Scriptures

Śrīmad Devī Bhāgavatam

BOOK 8 • CHAPTER 21
Ch 21 Verse 1-2 Verse
Sanskrit Text
८.२१ एकविंशोऽध्यायः । नरकस्वरूपवर्णनम् । श्रीनारायण उवाच । तस्यानुभावं भगवान् ब्रह्मपुत्रः सनातनः । सभायां ब्रह्मदेवस्य गायमान उपासते ॥ १ ॥ उत्पत्तिस्थितिलयहेतवोऽस्य कल्पाः सत्त्वाद्याः प्रकृतिगुणा यदीक्षयाऽऽसन् । यद्रूपं ध्रुवमकृतं यदेकमात्मन्- नानाधात्कथमुह वेद तस्य वर्त्म ॥ २ ॥
English Translation
Nārāyaṇa said :-- O Devarṣi! Sanātana, the son of Brahmā, recites thus in the assembly of the Devas, the glories of the Bhagavān Ananta Deva, and worships Him, thus :-- How can one of ordinary sight and understanding grasp the real nature of Brahmā, Whose mere Glance enables the Prakriti work Her Guṇas in the Creation, Preservation and Destruction of this Universe! Him Whose nature has no beginning nor end; Who though One, has created all this Prapañca (the universe of five elements) as a covering to the Ātman (the True Self).
Ch 21 Verse 3 Verse
Sanskrit Text
मूर्तिं नः पुरुकृपया बभार सत्त्वं संशुद्धं सदसदिदं विभाति यत्र । यल्लीलां मृगपतिराददेऽनवद्या- मादातुं स्वजनमनांस्युदारवीर्यः ॥ ३ ॥
English Translation
He has made the Sat and Asat, out of his infinite compassion, this universe, full of cause and effect, visible in His One and only one Śuddha Sattva nature where even the very powerful lion is imitating his Leelā (Pastime), void of all defects, to bring under His control the minds of His own kinsmen. (Note :-- This Ananta Deva is the Ruling Principle in the Fourth Dimensional Space.)
Ch 21 Verse 4 Verse
Sanskrit Text
यन्नाम श्रुतमनुकीर्तयेदकस्मा- दार्तो वा यदि पतितः प्रलम्भनाद्वा । हन्त्यंहः सपदि नृणामशेषमन्यं कं शेषाद्भगवत आश्रयेत्युमुक्षुः ॥ ४ ॥
English Translation
To Whom else, then, the persons, desirous of Mokṣa, will take refuge, the mere hearing or reciting Whose Name, in a fallen or a distressed condition, or merely in jest, takes away instantly all the sins! He is upholding the earth with the mountains, oceans, rivers and all the beings as if an atom on his thousand heads. He is infinite. His power knows no decrease in any time.
Ch 21 Verse 5-6 Verse
Sanskrit Text
मूर्धन्यर्पितमणुवत्सहस्रमूर्ध्नो भूगोलं सगिरिसरित्समुद्रसत्त्वम् । आनन्त्यादनमितविक्रमस्य भूम्नः को वीर्याण्यधिगणयेत्सहस्रजिह्वः ॥ ५ ॥ एवम्प्रभावो भगवाननन्तो दुरन्तवीर्योरुगुणानुभावः । मूले रसायाः स्थित आत्मतन्त्रो यो लीलया क्ष्मां स्थितये बिभर्ति ॥ ६ ॥
English Translation
No one can describe his actions even if one had thousand tongues to speak. He is of an infinite strength, of the endless high qualities and of unlimited understanding. Thus staying at the bottom of the earth, the Bhagavān Ananta Deva is upholding with ease this earth for her protection, unaided and independent.
Ch 21 Verse 7-8 Verse
Sanskrit Text
एता ह्येवेह तु नृभिर्गतयो मुनिसत्तम । गन्तव्या बहुशो यद्वद्यथाकर्मविनिर्मिताः ॥ ७ ॥ यथोपदेशं च कामान्सदा कामयमानकैः । एतावतीर्हि राजेन्द्र मनुष्यमृगपक्षिषु ॥ ८ ॥
English Translation
O Muni! The people get the fruits of their actions and desires as they want and as they have followed the paths laid down in the Śāstras and become accordingly kings, men, deer or birds or other creatures in other states.
Ch 21 Verse 9 Verse
Sanskrit Text
विपाकगतयः प्रोक्ता धर्मस्य वशगास्तथा । उच्चावचा विसदृशा यथाप्रश्नं निबोधत ॥ ९ ॥
English Translation
O Nārada! This I have described, as you questioned me before, the various and dissimilar fruits of various actions, done according to the dictates of the Dharma and the Śāstras.
Ch 21 Verse 10 Verse
Sanskrit Text
नारद उवाच । वैचित्र्यमेतल्लोकस्य कथं भगवता कृतम् । समानत्वे कर्मणां च तन्नो ब्रूहि यथातथम् ॥ १० ॥
English Translation
Nārada said :-- “O Bhagavān! Kindly describe to me now why has the Bhagavān created so many diversities, when the Karmas, done by the Jīvas, are the same.”
Ch 21 Verse 11-13 Verse
Sanskrit Text
श्रीनारायण उवाच । कर्तुः श्रद्धावशादेव गतयोऽपि पृथग्विधाः । त्रिगुणत्वात्सदा तासां फलं विसदृशं त्विह ॥ ११ ॥ सात्त्विक्या श्रद्धया कर्तुः सुखित्वं जायते सदा । दुःखित्वं च तथा कर्तू राजस्या श्रद्धया भवेत् ॥ १२ ॥ दुःखित्वं चैव मूढत्वं तामस्या श्रद्धयोदितम् । तारतम्यात्तु श्रद्धानां फलवैचित्र्यमीरितम् ॥ १३ ॥
English Translation
Nārayaṇa said :-- O Nārada! So many different states arise because the Śraddhās of the doers are so very different. The fruits differ because the Śraddhās vary, some being Sāttvik, some Rājasik and some Tāmasik. If the Śraddhā be Sāttvik, happiness comes always; if it be Rājasik, incessant pain and misery is the result; if it be Tāmasik, misery comes and the loss of the knowledge of good or bad is the result.
Ch 21 Verse 14-15 Verse
Sanskrit Text
अनाद्यविद्याविहितकर्मणां परिणामजाः । सहस्रशः प्रवृत्तास्तु गतयो द्विजपुङ्गव ॥ १४ ॥ तद्भेदान्वर्णयिष्यामि प्राचुर्येण द्विजोत्तम । त्रिजगत्या अन्तराले दक्षिणस्यां दिशीह वै ॥ १५ ॥
English Translation
Thus the fruits differ as the Śraddhā varies. O Best of Dvījas! Thousands and thousands of states occur to a man as the result of their Karmas, done under the influence of the beginningless Avidyā (Nescience). O Dvījottama! I will now deal in detail with their varieties; hear.
Ch 21 Verse 16-17 Verse
Sanskrit Text
भूमेरधस्तादुपरि त्वतलस्य च नारद । अग्निष्वात्ताः पितृगणा वर्तन्ते पितरश्च ह ॥ १६ ॥ वसन्ति यस्यां स्वीयानां गोत्राणां परमाशिषः । सत्याः समाधिना शीघ्रं त्वाशासानाः परेण वै ॥ १७ ॥
English Translation
Behind this Triloki, below this earth and over the Atala, the Pitris named Agniṣvāttas and other forefathers live. Those Pitris stay there, and, practising deep Samādhis, they offer always, to their best blessings to their own Gotra (families) respectively.
Ch 21 Verse 18-20 Verse
Sanskrit Text
पितृराजोऽपि भगवान् सम्परेतेषु जन्तुषु । विषयं प्रापितेष्वेषु स्वकीयैः पुरुषैरिह ॥ १८ ॥ सगणो भगवत्प्रोक्ताज्ञापरो दमधारकः । यथाकर्म यथादोषं विदधाति विचारदृक् ॥ १९ ॥ स्वान्गणान्धर्मतत्त्वज्ञान्सर्वानाज्ञाप्रवर्तकान् । सदा प्रेरयति प्राज्ञो यथादेशनियोजितान् ॥ २० ॥
English Translation
There Yama, the God of the Pitris gives punishment to the dead brought there by His messengers according to their Karmas and faults. By the command of the Bhagavān, the Yama, surrounded by his own Gaṇas (persons), judges and does full justice according to the Karmas that they had done and the sins they had committed. He sends always those of his messengers who obey his order and know the Tattva of Dharma, and who are posted to their respective duties to carry out what He commands.
Ch 21 Verse 21 Verse
Sanskrit Text
नरकानेकविंशत्या सङ्ख्यया वर्णयन्ति हि । अष्टाविंशमितान्केचित्ताननुक्रमतो ब्रुवे ॥ २१ ॥
English Translation
The writers of the Śāstras describe twenty-one Narakas or hells; others say there are twenty-eight hells. Now hear their names :-- Tāmisra, Andha
Ch 21 Verse 22-27 Verse
Sanskrit Text
तामिस्र अन्धतामिस्रो रौरवोऽपि तृतीयकः । महारौरवनामा च कुम्भीपाकोऽपरो मतः ॥ २२ ॥ कालसूत्रं तथा चासिपत्रारण्यमुदाहृतम् । सूकरस्य मुखं चान्धकूपोऽथ कृमिभोजनः ॥ २३ ॥ सन्दंशस्तप्तमूर्तिश्च वज्रकण्टक एव च । शाल्मली चाथ देवर्षे नाम्ना वैरतणी तथा ॥ २४ ॥ पूयोदः प्राणरोधश्च तथा विशसनं मतम् । लालाभक्षः सारमेयादनमुक्तमतः परम् ॥ २५ ॥ अवीचिरप्ययः पानं क्षारकर्दम एव च । रक्षोगणाख्यसम्भोजः शूलप्रोतोऽप्यतः परम् ॥ २६ ॥ दन्दशूकोऽवटारोधः पर्यावर्तनकः परम् । सूचीमुखमिति प्रोक्ता अष्टाविंशतिनारकाः ॥ २७ ॥
English Translation
Tāmisra, Raurava, Mahāraurava, Kumbhīpāka, Kālasūtra, Asipatrakānana, Śūkaramukha, Andhakūpa, Krimibhojana, Taptamūrti, Samdaṃśa, Vajrakaṇṭaka, Śālmalī, Vaitaraṇī, Pūyoda, Prāṇarodha, Viśasana, Lālābhakṣa, Sārameyādana, Avīci, Apahpāna, Kṣārakardama, Rakṣogaṇa, Sambhoja, Śūlaprota, Dandaśūka, Avaṭārodha, Paryāvartanaka, and Sūcimukha. These are the twenty-eight Narakas or hells. (N.B. These are 29).
Ch 21 Verse 28-29 Verse
Sanskrit Text
इत्येते नारका नाम यातनाभूमयः पराः । कर्मभिश्चापि भूतानां गम्याः पद्मजसम्भव ॥ २८ ॥
Sanskrit Colophon
इति श्रीमद्देवीभागवते महापुराणेऽष्टादशसाहस्र्यां संहितायामष्टमस्कन्धे नरकस्वरूपवर्णनं नामैकविंशोऽध्यायः ॥ ८.२१॥
English Translation
These hells are very tormenting. O Son of Brahmā! The embodied beings (jīvas) suffer these according to their own Karmas respectively. Here ends the Twenty-first Chapter of the Eighth Book on the narrative of hells in the Mahā Purāṇam, Śrī Mad Devī Bhāgavatam, of 18,000 verses, by Maharṣi Veda Vyāsa.