The Description of Patala and the Netherworlds

Verse 1 (garuda.1.57.1)

॥ हरिरुवाच ॥ सप्ततिस्तु सहस्त्राणि भूम्युच्छ्रायोऽपि कथ्यते ॥ दशसाहस्त्रमेकैकं पातालं वृषभध्वज

. hariruvāca . saptatistu sahastrāṇi bhūmyucchrāyo'pi kathyate . daśasāhastramekaikaṁ pātālaṁ vṛṣabhadhvaja

Hari said: Seventy thousand yojanas is also said to be the depth of the earth's underworld; O bull-bannered one, each Patala measures ten thousand yojanas.

Verse 2 (garuda.1.57.2)

अतलं वितलं चैव नितलं च गभस्तिमत् ॥ महाख्यं सुतलं चाग्रयं पातालं चापि सप्तमम्

atalaṁ vitalaṁ caiva nitalaṁ ca gabhastimat . mahākhyaṁ sutalaṁ cāgrayaṁ pātālaṁ cāpi saptamam

Atala, and Vitala, and Nitala, and Gabhastimat, called Mahakhya, and Sutala, the excellent one, and Patala itself the seventh.

Verse 3 (garuda.1.57.3)

कृष्णा शुक्लारुणा पीता शर्करा शैलकाञ्चना ॥ भूयस्तत्र दैतेया वसन्ति च भुजङ्गमाः

kṛṣṇā śuklāruṇā pītā śarkarā śailakāñcanā . bhūyastatra daiteyā vasanti ca bhujaṅgamāḥ

Black, white, red, yellow, gravelly, rocky, and golden in soil — in these dwell the Daityas in abundance, and serpents.

Verse 4 (garuda.1.57.4)

रौद्रे तु पुष्करद्वीपे नरकाः सन्ति ताञ्छृणु ॥ रौरवः सूकरो रोधस्तालो विनशनस्तथा

raudre tu puṣkaradvīpe narakāḥ santi tāñchṛṇu . rauravaḥ sūkaro rodhastālo vinaśanastathā

In the fearsome Pushkara-dvipa there are hells; hear them: Raurava, Sukara, Rodha, Tala, and Vinashana,

Verse 5 (garuda.1.57.5)

महाज्वालस्तप्तकुम्भो लवणोऽथि विमोहितः ॥ रुधिराख्यो वैतरणी कृमिशः कृमिभो जनः

mahājvālastaptakumbho lavaṇo'thi vimohitaḥ . rudhirākhyo vaitaraṇī kṛmiśaḥ kṛmibho janaḥ

Mahajvala, Taptakumbha, Lavana, and Vimohita,

Verse 6 (garuda.1.57.6)

असिपत्रवनः कृष्णो नानाभक्षश्च दारुणः ॥ तथा पूयवहः पापो वह्निज्वालस्त्वधः शिराः

asipatravanaḥ kṛṣṇo nānābhakṣaśca dāruṇaḥ . tathā pūyavahaḥ pāpo vahnijvālastvadhaḥ śirāḥ

the one called Rudhira, Vaitarani, Krimisha, Krimibhojana, Asipatravana, Krishna, Nanabhaksha, and the dreadful one,

Verse 7 (garuda.1.57.7)

संदंशः कृष्णसूत्रश्च तमश्चावीचिरेव च ॥ श्वभोजनोऽथाप्रतिष्ठोष्णवीचिर्नरकाः स्मृताः

saṁdaṁśaḥ kṛṣṇasūtraśca tamaścāvīcireva ca . śvabhojano'thāpratiṣṭhoṣṇavīcirnarakāḥ smṛtāḥ

and likewise Puyavaha, Papa, Vahnijvala, and Adhahshiras (where one hangs head-downward), Sandamsha, Krishnasutra, Tamas, and Avichi as well,

Verse 8 (garuda.1.57.8)

पापिनस्तेषु पच्यन्ते विषशस्त्राग्निदायिनः ॥ उपर्य्युपरि वै लोका रुद्र ! भूतादयः स्थिताः

pāpinasteṣu pacyante viṣaśastrāgnidāyinaḥ . uparyyupari vai lokā rudra ! bhūtādayaḥ sthitāḥ

Shvabhojana, Apratishtha, and Ushnavichi — these are the hells that are remembered. In them, sinners are cooked with poison, weapons, and fire.

Verse 9 (garuda.1.57.9)

वारिवह्न्यनिलाकाशैर्वृतं भूतादिना च तत् ॥ तदण्डं महता रुद्र ! प्रधानेन च वेष्टितम्

vārivahnyanilākāśairvṛtaṁ bhūtādinā ca tat . tadaṇḍaṁ mahatā rudra ! pradhānena ca veṣṭitam

O Rudra, the worlds are situated one above another, inhabited by elemental beings and the rest. That cosmic sphere is enveloped by water, fire, wind, space, and the elemental principle of ego.

Verse 10 (garuda.1.57.10)

अण्डं दशगुणं व्याप्तं नारायणः स्थितः

aṇḍaṁ daśaguṇaṁ vyāptaṁ nārāyaṇaḥ sthitaḥ

O Rudra, that cosmic egg is enveloped by the great Pradhana, the primordial matter. The egg is pervaded tenfold in extent, and Narayana abides within it.