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Eighth Skandha · Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Unit 214 of 318Eighth Skandha · Chapter 21Eighth Skandha · Chapter 211 source entries

Eighth Skandha · Chapter 21

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श्रीनारायण उवाच तस्यानुभावं भगवान् ब्रह्मपुत्रः सनातनः । सभायां ब्रह्मदेवस्य गायमान उपासते ॥ १ ॥ उत्पत्तिस्थितिलयहेतवोऽस्य कल्पाः सत्त्वाद्याः प्रकृतिगुणा यदीक्षयाऽऽसन् । यद्‌रूपं ध्रुवमकृतं यदेकमात्मन्- नानाधात्कथमुह वेद तस्य वर्त्म ॥ २ ॥ मूर्तिं नः पुरुकृपया बभार सत्त्वं संशुद्धं सदसदिदं विभाति यत्र । यल्लीलां मृगपतिराददेऽनवद्या- मादातुं स्वजनमनांस्युदारवीर्यः ॥ ३ ॥ यन्नाम श्रुतमनुकीर्तयेदकस्मा- दार्तो वा यदि पतितः प्रलम्भनाद्वा । हन्त्यंहः सपदि नृणामशेषमन्यं कं शेषाद्‍भगवत आश्रयेत्युमुक्षुः ॥ ४ ॥ मूर्धन्यर्पितमणुवत्सहस्रमूर्ध्नो भूगोलं सगिरिसरित्समुद्रसत्त्वम् । आनन्त्यादनमितविक्रमस्य भूम्नः को वीर्याण्यधिगणयेत्सहस्रजिह्वः ॥ ५ ॥ एवंप्रभावो भगवाननन्तो दुरन्तवीर्योरुगुणानुभावः । मूले रसायाः स्थित आत्मतन्त्रो यो लीलया क्ष्मां स्थितये बिभर्ति ॥ ६ ॥ एता ह्येवेह तु नृभिर्गतयो मुनिसत्तम । गन्तव्या बहुशो यद्वद्यथाकर्मविनिर्मिताः ॥ ७ ॥ यथोपदेशं च कामान्सदा कामयमानकैः । एतावतीर्हि राजेन्द्र मनुष्यमृगपक्षिषु ॥ ८ ॥ विपाकगतयः प्रोक्ता धर्मस्य वशगास्तथा । उच्चावचा विसदृशा यथाप्रश्नं निबोधत ॥ ९ ॥ नारद उवाच वैचित्र्यमेतल्लोकस्य कथं भगवता कृतम् । समानत्वे कर्मणां च तन्नो ब्रूहि यथातथम् ॥ १० ॥ श्रीनारायण उवाच कर्तुः श्रद्धावशादेव गतयोऽपि पृथग्विधाः । त्रिगुणत्वात्सदा तासां फलं विसदृशं त्विह ॥ ११ ॥ सात्त्विक्या श्रद्धया कर्तुः सुखित्वं जायते सदा । दुःखित्वं च तथा कर्तू राजस्या श्रद्धया भवेत् ॥ १२ ॥ दुःखित्वं चैव मूढत्वं तामस्या श्रद्धयोदितम् । तारतम्यात्तु श्रद्धानां फलवैचित्र्यमीरितम् ॥ १३ ॥ अनाद्यविद्याविहितकर्मणां परिणामजाः । सहस्रशः प्रवृत्तास्तु गतयो द्विजपुङ्गव ॥ १४ ॥ तद्‍भेदान्वर्णयिष्यामि प्राचुर्येण द्विजोत्तम । त्रिजगत्या अन्तराले दक्षिणस्यां दिशीह वै ॥ १५ ॥ भूमेरधस्तादुपरि त्वतलस्य च नारद । अग्निष्वात्ताः पितृगणा वर्तन्ते पितरश्च ह ॥ १६ ॥ वसन्ति यस्यां स्वीयानां गोत्राणां परमाशिषः । सत्याः समाधिना शीघ्रं त्वाशासानाः परेण वै ॥ १७ ॥ पितृराजोऽपि भगवान् सम्परेतेषु जन्तुषु । विषयं प्रापितेष्वेषु स्वकीयैः पुरुषैरिह ॥ १८ ॥ सगणो भगवत्प्रोक्ताज्ञापरो दमधारकः । यथाकर्म यथादोषं विदधाति विचारदृक् ॥ १९ ॥ स्वान्गणान्धर्मतत्त्वज्ञान्सर्वानाज्ञाप्रवर्तकान् । सदा प्रेरयति प्राज्ञो यथादेशनियोजितान् ॥ २० ॥ नरकानेकविंशत्या संख्यया वर्णयन्ति हि । अष्टाविंशमितान्केचित्ताननुक्रमतो ब्रुवे ॥ २१ ॥ तामिस्र अन्धतामिस्रो रौरवोऽपि तृतीयकः । महारौरवनामा च कुम्भीपाकोऽपरो मतः ॥ २२ ॥ कालसूत्रं तथा चासिपत्रारण्यमुदाहृतम् । सूकरस्य मुखं चान्धकूपोऽथ कृमिभोजनः ॥ २३ ॥ संदंशस्तप्तमूर्तिश्च वज्रकण्टक एव च । शाल्मली चाथ देवर्षे नाम्ना वैरतणी तथा ॥ २४ ॥ पूयोदः प्राणरोधश्च तथा विशसनं मतम् । लालाभक्षः सारमेयादनमुक्तमतः परम्॥ २५ ॥ अवीचिरप्ययः पानं क्षारकर्दम एव च । रक्षोगणाख्यसम्भोजः शूलप्रोतोऽप्यतः परम् ॥ २६ ॥ दन्दशूकोऽवटारोधः पर्यावर्तनकः परम् । सूचीमुखमिति प्रोक्ता अष्टाविंशतिनारकाः ॥ २७ ॥ इत्येते नारका नाम यातनाभूमयः पराः । कर्मभिश्चापि भूतानां गम्याः पद्मजसम्भव ॥ २८ ॥ इति श्रीमद्देवीभागवतेमहापुराणेऽष्टादशसाहस्र्यां संहितायामष्टमस्कन्धे नरकस्वरूपवर्णनं नामैकविंशोऽध्यायः ॥ २१ ॥

śrīnārāyaṇa uvāca tasyānubhāvaṃ bhagavān brahmaputraḥ sanātanaḥ | sabhāyāṃ brahmadevasya gāyamāna upāsate || 1 || utpattisthitilayahetavo'sya kalpāḥ sattvādyāḥ prakṛtiguṇā yadīkṣayā''san | yad‌rūpaṃ dhruvamakṛtaṃ yadekamātman- nānādhātkathamuha veda tasya vartma || 2 || mūrtiṃ naḥ purukṛpayā babhāra sattvaṃ saṃśuddhaṃ sadasadidaṃ vibhāti yatra | yallīlāṃ mṛgapatirādade'navadyā- mādātuṃ svajanamanāṃsyudāravīryaḥ || 3 || yannāma śrutamanukīrtayedakasmā- dārto vā yadi patitaḥ pralambhanādvā | hantyaṃhaḥ sapadi nṛṇāmaśeṣamanyaṃ kaṃ śeṣād‍bhagavata āśrayetyumukṣuḥ || 4 || mūrdhanyarpitamaṇuvatsahasramūrdhno bhūgolaṃ sagirisaritsamudrasattvam | ānantyādanamitavikramasya bhūmnaḥ ko vīryāṇyadhigaṇayetsahasrajihvaḥ || 5 || evaṃprabhāvo bhagavānananto durantavīryoruguṇānubhāvaḥ | mūle rasāyāḥ sthita ātmatantro yo līlayā kṣmāṃ sthitaye bibharti || 6 || etā hyeveha tu nṛbhirgatayo munisattama | gantavyā bahuśo yadvadyathākarmavinirmitāḥ || 7 || yathopadeśaṃ ca kāmānsadā kāmayamānakaiḥ | etāvatīrhi rājendra manuṣyamṛgapakṣiṣu || 8 || vipākagatayaḥ proktā dharmasya vaśagāstathā | uccāvacā visadṛśā yathāpraśnaṃ nibodhata || 9 || nārada uvāca vaicitryametallokasya kathaṃ bhagavatā kṛtam | samānatve karmaṇāṃ ca tanno brūhi yathātatham || 10 || śrīnārāyaṇa uvāca kartuḥ śraddhāvaśādeva gatayo'pi pṛthagvidhāḥ | triguṇatvātsadā tāsāṃ phalaṃ visadṛśaṃ tviha || 11 || sāttvikyā śraddhayā kartuḥ sukhitvaṃ jāyate sadā | duḥkhitvaṃ ca tathā kartū rājasyā śraddhayā bhavet || 12 || duḥkhitvaṃ caiva mūḍhatvaṃ tāmasyā śraddhayoditam | tāratamyāttu śraddhānāṃ phalavaicitryamīritam || 13 || anādyavidyāvihitakarmaṇāṃ pariṇāmajāḥ | sahasraśaḥ pravṛttāstu gatayo dvijapuṅgava || 14 || tad‍bhedānvarṇayiṣyāmi prācuryeṇa dvijottama | trijagatyā antarāle dakṣiṇasyāṃ diśīha vai || 15 || bhūmeradhastādupari tvatalasya ca nārada | agniṣvāttāḥ pitṛgaṇā vartante pitaraśca ha || 16 || vasanti yasyāṃ svīyānāṃ gotrāṇāṃ paramāśiṣaḥ | satyāḥ samādhinā śīghraṃ tvāśāsānāḥ pareṇa vai || 17 || pitṛrājo'pi bhagavān sampareteṣu jantuṣu | viṣayaṃ prāpiteṣveṣu svakīyaiḥ puruṣairiha || 18 || sagaṇo bhagavatproktājñāparo damadhārakaḥ | yathākarma yathādoṣaṃ vidadhāti vicāradṛk || 19 || svāngaṇāndharmatattvajñānsarvānājñāpravartakān | sadā prerayati prājño yathādeśaniyojitān || 20 || narakānekaviṃśatyā saṃkhyayā varṇayanti hi | aṣṭāviṃśamitānkecittānanukramato bruve || 21 || tāmisra andhatāmisro rauravo'pi tṛtīyakaḥ | mahārauravanāmā ca kumbhīpāko'paro mataḥ || 22 || kālasūtraṃ tathā cāsipatrāraṇyamudāhṛtam | sūkarasya mukhaṃ cāndhakūpo'tha kṛmibhojanaḥ || 23 || saṃdaṃśastaptamūrtiśca vajrakaṇṭaka eva ca | śālmalī cātha devarṣe nāmnā vairataṇī tathā || 24 || pūyodaḥ prāṇarodhaśca tathā viśasanaṃ matam | lālābhakṣaḥ sārameyādanamuktamataḥ param|| 25 || avīcirapyayaḥ pānaṃ kṣārakardama eva ca | rakṣogaṇākhyasambhojaḥ śūlaproto'pyataḥ param || 26 || dandaśūko'vaṭārodhaḥ paryāvartanakaḥ param | sūcīmukhamiti proktā aṣṭāviṃśatinārakāḥ || 27 || ityete nārakā nāma yātanābhūmayaḥ parāḥ | karmabhiścāpi bhūtānāṃ gamyāḥ padmajasambhava || 28 || iti śrīmaddevībhāgavatemahāpurāṇe'ṣṭādaśasāhasryāṃ saṃhitāyāmaṣṭamaskandhe narakasvarūpavarṇanaṃ nāmaikaviṃśo'dhyāyaḥ || 21 ||

English translation

1-9. Narayana said O Devarsi! Sanatana, the son of Brahma, recites thus in the assembly of the Devas, the glories of the Bhagavan Ananta Deva, and worships Him, thus How can one of ordinary sight and understanding grasp the real nature of Brahma, Whose mere Glance enables the Prakrit! work Her Gunas in the Creation, Preservation and Destruction of this Universe! Him Whose nature has no beginning nor end; Who though One, has created all this Prapahcha (the universe of five elements) as a covering to the Atman (the True Self). He has made the Sat and Asat, out of his infinite compassion, this universe, full of cause and effect, visible in His One and only one S’uddha Sattva nature where even the very powerful lion is imitating his Leela (Pastime), void of all defects, to bring under His control the minds of His own kinsmen. (Note This Ananta Deva is the Ruling Principle in the Fourth Dimensional Space.) To Whom else, then, the persons, desirous of Moksa, will take refuge, the mere hearing or reciting Whose Name, in a fallen or a distressed condition, or merely in jest, takes away instantly all the sins! He is upholding the earth with the mountains, oceans, rivers and all the beings as if an atom on his thousand heads. He is infinite. His power knows no decrease in any time. No one can describe his actions even if one had thousand tongues to speak. He is of an infinite strength, of the endless high qualities and of unlimited understanding. Thus staying at the bottom of the earth, the Bhagavan Ananta Deva is upholding with ease this earth for her protection, unaided and independent. O Muni! The people get the fruits of their actions and desires as they want and as they have followed the paths laid down in the S’astras and become accordingly kings, men, deer or birds or other creatures in other states. O Narada! This I have described, as you questioned me before, the various and dissimilar fruits of various actions, done according to the dictates of the Dharma and the S’astras.

10. Narada said “O Bhagavan! Kindly describe to me now why has the Bhagavan created so many diversities, when the Karmas, done by the Jivas, are the same.”

11-28. Narayana said O Narada! So many different states arise because the S’raddhas of the doers are so very different. The fruits differ because the S’raddhas vary, some being Sattvik, some Rajasik and some Tamasik. If the S’raddha be Sattvik, happiness comes always; if it be Rajasik, incessant pain and misery is the result; if it be Tamasik, misery comes and the loss of the knowledge of good or bad is the result. Thus the fruits differ as the S’raddha varies. O Best of Dvijas! Thousands and thousands of states occur to a man as the result of their Karmas, done under the influence of the beginningless Avidya (Nescience). O Dvijottama! I will now deal in detail with their varieties; hear. Behind this Triloki, below this earth and over the Atala, the Piths named Agnisvattas and other forefathers live. Those Pitris stay there, and, practising deep Samadhis, they offer always, to their best blessings to their own Gotra (families) respectively. There Yama, the God of the Pitris gives punishment to the dead brought there by His messengers according to their Karmas and faults. By the command of the Bhagavan, the Yama, surrounded by his own Ganas (persons), judges and does full justice according to the Karmas that they had done and the sins they had committed. He sends always those of his messengers who obey his order and know the Tattva of Dharma, and who are posted to their respective duties to carry out what He commands. The writers of the S’astras describe twenty-one Narakas or hells; others say there are twenty-eight hells. Now hear their names Tamisra, Andha Tamisra, Raurava, Maharaurava, Kumbhipaka, Kalasutra, Asipatrakanana, S’ukaramukha, Andhakupa, Krimibhojana, Taptamurti, Samdams’a, Vajrakantaka, S’almali, Vaitarani, Puyoda, Pranarodha, Vis’asana, Lalabhaksa, Sarameyadana, Avichi, Apahpana, Ksarakardama, Raksogana, Sambhoja, S’ulaprota, Dandas’uka, Avatarodha,

Paryavartanaka, and Suchimukha. These are the twenty-eight Narakas or hells. (N.B. These are 29).

These hells are very tormenting. O Son of Brahma! The embodied beings (jivas) suffer these according to their own Karmas respectively.

Here ends the Twenty-first Chapter of the Eighth Book on the narrative of hells in the Maha Puranam, S’ri Mad Devi Bhagavatam, of 18,000 verses, by Maharsi Veda Vyasa.

Complete chapter-aligned witnesses. Sanskrit Wikisource page 23823, revision 73365 (2016-07-03T02:43:18Z). English is Swami Vijñanananda’s complete 1921–23 public-domain translation, controlled against the archival OCR and its chapter page at https://sacred-texts.com/hin/db/bk08ch21.htm. Historic spelling and transliteration are lightly normalized; no verse-by-verse alignment is asserted.