The Hell Raurava

Verse 1 (skanda.8.46.1)

अतः परं प्रवक्ष्यामि रौरवं नरकं पुनः । यत्र ते विवशा बद्धाः कर्मणा स्वेन जन्तवः

ataḥ paraṁ pravakṣyāmi rauravaṁ narakaṁ punaḥ | yatra te vivaśā baddhāḥ karmaṇā svena jantavaḥ

Now I shall further describe the hell called Raurava, where creatures dwell bound and helpless because of their own deeds.

Verse 2 (skanda.8.46.2)

यात्यन्ते दुःखशोकार्ता महानिरयगामिनः । रु इति प्रोच्यते शब्दस्तत्रासौ श्रूयते यतः

yātyante duḥkhaśokārtā mahānirayagāminaḥ | ru iti procyate śabdastatrāsau śrūyate yataḥ

Those bound for that great hell go there tormented by sorrow and grief; the sound 'ru' is heard there, and from this it is called Raurava.

Verse 3 (skanda.8.46.3)

पुनः पुनर्वा भीमो हि रौरवस्तेन कथ्यते

punaḥ punarvā bhīmo hi rauravastena kathyate

Or else, because it is terrible again and again, it is called Raurava.

Verse 4 (skanda.8.46.4)

पूर्णस्तु सर्वः कारीष्याज् ज्ज्वलते सोतिदारुणः

pūrṇastu sarvaḥ kārīṣyāj jjvalate sotidāruṇaḥ

That hell is wholly ablaze with the fire of dried cow-dung, and is exceedingly terrible.

Verse 5 (skanda.8.46.5)

मध्ये स्तम्भोस्य लौहो वै तप्तकाञ्चनसप्रभः । तत्र जंतुःर्भृशं मग्नः प्रविशन् दह्यतेवशः

madhye stambhosya lauho vai taptakāñcanasaprabhaḥ | tatra jaṁtuḥrbhṛśaṁ magnaḥ praviśan dahyatevaśaḥ

In its middle stands an iron pillar glowing like molten gold; entering there, the creature sinks in deep and burns helplessly.

Verse 6 (skanda.8.46.6)

आर्तनादान् प्रकुर्वाणो मूर्च्छितः पतितः पुनः । ततः क्लेशेने महता उद्धृत्यात्मानमात्मना

ārtanādān prakurvāṇo mūrcchitaḥ patitaḥ punaḥ | tataḥ kleśene mahatā uddhṛtyātmānamātmanā

Crying out in agony, he faints and falls again and again; then, with great suffering, he raises himself up by his own effort.

Verse 7 (skanda.8.46.7)

भूयोन्यं देशमासाद्य तथैव प्रविशेच्च सः । ततस्तस्मादुपोत्पत्य स्तम्भमाश्रयते यदि

bhūyonyaṁ deśamāsādya tathaiva praviśecca saḥ | tatastasmādupotpatya stambhamāśrayate yadi

Reaching yet another spot, he enters it in the same way; then, springing up from there, if he takes refuge at that pillar...

Verse 8 (skanda.8.46.8)

तेनापि दह्यते भूयो विसृज्य प्रविशेत्पुनः

tenāpi dahyate bhūyo visṛjya praviśetpunaḥ

he is burned by that as well once again; abandoning it, he enters elsewhere once more.

Verse 9 (skanda.8.46.9)

एवं स यात्यते तत्र बहूनब्दान् सुदुःखितः

evaṁ sa yātyate tatra bahūnabdān suduḥkhitaḥ

In this way, in great suffering, he is made to wander there for many years.

Verse 10 (skanda.8.46.10)

ततो विसृष्टो भूयश्च उच्छ्रयान्प्रतिपद्यते । तं हि गच्छन्ति पुरुषाः सुरापा धर्मदेशकाः

tato visṛṣṭo bhūyaśca ucchrayānpratipadyate | taṁ hi gacchanti puruṣāḥ surāpā dharmadeśakāḥ

Then, released from there, he reaches again the Ucchraya regions; to them go men who are drinkers of liquor and false teachers of dharma.

Verse 11 (skanda.8.46.11)

पितृहा मातृहा चैव भ्रातृहा गुरुहा तथा । वादेभिरतास्तेषामेव च निन्दकाः

pitṛhā mātṛhā caiva bhrātṛhā guruhā tathā | vādebhiratāsteṣāmeva ca nindakāḥ

The slayer of father, of mother, of brother, and likewise of the guru — [the source text is fragmentary here] — those given to vain disputation, and slanderers of such persons, go there as well.

Verse 12 (skanda.8.46.12)

गोघ्नोथ दमकश्चैव जन्तूनां भृशदारुणः । गलकर्ता कूटमानी कर्मणानु करोति यः

goghnotha damakaścaiva jantūnāṁ bhṛśadāruṇaḥ | galakartā kūṭamānī karmaṇānu karoti yaḥ

The killer of cows, one who cruelly torments creatures, the throat-cutter, the false weigher, and one who habitually commits such deeds...

Verse 13 (skanda.8.46.13)

परिवित्तिः परिवेत्ता श्मशानरतिरेव च । पुनर्भूसुतसंयोगी यस्या चोपपतिर्गृहे । एते सर्वेभिगच्छन्ति नरकं रौरवं नराः

parivittiḥ parivettā śmaśānaratireva ca | punarbhūsutasaṁyogī yasyā copapatirgṛhe | ete sarvebhigacchanti narakaṁ rauravaṁ narāḥ

The parivitti and the parivetta, one who delights in the cremation ground, one who unites with a remarried woman, and he in whose house there is a paramour — all these men go to the hell Raurava.

Verse 14 (skanda.8.46.14)

य इमं शृणुयाच्च रौरवं नरकं पापकृतां सुरौरवम् । नियतं प्रयतोतिरौरवं न स गच्छेन्मनसापि रौरवम्

ya imaṁ śṛṇuyācca rauravaṁ narakaṁ pāpakṛtāṁ surauravam | niyataṁ prayatotirauravaṁ na sa gacchenmanasāpi rauravam

And whoever, being pure and devout, hears this account of Raurava, the terrible hell of evildoers, shall surely never go, even in thought, to that most dreadful Raurava.