CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
A Description of the Hellish Planets
The Twenty-sixth Chapter describes how a sinful man goes to different
hells, where he is punished in various ways by the assistants of Yamaraja.
As stated in the Bhagavad-gita (3.27):
prakrteh kriyamanani
gunaih karmani sarvasah
ahankdara-vimidhatma
kartaham iti manyate

“The bewildered spirit soul, under the influence of the three modes of
material nature, thinks himself to be the doer of activities, which are in
actuality carried out by nature.” The foolish person thinks he is indepen-
dent of any law. He thinks there is no God or regulative principle and
that he can do whatever he likes. Thus he engages in different sinful ac-
tivities, and as a result, he is put into different hellish conditions life
after life, to be punished by the laws of nature. The basic principle of his
suffering is that he foolishly thinks himself independent, although he is
strictly under the control of the laws of material nature. These laws act
due to the influence of the three modes of nature, and therefore each
human being also works under three different types of influence. Ac-
cording to how he acts, he suffers different reactions in his next life or in
this life. Religious persons act differently from atheists, and therefore
they suffer different reactions.

Sukadeva Gosvami describes the following twenty-eight hells:
Tamisra, Andhatamisra, Raurava, Maharaurava, Kumbhipaka.
Kalasutra, Asi-patravana, Sikaramukha. Andhakupa. Krmibhojana.
Sandarmsa. Taptastrmi, Vajrakantaka-salmali, Vaitarani. Payoda. Pra-
narodha, Visasana, Lalabhaksa, Sarameyadana. Avici. Ayahpana.
Ksarakardama, Raksogana-bhojana. Sulaprota. Dandasaika. Avata-
nirodhana, Paryavartana and Sicimukha.

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