Being Saved from Hell

Sanatkumara said

Best of sages, the hells lie above the nether regions, and sinners are cooked there. Hear their names: Rourava, Shukara, Rodha, Tala, Vivasana, Mahajvala, Taptakumbha, Lavana, Vilohita, Vaitarani, Puyavaha, Krimina, Krimibhojana, horrible Asipatravana and terrible Lalabhaksha. Of these Puyavaha is generally full of fiery flames and one hangs there face down. There are also Sandamsha, Kalasutra, Tamas, Avichirodhana, Shvabhojana, Rushta, Maharourava, Shalmali and many similar hells that cause grief, where men addicted to wicked deeds are cooked. Vyasa, I will tell in order; listen carefully. A person who bears false witness, except for brahmanas, gods and cows, and a man who always lies, goes to Rourava. A person who commits foeticide, a gold thief, one who imprisons cows, a violator of trust, a drunkard, a killer of a brahmana, a thief of others' property, a killer of his guru and one who associates with these, when they die, go to Kumbha, and so does one who kills his sister, mother, daughter or a cow. A person who sells his virtuous wife, a usurer, a seller of hair and one who forsakes his devotee are cooked in Taptaloha. One who disrespects gurus, the worst of men who does not eat after them, one who abuses the gods, one who sells images of gods and one who lies with one he should not goes to Satpabala. A thief, a cow-killer, a fallen person, one who breaks an agreement, one who hates gods, brahmanas and ancestors, and one who defiles a jewel go to Krimibhaksha, and by his wicked deeds must eat worms. The worst of men who eats before ancestors and gods, or defiles weapons, goes to Lalabhaksha. A brahmana who serves outcastes and receives from them, one who officiates at the sacrifice of someone he should not associate with, one who eats forbidden food and one who sells soma falls into Rudhirougha. A cruel person who destroys honey or a village goes to the river Vaitarani. One who, by the intoxication of youth, violates ordinances, does not clean himself or earns a living by defiling his family goes to Kritya. One who cuts down trees goes to Asipatravana. A hunter who kills young deer with razor-headed arrows falls into Vahnijvala. A brahmana, kshatriya or vaishya wicked in conduct goes to the hell meant for outcastes, engulfed in flames. Those who give up vows and deviate from their own stage of life descend into the very terrible Sandamsha. A celibate student who emits seed in a dream, or a father who does not teach his sons, falls into Shvabhojana. There are hundreds and thousands of other hells where evildoers are cooked and face miseries, and thousands of other sins, whose doers suffer in hells. If men in thought, word or deed act against their varna and stage of life, they descend into hell. The gods in heaven see them in hell with heads hanging down, and those in hell with heads hanging down also see the gods upside down. Immobile things, worms, pure beings, birds, animals, deer, those who follow dharma, gods, the liberated and all other beings live in heaven as they do in hell. Those who have sinned and shun expiation go to hell.

For the kali yuga Svayambhuva Manu has laid down rules for expiation: heavy for major sins, light for minor. Of all expiations spoken of, remembering Hara is best. When a man commits a sin he takes up a rite of expiation, but if, having sinned, he repents and remembers Shiva, that is best. A man who remembers Maheshvara at midday or any other time gains him. One who remembers him in the morning, at night or at the sandhyas diminishes his sins. By remembering the divinity Shiva, Shambhu and Uma all his hardships are destroyed, he goes to heaven and gains liberation. Best of sages, japa, oblations and worship are obstacles to sin, so when they are undertaken sins do not occur anywhere in the three worlds. A man with a mind devoted to Maheshvara who does japa, oblations and worship earns merit, and the fruit is like the state of being Indra. Sage, if a man devoutly remembers Shiva night and day all his sins are destroyed and he does not go to hell. Supreme brahmana, heaven and hell indicate good and evil deeds, the one giving happiness, the other misery. Sometimes there is joy but misery follows, so there is nothing that is truly misery and nothing truly happiness; happiness and unhappiness are signs of a passing state of mind. Knowledge is the supreme brahman, and knowledge lets one grasp the truth. Everything in the universe, moving and unmoving, has knowledge in its self. Sage, nothing is higher than this supreme discernment. Sanatkumara told Vyasa he had thus told everything about the circle of hells and would next speak of the earth's globe.