakar of West Bengal. As opposed to the painting above which gives Yama a wrathful appearance, this one portrays him in a more king-like for with his henchmen by his side.

Similar portrayals of Yama have also been outlined through sculptures by other cultures like those of 9^th century Sri Lanka and even Tibetan Esoteric Buddhism.

Conclusion

Thus, in these Hells created to cover every type of sin, the sinners have to endure tortures and punishments in atonement. And after passing their lives in Hell, they again become part of the cycle of birth and death, and take birth as worms, animals, humans, etc., to further atone for the sins they committed in their past life. But, while the problem exists, so does its solution, and only those people who do not atone for their sins or don’t expiate their sins during their lifetime, go to Hell. Great Hindu sages have explained that provisions have also been made for the expiration of the sins of those who realise them, want to correct past mistakes, and become better human beings. And one of the greatest ways that has been described and advised to atone for our sins, is the remembrance and recitation of God's name. Therefore, remembering God and reciting his name is in itself the biggest expiation and those who do so, cannot go to Hell because their sins have been destroyed and they are blessed by him.

Hence these detailed concepts of Heaven and Hell to which today, we give as little meaning as compressing them to feeling pleasant or unpleasant, have a much deeper meaning and exist as a way of making humans realise the importance of good virtues in life.

                                                                                  - Krishnika Kapoor

References

•        Fifield, D. (2005). Heaven and Hell. Bible Education.
•        (2018, March 29). Concept of Heaven and Hell according to Islam. Quran Reading.
•        Bhaskarananda, S. (1994). Essentials of Hinduism: A Comprehensive Overview of the World’s Oldest Religion. Ingram.
•        Chaturvedi B.K. (2000). Vishnu Purana. Diamond Books.
•        Williams, U. (2013, December 05). Zoroastrian versions of heaven and hell. British Library.
•        Mark, J. (2018, March 30). The Egyptian Afterlife and the Feather of Truth. World History Encyclopaedia.