Narakas In Buddhist Literature

[no_0ne]

Cold Narakas

• Arbuda – the "blister" Naraka. This is a dark, frozen plain surrounded by icy mountains and continually swept by blizzards. Inhabitants of this world arise fully grown and abide life-long naked and alone, while the cold raises blisters upon their bodies. The length of life in this Naraka is said to be the time it would take to empty a barrel of sesame seed if one only took out a single seed every hundred years.

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Esu AgY ipCY FoeI nwhI ijsu AMdir inMdw muih AMbu pieAw ]

ous agai pishhai dtoee naahee jis a(n)dhar ni(n)dhaa muhi a(n)b paeiaa ||

He shall find no shelter here or hereafter; his mouth blisters with the slander in his heart.

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• Nirarbuda – the "burst blister" Naraka. This Naraka is even colder than the one above, and here the blisters burst open, leaving the beings' bodies covered with frozen blood and pus.

• Aṭaṭa – the Naraka of shivering. Here the beings shiver in the cold, making an aṭ-aṭ-aṭ sound with their mouths.

• Hahava – the Naraka of lamentation. Here the beings lament in the cold, going ha, ho in pain.

• Huhuva – the Naraka of chattering teeth. Here the beings shiver as their teeth chatter, making the sound hu, hu.

• Utpala – the "blue lotus" Naraka. Here the intense cold makes the skin turn blue like the color of an utpala waterlily.

• Padma – the "lotus" Naraka. In this Naraka the blizzard cracks open the frozen skin leaving one raw and bloody.

• Mahāpadma – the "great lotus" Naraka. Here the whole body cracks into pieces and the internal organs are exposed to the cold and they also crack.

Each lifetime in these Narakas is twenty times the length of the one before it.

Hot Narakas

• Sañjīva – the "reviving" Naraka. In this Naraka the ground is made out of hot iron heated by an immense fire. Beings in this Naraka appear fully grown, already in a state of fear and misery. As soon as the being begins to fear being harmed by others, their fellows appear and attack each other with iron claws. Or else, the attendants of Yama appear and attack the being with many fiery weapons. As soon as the being experiences an unconsciousness like death, they are suddenly restored to full health and the attacks begin again. Other tortures experienced in this Naraka are having melted metal drop on them, being sliced into pieces, and suffering from the heat of the iron ground. Life in this Naraka is 162*1010 years long. It is said to be 1000 yojanas beneath Jambudvīpa and 10,000 yojanas in each direction.

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gun goivMd gurmuiK n jipAw qpq QMm@ gil lwiqAw ]

gun govi(n)dh guramukh n japiaa thapath thha(n)mh gal laathiaa ||

He was not Gurmukh - he did not chant the Glorious Praises of the Lord of the Universe; and now, the hot irons are put to his chest.

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• Kālasūtra – the "black thread" Naraka. Here, in addition to the torments mentioned above, black lines are drawn upon the body, and Yama's servants cut the beings upon the lines with fiery saws and sharp axes. Life in this Naraka is 1296*1010 years long.

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sgl dust KMf KMf kIey jn lIey mwnI ]3]

sagal dhusatt kha(n)dd kha(n)dd keeeae jan leeeae maanee ||3||

that all the wicked are cut apart into pieces, while His humble servants are blessed with honor. ||3||

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• Saṃghāta – the "crushing" Naraka. This Naraka is also upon a ground of hot iron, but is surrounded by huge masses of rock that smash together and crush the beings to a bloody jelly. When the rocks move apart again, life is restored to the being and the process starts again. Life in this Naraka is 10,368*1010 years long.

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kwieAw Awrxu mnu ivic lohw pMc Agin iqqu lwig rhI ]

kaaeiaa aaran man vich lohaa pa(n)ch agan thith laag rehee ||

The body is a furnace, and the mind is the iron within it; the five fires are heating it.

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• Raurava – the "screaming" Naraka. Here beings run here and there looking for refuge from the burning ground. When they find an apparent shelter, they are locked inside it as it blazes around them, while they scream inside. Life in this Naraka is 82,944*1010 years long.

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jmkwil grTy krih pukwrw ]

jamakaal garat(h)ae karehi pukaaraa ||

Seized by the Messenger of Death, people cry out and scream.

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• Mahāraurava – the "great screaming" Naraka. Similar to the Raurava Naraka, but with greater pains. Life in this Naraka is 663,552*1010 years long.

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ibllwt krih bhuqyirAw ipAwry auqrY nwhI sUlu ]

bilalaatt karehi bahuthaeriaa piaarae outharai naahee sool ||

They cry out and scream horribly, O Beloved, but their torment does not end.

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• Tapana – the "heating" Naraka. Here Yama's servants impale the beings on a fiery spear until flames issue from their noses and mouths. Life in this Naraka is 5,308,416*1010 years long.

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vymuK hoey rwm qy ijau qskr aupir sUil ]2]

vaemukh hoeae raam thae jio thasakar oupar sool ||2||

Those who turn their backs on the Lord suffer, like the thief impaled on the gallows. ||2||

ijhvw jlau jlwvxI nwmu n jpY rswie ]

jihavaa jalo jalaavanee naam n japai rasaae ||

Let that tongue be burnt in flames, which does not chant the Naam with love.

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• Pratāpana – the "great heating" Naraka. The tortures here are similar to the Tapana Naraka, but the beings are pierced more bloodily with a trident. Life in this Naraka is 42,467,328*1010 years long. It is also said to last for the length of half an antarakalpa.

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BV BV Agin swgru dy lhrI piV dJih mnmuK qweI hy ]9]

bharr bharr agan saagar dhae leharee parr dhajhehi manamukh thaaee hae ||9||

The ocean of fire spits out waves of searing flames; the self-willed manmukhs fall into it, and are roasted there. ||9||

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• Avīci – the "uninterrupted" Naraka. Beings are roasted in an immense blazing oven with terrible suffering. Life in this Naraka is 339,738,624*1010 years long. It is also said to last for the length of an antarakalpa.

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rsu ksu ttir pweIAY qpY qY ivllwie ]

ras kas ttattar paaeeai thapai thai vilalaae ||

What punishment is inflicted upon it! Its juice is extracted and placed in the cauldron; as it is heated, it groans and cries out.

qx qx KuMb cVwiekY dy dy duK Duvwie rMgwXw]

than than khu(n)b charraaeikai dhae dhae dhukh dhhuvaae ra(n)gaayaa||

Then through its warp and waft it was woven and made to suffer getting dyed in boiling cauldron.

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[Demonic Warrior]

cool, very interesting but I've read it before. I think that every religion has a truth in the image it gives of hell and its happenings.

I Love HELL.

[HBK]

Buddhism seems to be very similar to Sikhi

[no_0ne]

Buddhism seems to be very similar to Sikhi

Agree, though there are a few differences which are:

- Sikhs recite on God's name

- Sikhs believe that we should conquer our mind within Maya

- Sikhs believe we should be like givers not beggars

[Surinderjit]

Buddhism seems to be very similar to Sikhi

Agree, though there are a few differences which are:

- Sikhs recite on God's name

- Sikhs believe that we should conquer our mind within Maya

- Sikhs believe we should be like givers not beggars

not all buddhists are monks

in fact, along neapal and tibet, alot of buddhist are common people liek you and me - in the fac th the wangkur of the dakini t'hroma nagmo - one of the vows is to keep uncut hair.

just thought i would share a sa former yogi of nyingmapa tibetan buddhism

[no_0ne]

not all buddhists are monks

in fact, along neapal and tibet, alot of buddhist are common people liek you and me - in the fac th the wangkur of the dakini t'hroma nagmo - one of the vows is to keep uncut hair.

just thought i would share a sa former yogi of nyingmapa tibetan buddhism

Interesting Thanks for sharing :TH: