As I Know: The Lord of the Mountains – Shiv Purana: 114

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Vyasa learns about the nature of wicked people as monk Sanatkumara lists out sins that drive men to hell while the virtuous souls go to enjoy life in the land of Yama…categories of hells where the sinner go and suffer

Sanatkumara told Vyasa about the sinful, wicked and criminal acts of human beings that drive them to hell. He told that the thought of possessing another woman, to usurp wealth, to think wickedly, to act viciously and to talk irrelevantly and unpleasantly are bad acts and take a man to hell. To hate is bad. To speak ill of devotees of gods is ghastly. He continued to speak about the sins man commits through vicious thoughts, words and acts. The list of unethical and immoral acts he narrated before sage Vyasa gave briefly the nature of acts of man, which drove man to hell and so those who work for the good of others and do not harm or hurt anyone but continue to serve honestly live happily but those who live a wicked life, go to hell.

The great monk Sanatkumara continued to tell sage Vyasa about the wicked people, who go to hell and suffer for years. He also spoke about the virtuous and noble souls, who go to the land of Yama (the Lord of Death) and live happily. Noble souls go to the land of Yama through the door situated in the east direction and the sinful and wicked go through the south path. He told that the noble or sinful soul has to travel a distance of eighty six thousand yojnas and then, he knows the situation of Yamaloka. Men of virtuous karmas find the path to loka very near but for the evil doers the path appears dreadful and long – full of sharp thorns, pointed pebbles and muddy, and so the sinning men suffer for long.

After he narrated dreadful and agonising journey of wicked people to Yamaloka, Sanatkumara spoke about the people, who lived miserly, gave nothing to the needy, and never acted charitably and kindly. However, men of charity went to Yamaloka happily through the path, for good acts act as money for undertaking this journey in comforts he said.

He continued to tell. The sinners suffer for long and reach the land of ghosts and the envoys present the sinners before the lord of death. The lord greets noble souls properly, offers oblations as a mark of reverence and gives seats to sit and honors such good souls, and thereafter says, “O great souls, who acted on teachings based on the Vedas, you are great that you attained divine joy, for you were engaged in virtuous and charitable karmas. You go to heaven and enjoy life fully…and when the good impact of punya karmas slowly fades away and something inauspicious remains, you come here.

Noble souls are like friends to lord Yama.” Sanatkumara recalled words of Yama. Those, who are of cruel nature and indulge in bad karmas always see the most dreadful and gruesome face of Yama of dark complexion and he further informs that with the eighteen arms he holds all kinds of astra-sastras and thus, the monk told them of the horrible nature of hell and the severe punishment the sinners meet out at the hands of Yama. Many gods wielding the influence and power of fire assist the lord.

Next, the great monk told them of twenty-eight categories of hells and the strong five regulators of each hell – Raurava is the first hell in the long list. In addition to the twenty-eight hells, he further told there were approximately one hundred more hells of different nature. The greatest group of hells has one hundred and forty hells. If one takes into consideration all the hells, the number goes up to one hundred and sixty eight, the monk told.    

Sanatkumara said after a pause, “O sage Vyasa, the sinners undergo severe pain and agony when the envoys of Yama drive sinners of various crimes to the hells.” Thereafter, he told about the nature and gravity of sins and the chastisement based on these transgressions. He told about the offenses such as – men, who pursue path of sastras as charlatans and swindlers teach, and so they get pain. He, who chastises teachers and parents, the envoys push night soil and many insects into the mouth and beat him up brutally. Those sinners who try to harm or destroy temples, gardens, water ponds, wells and places of worship of brahmins get reprimand until the day of annihilation. To indulge in pleasure of senses with the woman of another man also invites troubles and agony, such a man has to hug a woman made of red-hot iron, and so he suffers and suffers. To speak ill of saintly people is a sin… and so he, the great sage continued to narrate enormity of various classes of sins and offenses as enshrined in Uma Samhita.

Now, the great monk told sage Vyasa about the comforts and pleasures noble souls get on the way to Yamaloka and in the land of Yama. A man has to face punishment for the acts – good or bad – he does. A man, who is engaged in noble acts and is of humble and generous heart, gets joy. All acts of charity, benevolence, wellbeing and karmas relating to the security of human beings that give comforts, joy and peace to humanity, provide delight the monk told. He spoke of different virtuous karmas for the welfare and wellbeing of man and humanity, which grant joy and pleasure in the land of Yama.

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