The Means of Averting the Torments of Hell

Verse 1 (skanda.6.227.1)

युधिष्ठिर उवाच नरकाणां स्वरूपं च श्रुत्वा मे भयमागतम् कथं मुक्तिर्भवेत्तेषां पापानामपि पार्थिव व्रतैर्वा नियमैर्वापि होमैर्वा तीर्थसंश्रयैः

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca narakāṇāṁ svarūpaṁ ca śrutvā me bhayamāgatam kathaṁ muktirbhavetteṣāṁ pāpānāmapi pārthiva vratairvā niyamairvāpi homairvā tīrthasaṁśrayaiḥ

Yudhishthira said: Having heard of the nature of the hells, fear has come upon me. O lord of the earth, how can even sinners attain release from their sins — through vows, through observances, through fire-offerings, or through resort to sacred fords?

Verse 2 (skanda.6.227.2)

भीष्म उवाच गंगायामस्थिपातोऽत्र येषां संजायते नृणाम् न तेषां नारको वह्निः प्रभवेन्मध्यवर्तिनाम्

bhīṣma uvāca gaṁgāyāmasthipāto'tra yeṣāṁ saṁjāyate nṛṇām na teṣāṁ nārako vahniḥ prabhavenmadhyavartinām

Bhishma said: For those men whose bones fall into the Ganga and come to rest within her waters, the fire of hell has no power over them.

Verse 3 (skanda.6.227.3)

गंगायां क्रियते श्राद्धं येषां नाम्ना स्वकैः सुतैः ते विमानं समाश्रित्य प्रयांति नरकोपरि

gaṁgāyāṁ kriyate śrāddhaṁ yeṣāṁ nāmnā svakaiḥ sutaiḥ te vimānaṁ samāśritya prayāṁti narakopari

Those in whose name shraddha is performed on the Ganga by their own sons pass above the hells, borne upon a heavenly chariot.

Verse 4 (skanda.6.227.4)

पापं कृत्वा प्रकुर्वंति प्रायश्चित्तं यथोदितम् हेम यच्छंति वा भूप न तेषां नरको भवेत्

pāpaṁ kṛtvā prakurvaṁti prāyaścittaṁ yathoditam hema yacchaṁti vā bhūpa na teṣāṁ narako bhavet

Those who, having sinned, perform the prescribed expiation, or who give gold, O king — for them there is no hell.

Verse 5 (skanda.6.227.5)

शेषाः स्वकर्मणः प्राप्त्या सेवंते च यथोचितम् स्वर्ग वा नरकं वापि सेवन्ते ते नराधिप

śeṣāḥ svakarmaṇaḥ prāptyā sevaṁte ca yathocitam svarga vā narakaṁ vāpi sevante te narādhipa

All others experience, according to what their own deeds bring them, what is fitting for them — O lord of men, they partake of either heaven or hell.

Verse 6 (skanda.6.227.6)

धारातीर्थे म्रियंते ये स्वामिनः पुरतः स्थिताः ते गच्छंति परं स्थानं नरकाणां सुदूरतः

dhārātīrthe mriyaṁte ye svāminaḥ purataḥ sthitāḥ te gacchaṁti paraṁ sthānaṁ narakāṇāṁ sudūrataḥ

Those who die at Dharatirtha, standing before the Lord, attain a supreme abode, situated far away from the hells.

Verse 7 (skanda.6.227.7)

वाराणस्यां कुरुक्षेत्रे नैमिषे नागरे पुरे प्रयागे वा प्रभासे वा यस्त्यजेत्तनुमात्मनः महापातकयुक्तोऽपि नरकं न स पश्यति

vārāṇasyāṁ kurukṣetre naimiṣe nāgare pure prayāge vā prabhāse vā yastyajettanumātmanaḥ mahāpātakayukto'pi narakaṁ na sa paśyati

Whoever gives up his own body at Varanasi, Kurukshetra, Naimisha, the city of Nagara, Prayaga, or Prabhasa, does not behold hell, even if burdened with grave sins.

Verse 8 (skanda.6.227.8)

नीलो वा वृषभो यस्य विवाहे संनियुज्यते स्वपुत्रेण न संपश्येन्नरकं ब्रह्महाऽपि सः

nīlo vā vṛṣabho yasya vivāhe saṁniyujyate svaputreṇa na saṁpaśyennarakaṁ brahmahā'pi saḥ

He at whose wedding a dark-blue bull is offered and yoked does not behold hell, together with his own son — even if he be a slayer of a brahmin.

Verse 9 (skanda.6.227.9)

प्रायोपवेशनं कृत्वा हृदयस्थे जनार्दने यस्त्यजेत्पुरुषः प्राणान्नरकं न स पश्यति

prāyopaveśanaṁ kṛtvā hṛdayasthe janārdane yastyajetpuruṣaḥ prāṇānnarakaṁ na sa paśyati

The man who, holding Janardana fixed in his heart, undertakes the fast unto death and gives up his life-breaths does not behold hell.

Verse 10 (skanda.6.227.10)

प्रायोपवेशनं यो च चित्रेश्वरनिवेशने कुर्वन्ति नरकं नैव ते गच्छंति कदाचन

prāyopaveśanaṁ yo ca citreśvaraniveśane kurvanti narakaṁ naiva te gacchaṁti kadācana

Those who undertake the fast unto death in the abode of Chitreshvara never at any time go to hell.

Verse 11 (skanda.6.227.11)

दीनांधकृपणानां च पथिश्रममुपेयुषाम् तीर्थयात्रापराणां च यो यच्छति सदाऽशनम् काले वा यदि वाऽकाले नरकं न स पश्यति

dīnāṁdhakṛpaṇānāṁ ca pathiśramamupeyuṣām tīrthayātrāparāṇāṁ ca yo yacchati sadā'śanam kāle vā yadi vā'kāle narakaṁ na sa paśyati

Whoever always gives food, whether in season or out of season, to the destitute, the blind, the wretched, those wearied by the road, and those engaged in pilgrimage, does not behold hell.

Verse 12 (skanda.6.227.12)

जलधेनुं च यो दद्याद्धृषसंस्थे दिवाकरे तिलधेनुं मृगस्थे च नरकं न स पश्यति

jaladhenuṁ ca yo dadyāddhṛṣasaṁsthe divākare tiladhenuṁ mṛgasthe ca narakaṁ na sa paśyati

He who gives the gift of a water-cow when the sun stands in Taurus, and of a sesame-cow when the sun stands in Capricorn, does not behold hell.

Verse 13 (skanda.6.227.13)

सोमे सोमग्रहे चैव सोमनाथस्य दर्शनात् समुद्रे च सरस्वत्यां स्नात्वा न नरकं व्रजेत्

some somagrahe caiva somanāthasya darśanāt samudre ca sarasvatyāṁ snātvā na narakaṁ vrajet

By the sight of Somanatha on a Monday during a lunar eclipse, and by bathing in the ocean and in the Sarasvati, one does not go to hell.

Verse 14 (skanda.6.227.14)

सन्निहित्यां कुरुक्षेत्रे राहुग्रस्ते दिवाकरे सूर्यवारेण यः याति नरकं न स पश्यति

sannihityāṁ kurukṣetre rāhugraste divākare sūryavāreṇa yaḥ yāti narakaṁ na sa paśyati

Whoever goes, on a Sunday, to Sannihitya in Kurukshetra when the sun is seized by Rahu, does not behold hell.

Verse 15 (skanda.6.227.15)

कार्तिक्यां कृत्तिकायोगे यः करोति प्रदक्षिणाम् त्रिपुष्करस्य मौनेन नरकं न स पश्यति

kārtikyāṁ kṛttikāyoge yaḥ karoti pradakṣiṇām tripuṣkarasya maunena narakaṁ na sa paśyati

Whoever, during Karttika when conjoined with the Krittika asterism, circumambulates Tripushkara in silence, does not behold hell.

Verse 16 (skanda.6.227.16)

मृगसंक्रमणे ये तु सूर्यवारेण संस्थिते चण्डीशं वीक्षयंति स्म न ते नरकगामिनः

mṛgasaṁkramaṇe ye tu sūryavāreṇa saṁsthite caṇḍīśaṁ vīkṣayaṁti sma na te narakagāminaḥ

Those who behold Chandisha when the sun's transit into Capricorn falls on a Sunday do not go to hell.

Verse 17 (skanda.6.227.17)

गां पंकाद्ब्राह्मणीं दास्यात्साधून्स्तेनाद्द्विजं वधात् मोचयन्ति च ये राजन्न ते नरकगामिनः

gāṁ paṁkādbrāhmaṇīṁ dāsyātsādhūnstenāddvijaṁ vadhāt mocayanti ca ye rājanna te narakagāminaḥ

O king, those who free a cow from mire, a brahmin woman from slavery, sadhus from a robber, and a brahmin from execution, do not go to hell.

Verse 18 (skanda.6.227.18)

एतत्ते सर्वमाख्यातं यत्पृष्टोऽस्मि नराधिप यथा न नरकं याति पुरुषस्तु स्वकर्मणा यथा च नरकं याति स्वल्पपापोऽपि मानवः

etatte sarvamākhyātaṁ yatpṛṣṭo'smi narādhipa yathā na narakaṁ yāti puruṣastu svakarmaṇā yathā ca narakaṁ yāti svalpapāpo'pi mānavaḥ

O lord of men, all this that you asked of me has been told — how a man does not go to hell by virtue of his own deeds, and how even a man of slight sin still goes to hell.