Description of the Hells: The Account of Mahapadma

Verse 1 (skanda.8.45.1)

सुशर्मोवाच । महापद्मस्ततश्चान्यो निरयो रोमहर्षणः । यत्र ते किङ्करा घोरा यमस्य यमसंनिभाः

suśarmovāca | mahāpadmastataścānyo nirayo romaharṣaṇaḥ | yatra te kiṅkarā ghorā yamasya yamasaṁnibhāḥ

Sushrama said: There is yet another hell, called Mahapadma, hair-raising in its horror. There dwell terrible servants of Yama, resembling Yama himself.

Verse 2 (skanda.8.45.2)

जन्तूनामायुधैः कुण्ठैर्निघृणाः पापकर्मिणाम् । उत्कृत्योत्कृत्य मांसानि तेभ्यो यच्छन्ति वै पुनः

jantūnāmāyudhaiḥ kuṇṭhairnighṛṇāḥ pāpakarmiṇām | utkṛtyotkṛtya māṁsāni tebhyo yacchanti vai punaḥ

Those pitiless servants, with blunted weapons, again and again carve away the flesh of sinful beings, and then feed it back to them.

Verse 3 (skanda.8.45.3)

ते भक्षयित्वा मांसानि स्वानि दुष्कृतकारिणः । पद्मपत्रनिभा जाता धाम्यन्ते ग्नौ दिवानिशम्

te bhakṣayitvā māṁsāni svāni duṣkṛtakāriṇaḥ | padmapatranibhā jātā dhāmyante gnau divāniśam

Those evildoers, eating their own flesh, take on the hue of lotus-petals, and blaze in the fire day and night.

Verse 4 (skanda.8.45.4)

अनलेन च घोरेण द्रवीकृतमयः पुनः । मुखेपावृत्य यच्छन्ति दारुणा यमकिङ्कराः

analena ca ghoreṇa dravīkṛtamayaḥ punaḥ | mukhepāvṛtya yacchanti dāruṇā yamakiṅkarāḥ

Iron, molten once more in that dreadful fire, the fearsome servants of Yama pour, inverted, into their mouths.

Verse 5 (skanda.8.45.5)

अयोमयास्तथा नार्यो नराश्चाग्निसमप्रभाः । समाश्लिष्यन्ति सङ्गत्य द्रवमाणास्ततस्ततः

ayomayāstathā nāryo narāścāgnisamaprabhāḥ | samāśliṣyanti saṅgatya dravamāṇāstatastataḥ

Women made of iron, and men glowing like fire, melting on every side, come together and embrace one another.

Verse 6 (skanda.8.45.6)

वृक्षाश्च बहवस्तत्र सुपुष्याः फलपत्रिणः । तानाश्रयन्ति दुःखार्त्ता अग्निं वर्षन्ति तेपि च

vṛkṣāśca bahavastatra supuṣyāḥ phalapatriṇaḥ | tānāśrayanti duḥkhārttā agniṁ varṣanti tepi ca

There are many trees there, richly laden with flowers, fruit, and leaves. Those afflicted with suffering take refuge in them, but even these trees rain down fire.

Verse 7 (skanda.8.45.7)

शिलाश्च बह्व्यस्तत्रान्यास्ताः श्लिष्यन्ति यदा च ते । तदा ताश्चाग्निवर्णाभा दहन्ते तान्भृशं नरान्

śilāśca bahvyastatrānyāstāḥ śliṣyanti yadā ca te | tadā tāścāgnivarṇābhā dahante tānbhṛśaṁ narān

There are also many other rocks there; when those men embrace them, those rocks too take on the colour of fire and burn them severely.

Verse 8 (skanda.8.45.8)

एवमेष महापद्मो नरकः संप्रकीर्तितः । सुवर्णहारी यश्चैव मातृयायी च यो नरः

evameṣa mahāpadmo narakaḥ saṁprakīrtitaḥ | suvarṇahārī yaścaiva mātṛyāyī ca yo naraḥ

Thus has this hell named Mahapadma been described. One who steals gold, and that man who has union with a woman as a mother to him.

Verse 9 (skanda.8.45.9)

माता पुत्रं च योभ्येति वेददूष्यवकीर्णिकः । मत्सरी यश्च दुर्वृत्तः श्रमणानाञ्च पूजकः

mātā putraṁ ca yobhyeti vedadūṣyavakīrṇikaḥ | matsarī yaśca durvṛttaḥ śramaṇānāñca pūjakaḥ

That mother who has union with her own son, the fallen one who corrupts the Vedas, one who is envious and of evil conduct, and one who worships degenerate mendicants.

Verse 10 (skanda.8.45.10)

वृषलो यः श्रुतिं ब्रूयाच्छृणुयादपि वा पुनः । गृहणीयाद्वापि दुर्बुद्धिर्ब्राह्मणान् वावमन्यते

vṛṣalo yaḥ śrutiṁ brūyācchṛṇuyādapi vā punaḥ | gṛhaṇīyādvāpi durbuddhirbrāhmaṇān vāvamanyate

That shudra who recites or even listens to the Veda, or that foolish one who takes it up, or one who dishonours Brahmins.

Verse 11 (skanda.8.45.11)

ब्राह्मणेभ्यो रहस्यानि आश्रमान्तरजानि च । यस्मिन्नधिकृतो न स्याच्छृणुयाद्वा पठेत वा

brāhmaṇebhyo rahasyāni āśramāntarajāni ca | yasminnadhikṛto na syācchṛṇuyādvā paṭheta vā

One who, having no right to them, hears or recites the secret mysteries of the Brahmins and those arising among the other orders of life.

Verse 12 (skanda.8.45.12)

दुष्टश्रमणनिर्ग्रन्था तथैवाजीवकाश्च ये । भक्तस्तेभ्यो द्विजो यश्च नरकं स प्रपद्यते

duṣṭaśramaṇanirgranthā tathaivājīvakāśca ye | bhaktastebhyo dvijo yaśca narakaṁ sa prapadyate

That twice-born man who shows devotion toward wicked mendicants, naked ascetics, and the Ajivakas -- he too attains that hell.

Verse 13 (skanda.8.45.13)

योगं परिवदेद्यश्च पितॄनथ पितामहान् । योगेश्वराँश्च दुर्वृत्तो योगधर्ममथापि वा

yogaṁ parivadedyaśca pitṝnatha pitāmahān | yogeśvarāṁśca durvṛtto yogadharmamathāpi vā

One who reviles yoga, and the ancestors and forefathers; that man of evil conduct who reviles the masters of yoga, or even the discipline of yoga itself.

Verse 14 (skanda.8.45.14)

वेदवर्णाश्रमा यज्ञास्तन्निन्दाभिरतः शठः । नास्तिको हेतुवादी च सर्वस्तं प्रतिपद्यते । तथ्यमुक्तं मया सर्वमेवमेतन्न संशयः

vedavarṇāśramā yajñāstannindābhirataḥ śaṭhaḥ | nāstiko hetuvādī ca sarvastaṁ pratipadyate | tathyamuktaṁ mayā sarvamevametanna saṁśayaḥ

The rogue devoted to reviling the Vedas, the orders and stages of life, and sacrifices; the atheist, the mere logic-chopper -- all these attain that same hell. All this I have spoken truthfully; of this there is no doubt.

Verse 15 (skanda.8.45.15)

एवन्ते यातितास्तत्र स्वकर्मफलबन्धनाः । ततः शेषेण संबद्धा जायन्ते कीटयोनिषु

evante yātitāstatra svakarmaphalabandhanāḥ | tataḥ śeṣeṇa saṁbaddhā jāyante kīṭayoniṣu

Thus, bound by the fetters of their own karmic fruit, they undergo torment there. Then, bound by the remainder of that fruit, they are born in the wombs of insects.

Verse 16 (skanda.8.45.16)

शृणुयाद् य इमं विचिन्त्य धीमान् मतिमान्नित्यमलोभमोहशोकः । स तु दैवविधिप्रचोदितात्मा दिवमेवैति न याति तं कदाचिद्

śṛṇuyād ya imaṁ vicintya dhīmān matimānnityamalobhamohaśokaḥ | sa tu daivavidhipracoditātmā divamevaiti na yāti taṁ kadācid

That wise, thoughtful person, ever free from greed, delusion, and grief, who hears this, his soul impelled by divine ordinance, attains heaven alone, and never goes to that hell.