Is Naraka LOkam a Reality ?

[Guest guest]

SrI:

SrI Lakshminrusimha ParabrahmaNE namaH

SrI Lakshminrusimha divya pAdukA sEvaka SrIvaN SaThakOpa -

SrI nArAyaNa yateendra mahAdESIkAya namaH

 

namO nArAyaNa!

 

Dear devotees,

 

< Posting this since a Prapanna wanted to know reg. this issue >

 

PUrvapaksham :

 

The descriptions of various naraka lOkams in purANas should be

slightly modified to understand that all such types of sufferings

are already being experienced by various types of jIvAtmas

(starting from insects etc, through frying in oil <pan> etc as

described for naraka lOkas) in the earth itself and this by

itself constitutes the narakam and there is no need to think

about varieties of special naraka lOkams distinct from earth.

 

 

SiddhAntam :

 

By hearing the stories in PurANAs on narakam, it is

quite possible to think that they are exaggerations

to drive home the point that we have to properly follow

the SAstras. Though the realization that earth is also a

narakam in so many ways is important, yet one can not

dismiss the reality of naraka lOkams distinct from earth.

Sage VyAsa refers to this issue in Brahma-Sutras, though

the context is entirely different. Its suffice to know that

through the sUtra " api sapta " (3.1.15) it is evident that

there are " seven naraka lOkas " .

 

Sixth adhyAyam (chapter) of SrI VishNu PurANam describes

various types of narakams. SrImad Villivalam Azhagiyasingar's

(current HH Jeeyar) Tamil notes on SrI VishNu PurANam is an

excellent read. It is a two volumed book published by SrI

Nrusimha Priya Trust. Probably someone can translate the

relevant section on narakams (pg.287-293) from that book,

which discusses things like what type of narakam is in store

for sins like performing " abortion " , growing pets like dog,

cat etc.

 

aDiyEn rAmAnuja dAsan,

KOmAndUr ELayavilli (BAladhanvi) KaralapAkkam anantapadmanAbhan.

krishNArpaNam