The Torments of Hell

Verse 1 (padma.2.70.1)

मातलिरुवाच । यमपीडां प्रवक्ष्यामि महातीव्रां सुदारुणाम् । भुंजंति पापिनः सर्वे क्रूरास्ते ब्रह्मघातकाः

mātaliruvāca yamapīḍāṁ pravakṣyāmi mahātīvrāṁ sudāruṇām bhuṁjaṁti pāpinaḥ sarve krūrāste brahmaghātakāḥ

Matali said: "I shall now tell of the torment of Yama, exceedingly intense and terrible, which all sinners experience — those cruel ones, the slayers of brahmins."

Verse 2 (padma.2.70.2)

क्वचित्पापाः प्रपच्यंते तीव्रेण करिषाग्निना । क्वचित्सिंहैर्वृकैर्व्याघ्रैर्दंशैः कीटैश्च दारुणैः

kvacitpāpāḥ prapacyaṁte tīvreṇa kariṣāgninā kvacitsiṁhairvṛkairvyāghrairdaṁśaiḥ kīṭaiśca dāruṇaiḥ

"In some places, sinners are cooked in a fierce fire of dried dung; in others, by lions, wolves, tigers, and terrible biting insects,"

Verse 3 (padma.2.70.3)

क्वचिन्महाजलौकोभिः क्वचिदाजगरैः पुनः । मक्षिकाभिश्च रौद्राभिः क्वचित्सर्पैर्विषोल्बणैः

kvacinmahājalaukobhiḥ kvacidājagaraiḥ punaḥ makṣikābhiśca raudrābhiḥ kvacitsarpairviṣolbaṇaiḥ

"in some places by huge leeches, in others by pythons, by fierce flies, and elsewhere by serpents thick with venom,"

Verse 4 (padma.2.70.4)

मत्तमातंगयूथैश्च बलोत्कृष्टैः प्रमाथिभिः । पंथानमुल्लिखद्भिश्च तीक्ष्णशृंगमहावृषैः

mattamātaṁgayūthaiśca balotkṛṣṭaiḥ pramāthibhiḥ paṁthānamullikhadbhiśca tīkṣṇaśṛṁgamahāvṛṣaiḥ

"by herds of rutting elephants, of overwhelming strength, that trample and crush, and by mighty bulls with sharp horns that tear up the ground,"

Verse 5 (padma.2.70.5)

महाशृंगैश्च महिषैर्दुष्टगात्रप्रबाधकैः । डाकिनीभिश्च रौद्राभिर्विकरालैश्च राक्षसैः

mahāśṛṁgaiśca mahiṣairduṣṭagātraprabādhakaiḥ ḍākinībhiśca raudrābhirvikarālaiśca rākṣasaiḥ

"by great-horned buffaloes that torment their wicked bodies, by fierce dakini-demonesses, and by hideous rakshasas,"

Verse 6 (padma.2.70.6)

व्याधिभिश्च महाघोरैः पीड्यमाना व्रजंति ते । महातुलां समारूढा दह्यमाना दवानले

vyādhibhiśca mahāghoraiḥ pīḍyamānā vrajaṁti te mahātulāṁ samārūḍhā dahyamānā davānale

"and afflicted by terrible diseases, they wander in torment; hoisted upon a great scale, they are burned in a raging forest-fire,"

Verse 7 (padma.2.70.7)

महावेगप्रधूतास्ते महाचंडेन वायुना । महापाषाणवर्षेण भिद्यमानाश्च सर्वतः

mahāvegapradhūtāste mahācaṁḍena vāyunā mahāpāṣāṇavarṣeṇa bhidyamānāśca sarvataḥ

"whirled about with tremendous force by a mighty raging wind, and torn apart on every side by a shower of great stones,"

Verse 8 (padma.2.70.8)

पतद्भिर्वज्रनिर्घोषैरुल्कापातैश्च दारुणैः । प्रदीप्तांगारवर्षेण हन्यमाना व्रजंति ते

patadbhirvajranirghoṣairulkāpātaiśca dāruṇaiḥ pradīptāṁgāravarṣeṇa hanyamānā vrajaṁti te

"struck by roaring thunderbolts that fall, by terrible showers of meteors, and by a rain of blazing embers, they wander thus, beaten down,"

Verse 9 (padma.2.70.9)

महता पांसुवर्षेण पूर्यमाणा यमं गताः । ये नराः पापकर्माणः पापं भुंजंति दारुणम्

mahatā pāṁsuvarṣeṇa pūryamāṇā yamaṁ gatāḥ ye narāḥ pāpakarmāṇaḥ pāpaṁ bhuṁjaṁti dāruṇam

"buried under a great downpour of dust — such is what those men who have gone to Yama, whose deeds were sinful, endure: thus do they suffer the terrible fruit of their sin."

Verse 10 (padma.2.70.10)

एवं पापविशेषेण पापिष्ठाः पापकारकाः । नरकं प्रतिभुंजंति बहुपीडासमाकुलम्

evaṁ pāpaviśeṣeṇa pāpiṣṭhāḥ pāpakārakāḥ narakaṁ pratibhuṁjaṁti bahupīḍāsamākulam

"Thus, according to the particular nature of their sin, the most sinful, the doers of sin, experience hell, filled with manifold torment."

Verse 11 (padma.2.70.11)

एतत्ते सर्वमाख्यातं विवेकं पुण्यपापयोः । अन्यत्किं ते प्रवक्ष्यामि धर्मशास्त्रमनुत्तमम्

etatte sarvamākhyātaṁ vivekaṁ puṇyapāpayoḥ anyatkiṁ te pravakṣyāmi dharmaśāstramanuttamam

"All this discernment between merit and sin has now been told to you. What else shall I tell you of this supreme teaching of the dharma-shastras?"