Mysteries of the Vedas

About Mysteries of the Vedas

Deep insights and explanations on the Srimad Bhagavatam, Bhagavad-Gita, Vedanta-sutra, Upanisads, and other books that are part of the Vedas. www.ccdas.net (https://www.ccdas.net/s/podcast?utm_medium=podcast)

Publisher

Caitanya Chandra Dasa

Category

religion & spirituality · religion & spirituality

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

4 Sept 2024

Latest episode

17 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

151 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   17 Oct 2026

   The 10 topics and 12 cantos of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (6th Canto #01)

   Subscribe to receive new articles by e-mail. It’s free, but if you like, you can pledge a donation: Join the Telegram group (https://t.me/bhagavatam4u) if you would like to join the live lessons. This course is maintained with your donations. Click here to donate (https://www.ccdas.net/p/donate). 💬 Text of the lesson In his introduction to the first chapter of the Sixth Canto, Prabhupāda describes: “Throughout Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam there are descriptions of ten subject matters, including creation, subsequent creation and the planetary systems. Śukadeva Gosvāmī, the speaker of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, has already described creation, subsequent creation and the planetary systems in the Third, Fourth and Fifth Cantos. Now, in this Sixth Canto, which consists of nineteen chapters, he will describe poṣaṇa, or protection by the Lord.” The Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam deals with ten principal topics. They are listed in text 2.10.1: śrī-śuka uvācaatra sargo visargaś ca, sthānaṁ poṣaṇam ūtayaḥmanvantareśānukathā, nirodho muktir āśrayaḥ “Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam there are ten divisions of statements regarding the following: the creation of the universe, subcreation, planetary systems, protection by the Lord, the creative impetus, the change of Manus, the science of God, returning home, back to Godhead, liberation, and the summum bonum.” This is one of the verses where it is important to check the synonyms to get the Sanskrit term for what we are studying. There we find the terms for the ten topics: sargaḥ — statement of the creation of the universe; visargaḥ — statement of subcreation; sthānam — the planetary systems; poṣaṇam — protection; ūtayaḥ — the creative impetus; manvantara — changes of Manus; īśa-anukathāḥ — the science of God; nirodhaḥ — going back home, back to Godhead; muktiḥ — liberation; āśrayaḥ — the summum bonum. These ten separate topics are described in each of the ten cantos. In each canto we find instructions connected with the material creation, the protection of the Lord, descriptions of the qualities of the Lord, the process of devotional service, etc. However, specific cantos are more directly connected with specific topics. Canto 1 (Creation): In his purport to the invocation of he second canto, Prabhupāda describes, “In the First Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the principles of creation are described, and thus the First Canto may be called ‘Creation.’” In this way, the first canto describes the Sarga (creation), but in a particular way: it describes what the ultimate source is. It establishes all the philosophical basis that establishes Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the source of the material creation and of all incarnations, and the ultimate goal. This is done through the descriptions of the discussions of the sages in Naimiṣāraṇya, Nārada Muni talking with Vyāsadeva, the cursing of Parīkṣit, etc. Canto 2 (The Cosmic Manifestation): In the same purport, Prabhupāda describes: “In the Second Canto, the postcreation cosmic manifestation is described. The different planetary systems are described in the Second Canto as different parts of the universal body of the Lord. For this reason, the Second Canto may be called “The Cosmic Manifestation.” The main topic of the second canto is Visarga (the post-creation, or the manifestation of the cosmos). It explains the manifested universe and its dependence on Kṛṣṇa, focusing on the events early in the history of the universe, with Brahmā awakening on the top of the lotus flower and receiving the darśana of the Lord, his talks with Nārada Muni, and so on. The first two cantos also offer extensive descriptions of all other eight topics, offering a summary of the philosophical content that the later cantos of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam further develop. Canto 3 (The Status Quo): The main topic is Sarga (the creation of the universe). This topic includes the creation of the material elements, including the five elements (fire, water, earth, air, and ether), sound, form, taste, smell, touch, and the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, skin, and mind. This is called sarga, or the primary creation. The main emphasis of the Third Canto is the creation of the elements and the manifestation of the universe, and from there it describes the creation of Brahmā, the manifestation of the material bodies, and the material situation. We can see this topic described both in the initial chapters and later, inside the teachings of Lord Kapila. Some of these discussions were already introduced in the Second Canto, but the Third Canto brings more details. Prabhupāda calls the Third Canto “The Status Quo” because it describes how the universe comes to be, and how it works. What is its real constitution, and what is the condition of the living entities living within it? Canto 4 (The Creation of the Fourth Order): The main topic is Visarga (the sub-creation, or secondary creation. This topic includes the work performed by Lord Brahma in creating the different planets and other structures of the universe, as well as its first inhabitants. This is called the secondary creation because Brahma creates on top of the work done by the Lord in the previous process. Brahma also receives all the knowledge necessary to create the universe from the Lord, building according to instructions given by Him. The Lord is thus the primary creator, and Brahma is the secondary creator. The Fourth Canto is thus focused on the process of populating the universe once it is already formed, through the description of its progenitors and dynasties. This is why it is called “The Creation of the Fourth Order”, discussing the organization of society according to the Varnāśrama system. We study the genealogy of the daughters of Svāyambhuva Manu, the population generated by Dakṣa, the appearance of Pṛthu Maharaja, etc. The climax is the allegory of Purañjana, where the condition of the soul in material illusion is discussed. Canto 5 (The Creative Impetus): The main topic is Sthāna (the planetary systems). This is a discussion about the proper situation for the living entities living on the different planets of the universe, which is to obey the laws of the Lord and be in perfect peace of mind under the protection of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is the canto more directly connected with cosmology. There is the description of the division and management of Bhū-mandala by Priyavrata, and then the detailed description of the universe in the later chapters. What does it have to do with self-realization? The conditioned souls who are illusioned by the external energy and take this material creation as the place for the satisfaction of selfish desires remain in this material world, living under the material laws, and reaping the good and bad results of their actions. That’s why Prabhupāda calls it “The Creative Impetus”, illustrating how the cosmic manifestation drives the souls into continued material activity, life after life. Once this process is understood, our natural tendency is to want to become free of it. We can see that the Fifth Canto ends with the description of the hellish planets, which are an acute example of the suffering nature of conditioned life. This leads Mahārāja Parīkṣit to inquire how souls can become free from such suffering in the Sixth Canto, leading to the description of the glories of the chanting of the holy names. Canto 6 (Prescribed Duties for Mankind): The Sixth Canto focuses on Poṣaṇa, the divine protection of the Lord. The jīvas are called the marginal energy of the Lord because they have free will. They can choose between serving the Lord or trying to be separate enjoyers of the material energy. When one wants to challenge the supremacy of the Lord, he lives under karma and the different material laws, but when a soul desires to surrender, the Lord helps him in all possible ways, so he can go back to his constitutional position, back home, back to Godhead. The Sixth Canto includes the history of Ajāmila, the liberation of Vṛtrāsura, and so on. Prabhupāda calls this canto “Prescribed Duties for Mankind” because it emphasizes the practice of devotional service, which is the original nature and duty of everyone. All the duties prescribed in the Vedas are only secondary. They have the goal of promoting people to this ultimate duty. Canto 7 (The Science of God): The main topic is Ūti, the creative impetus (inclinations motivating action). Every soul has the tendency to act, but this tendency is manifested in different ways, according to the level of material contamination, and can be counteracted by the practice of Krsna Consciousness. The Seventh Canto is almost completely focused on the saga of Hiraṇyakaśipu and Prahlāda Mahārāja, which gives us the perfect example of these two paths. The focus is, naturally, to teach us how to go from one to the other; therefore, Prabhupāda calls it The Science of God. Canto 8 (Withdrawal of the Cosmic Creations): The main topic is Manvantara, describing the reins of the Manus. It describes the administration of the universe across the 14 Manvantaras, with different descriptions of important events in the history of the universe, such as the churning of the milk ocean, the conquests of Bali Mahārāja, etc. It also describes the process of dissolution between these periods, with the inundation at the end of the period of Cākṣuṣa Manu, and the appearance of Matsya. Canto 9 (Liberation): The main topic is Īśānukathā, the science of God. This topic includes the incarnations of the Lord and His different pastimes, alongside the activities of His great devotees. Both the Lord and His devotees descend to various planets in the material world to save the conditioned souls. Hearing about these pastimes can gradually attract us back to the spiritual platform. The Ninth Canto describes it in the form of accounts of the Lord and devotees. The whole canto revolves around the histories of kings and devotees, showing their stories of attachment, renunciation, and their deliverance by the arrangement of the Lord. Canto 10 (The Summum Bonum): This canto describes Āśraya, the ultimate shelter, the summum bonum, which is Kṛṣṇa Himself. Kṛṣṇa is the original source of all potencies. The Absolute Truth has three aspects: Brahman, Paramātma, and Bhagavān. Bhagavān is the supreme aspect, and even amongst the different expansions and incarnations of the Lord, Kṛṣṇa is the last word. He is the original candle that ignited all the other candles. He is the supreme shelter. All the other nine aspects have the goal of simply illuminating this 10th topic. The Tenth Canto describes the appearance and pastimes of Kṛṣṇa, representing the culmination of all the topics described in the previous cantos. This is the smiling face of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Canto 11 (General History): This canto deals with Mukti, liberation. After we hear about Kṛṣṇa, the next question is: how can we go to Him? The Eleventh canto thus describes the process of attaining freedom through the practice of devotional service, focusing on the instructions of Kṛṣṇa to Uddhava before His departure. This canto also describes the history of the concluding events of Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes, the disappearance of the Yadu dynasty, etc.; that’s why Prabhupāda calls it “General History.” Canto 12 (The Age of Deterioration): The main topic is nirodha (the dissolution of material conditioning). At every cycle of creation of the universe, just a small number of souls go back to Godhead. The ones who remain forgetful of their relationship with the Lord merge back into the body of Lord Mahā-Vishnu after the destruction of the universe, where they sleep until the beginning of the next creation. The Twelfth Canto brings the closure, explaining the age of Kali, the cosmic annihilation, and the glorious passing away of Mahārāja Parīkṣit. It leaves us with the conclusion, which is going back home, back to Godhead. How can the souls be saved? The Fifth Canto describes the different planetary systems, which the souls see as a place for the satisfaction of their material desires. The whole universe is a miserable place, in the sense that everywhere there is birth and death, but materially speaking, most of the inhabitants of the universe live quite comfortably, either in Svargaloka, or the earthly heavens of Bhū-mandala, or in the bila-svarga, in the lower planetary systems. This is the path of pravṛtti-mārga, the path of material enjoyment. The problem is that material desires eventually lead to selfish action, and this leads many souls to abandon the path of piety and act sinfully, and this eventually brings them to the hellish planets, where they face real suffering. Parīkṣit thus asks how people can be saved from gliding down this path: “O greatly fortunate and opulent Śukadeva Gosvāmī, now kindly tell me how human beings may be saved from having to enter hellish conditions in which they suffer terrible pains.” (SB 6.1.6) In other words, he asks about what process can free a sinful person from going to hell. This is especially relevant for people in our age, since practically all of us come from sinful backgrounds. We live in a society where not only meat-eating, but promiscuity, drug use, gambling, etc. are not only normalized, but often encouraged. Practically no one is sinless in this day and age. What is thus the hope for us? The first answer of Śukadeva Gosvāmī is somehow enigmatic: “My dear King, if before one’s next death whatever impious acts one has performed in this life with his mind, words and body are not counteracted through proper atonement according to the description of the Manu-saṁhitā and other dharma-śāstras, one will certainly enter the hellish planets after death and undergo terrible suffering, as I have previously described to you.” For five cantos, we have been hearing how Kṛṣṇa is the supreme shelter, and devotional service is the ultimate goal of life, and it should be practiced by everyone and in all circumstances. Now, however, when the question of being freed from sinful reactions appears, Śukadeva Gosvāmī recommends something else as the solution: the process of prāyaścitta, or the Vedic process of penances to become free from sins previously committed, which is described in the dharma-śāstras. Does it mean that devotional service is not potent enough to purify a devotee? Does it mean that prāyaścitta is more powerful than the protection of Kṛṣṇa, or that we should stop serving Kṛṣṇa and go to practice penances if we want to avoid going to hell? Of course not. The reason Śukadeva Gosvāmī brings up this topic is to test Mahārāja Parīkṣit, just as gurus many times do. There are different paths and processes, which are chosen according to the mentality of the disciple. Often a guru starts by describing a lower process to check the reaction of the disciple before revealing the higher conclusion. Fortunately for us, Mahārāja Parīkṣit easily passes the test. He understands the structural failure of the process of prāyaścitta: it may purify one of the sinful reactions, but it does not neutralize the material desires themselves. Therefore, as soon as one finishes his atonement, one goes back to do the same things again: “One may know that sinful activity is injurious for him because he actually sees that a criminal is punished by the government and rebuked by people in general and because he hears from scriptures and learned scholars that one is thrown into hellish conditions in the next life for committing sinful acts. Nevertheless, in spite of such knowledge, one is forced to commit sins again and again, even after performing acts of atonement. Therefore, what is the value of such atonement? Sometimes one who is very alert so as not to commit sinful acts is victimized by sinful life again. I therefore consider this process of repeated sinning and atoning to be useless. It is like the bathing of an elephant, for an elephant cleanses itself by taking a full bath, but then throws dust over its head and body as soon as it returns to the land.” Prāyaścitta is a fruitive process. Just like one performs charity and sacrifice as recommended in the karma-kanda section of the Vedas for elevation to the heavenly planets, one may practice penances for not going to hell for his sinful activities. Both are selfish, and do little to cure the material disease of the soul. Parīkṣit thus compares it to the bathing of an elephant, who washes himself very nicely in the river, throwing water all over his body using his trunk, but afterward unceremoniously throws dust all over his body again. Parīkṣit noticed this and thus passed the test. Śukadeva Gosvāmī thus agrees to describe the real path. He starts by describing the path of prāyaścittaṁ vimarśanam in text 6.1.11. Vimarśana means the cultivation of knowledge. This is also a form of prāyaścitta. When we come to understand that we are the soul and not the body, and understand the position of the Supreme Lord, we naturally give up material activities, which are the source of all sinful activities. As soon as we fully situate ourselves in our eternal spiritual identity, there is no question of sinful reactions. “Śukadeva Gosvāmī, the son of Vedavyāsa, answered: My dear King, since acts meant to neutralize impious actions are also fruitive, they will not release one from the tendency to act fruitively. Persons who subject themselves to the rules and regulations of atonement are not at all intelligent. Indeed, they are in the mode of darkness. Unless one is freed from the mode of ignorance, trying to counteract one action through another is useless because this will not uproot one’s desires. Thus even though one may superficially seem pious, he will undoubtedly be prone to act impiously. Therefore real atonement is enlightenment in perfect knowledge, Vedānta, by which one understands the Supreme Absolute Truth.” (SB 6.1.11) This path of prāyaścittaṁ vimarśanam is formally part of the jñāna path, but it also applies to devotees, since we also cultivate spiritual knowledge. Development of knowledge should lead to a regulated life, which is compared by Śukadeva Gosvāmī to following a suitable diet during a health treatment. Even by following the path of jñāna, combining the cultivation of transcendental knowledge with proper regulation, one can become gradually purified, as indicated in text 6.1.12: “My dear King, if a diseased person eats the pure, uncontaminated food prescribed by a physician, he is gradually cured, and the infection of disease can no longer touch him. Similarly, if one follows the regulative principles of knowledge, he gradually progresses toward liberation from material contamination.” These rules and regulations are described in the next two verses. These rules are universal; they apply to both the path of jñāna and the path of bhakti. The main difference is that because the path of jñāna is not so powerful in purifying a conditioned soul, in jñāna one has to strictly follow all the rules and regulations from the beginning, leaving his family and dedicating himself exclusively to self-realization. The path of bhakti is much more flexible. One may remain with his family and maintain his job, and still advance by chanting the holy names and performing his activities for the satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa, as described in the Bhagavad-gītā. “To concentrate the mind, one must observe a life of celibacy and not fall down. One must undergo the austerity of voluntarily giving up sense enjoyment. One must then control the mind and senses, give charity, be truthful, clean and nonviolent, follow the regulative principles and regularly chant the holy name of the Lord. Thus a sober and faithful person who knows the religious principles is temporarily purified of all sins performed with his body, words and mind. These sins are like the dried leaves of creepers beneath a bamboo tree, which may be burned by fire although their roots remain to grow again at the first opportunity.” (6.1.13-14) We can notice that the translation includes “regularly chant the holy name of the Lord.” Prabhupāda takes this from the word “niyamena”. Originally, niyamena means pious religious activities, such as the chanting of mantras, but in the higher sense, it means to chant the holy names, since this is the highest religious activity. With this, Prabhupāda connects the explanation with the practical process of devotional service we follow. We study his books, follow the four regulative principles, and regularly chant the holy names. The explicit connection with the path of devotional service comes in text 6.1.15: “Only a rare person who has adopted complete, unalloyed devotional service to Kṛṣṇa can uproot the weeds of sinful actions with no possibility that they will revive. He can do this simply by discharging devotional service, just as the sun can immediately dissipate fog by its rays.” The ordinary process of atonement described in texts 6.1.7-8 to test Parīkṣit is ineffective, for it superficially cleans the results of sins without curing the mentality that causes them. The process of prāyaścittaṁ vimarśanam described in texts 6.1.11-14 is better, because it situates a person in knowledge, attacking the root cause. Jñāna, however, has to bring one to bhakti, which is the final stage. Without progressing into bhakti, a jñanī eventually falls back into fruitive activities. Therefore, bhakti is the true path. One may come to bhakti directly or indirectly through jñāna or some other path, but in any case, everyone has to surrender unto Kṛṣṇa. As Prabhupāda explains in his purport: “Bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavo viraktir anyatra ca: if one is advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, material activities, both sinful and pious, automatically become distasteful to him. That is the test of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Both pious and impious activities are actually due to ignorance because a living entity, as an eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa, has no need to act for his personal sense gratification. Therefore as soon as one is reclaimed to the platform of devotional service, he relinquishes his attachment for pious and impious activities and is interested only in what will satisfy Kṛṣṇa. This process of bhakti, devotional service to Kṛṣṇa (vāsudeva-parāyaṇa), relieves one from the reactions of all activities.” The real, eternal nature of the soul is service to Kṛṣṇa. This eternal nature becomes covered when we come into contact with the material energy, and just as a person diseased with jaundice, we taste sugar as bitter. However, as soon as it is cured, we again taste sugar as sweet and become naturally attracted to it. What about destroying the results of sinful activities? Later in the same purport, Prabhupāda offers us a technical explanation of how bhakti is potent in purifying us. There are two divisions of bhakti: 1) santatā: This is continuous devotional service, performed with faith and love. It incessantly flows without impediment; this is the devotional service that is unmotivated and uninterrupted and can completely satisfy the self that was earlier mentioned in text 1.2.6. This is the platform we aim to reach. 2) kādācitkī: This is unstable devotional service, that is sometimes awakened, and sometimes not. This stage is subdivided into three levels: a) ābhāsa-rūpā (a slight glimpse of devotional service, the beginning stage). b) rāgābhāsa-śūnya-svarūpa-bhūtā (the stage where one becomes attached to the constitutional position of serving). c) rāgābhāsamayī (where one comes close to genuine attachment to Kṛṣṇa). Which level do we need to reach to become free from sinful reactions? It may sound surprising, but even the lowest level, ābhāsa-rūpā, where there is just a slight glimpse of devotional service, is already sufficient. Even the beginning stage already supersedes the level of prāyaścitta, or ordinary Vedic atonement from the karma-kanda path. If even the beginning level is so effective in destroying sinful reactions, what to say of the advanced levels? Prabhupāda explains this point in detail: “Even in the stage of ābhāsa-rūpā bhakti, all the reactions of sinful life are uprooted and vanquished. Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī expresses the opinion that the word kārtsnyena means that even if one has a desire to commit sinful actions, the roots of that desire are vanquished merely by ābhāsa-rūpā bhakti. The example of bhāskara, the sun, is most appropriate. The ābhāsa feature of bhakti is compared to dawn, and the accumulation of one’s sinful activities is compared to fog. Since fog does not spread throughout the sky, the sun need do no more than merely manifest its first rays, and the fog immediately disappears. Similarly, if one has even a slight relationship with devotional service, all the fog of his sinful life is immediately vanquished.” Thus, as Śukadeva Gosvāmī concludes, all other processes are ineffective, or only superficially effective. He compares them to washing a clay pot containing liquor. Such a pot cannot be purified simply by being washed with water. To become truly free from sinful reactions, one has to come to the path of devotional service. Just as dense fog can be easily dissipated as soon as the sun appears, even a glimpse of devotional service can destroy all sinful reactions. The path of devotional service starts by associating with a devotee of the Lord, and learning from him or her how to serve Kṛṣṇa. In the process of serving a devotee and learning to serve Kṛṣṇa, the reactions of sinful life are destroyed automatically. There is no need to follow any separate path of expiation; one simply has to come to the path of devotional service with confidence. One point, however, that is also made by Prabhupāda in the purport is that although the path of devotional service is so effective in destroying sins, a devotee should not practice thinking about it. Instead, a devotee should simply focus on serving Kṛṣṇa and developing an attitude of unalloyed devotional service unto Him. As described in the next chapters, there is no possibility of a devotee who is sincerely engaged in serving Kṛṣṇa and chanting the holy names going to hell. Even if the Yamadūtas come to take him by mistake, the Viṣṇudutas, armed with their transcendental weapons, fight them if necessary. However, a devotee should not be puffed up because of it. On the opposite, a devotee should meditate that even if he goes to hell because of his sins, he will never stop serving Kṛṣṇa. This attitude becomes possible when we are seriously engaged under the guidance of the spiritual master, and it is the secret of success. To prove the supremacy of the path of devotional service, Śukadeva Gosvāmī describes the history of the deliverance of Ajāmila, the brāhmana who completely fell from regulative principles and was saved in the last moment by chanting only once the name of Nārāyaṇa. This is a publication for thoughtful readers who want to go deeper into Kṛṣṇa consciousness. I publish daily, trying to offer high-quality spiritual content, and all posts are available to free subscribers. If you wish, you can support this work with a monthly contribution. When you subscribe, you can choose between a free subscription and a monthly contribution, and you can switch from a free subscriber to a supporter at any time. Subscribe to receive new posts by email: If you would like to contribute further, you can find the donation links here (https://www.ccdas.net/p/donate). Get full access to Mysteries of the Vedas at www.ccdas.net/subscribe (https://www.ccdas.net/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)

2. 

   15 Oct 2026

   The Friend Who Never Left. A Dialogue on the “Fall” of the Jīva, ch. 1

   You can receive new articles directly in your inbox. Subscription is free; donations are welcome. This is the first chapter of a novel I started writing with a dialogue on the “Fall” of the jīva. We have the book explaining all the philosophy (https://www.ccdas.net/p/the-fall-of-the-jiva), but a story can make the concepts more accessible. Practically every devotee comes to this question at some point. Post a comment if you appreciate this format. Chapter One: A Disturbing Book Mādhava Dāsa had started practicing Kṛṣṇa consciousness a few years before. He got a Bhagavad-gītā from a devotee who had now passed away. He still remembers it: he was walking to university when Sarasvatī stopped him with a clever question: “You’re a university student, right? Check this out. It discusses a question universities are very good at avoiding: you say ‘my head,’ ‘my hand,’ ‘my body,’ ‘my brain’—so who is the ‘I’ that owns all these things?” He read the whole book in just a few days, and then other books from Prabhupāda. From them, he understood that the soul is the eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa, that love for Kṛṣṇa is eternally present, even though covered, and must be awakened by the process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. He understood that material existence is a condition of forgetfulness, in which we identify with the body and mind and try to enjoy matter independently of Kṛṣṇa. The purpose of devotional service, thus, is to revive this original Kṛṣṇa consciousness and thus revive our eternal relationship with Him. These teachings seemed clear to Mādhava; he never had a reason to doubt them. With this conviction, he was waking up early every day to chant his rounds and study the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam before going to university. Gaurāṅga Dāsa, his mentor, an elderly, experienced devotee, had taught him that we should offer everything best we have to Kṛṣṇa, and this includes the best hours of the day, early in the morning. That’s when the brain is fresh, and we can think clearly. Just as water is clear when appearing from the spring, he said, the mind is clear in the early morning, but after being affected by so many thoughts and images during the day, it becomes murky, like the river that crosses the town. By following this, Mādhava was noticing the difference day by day. One day, he was discussing some points about the soul coming in contact with matter with another devotee he met online. For him, these points were clear, but to his surprise, the devotee disagreed strongly. He sent him a book discussing the origin of the jīva. In the book, the authors quoted from Jīva Gosvāmī, Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura, Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa, and other ācāryas, analyzing Sanskrit terms and supporting their conclusions with many scriptural references. What Mādhava understood from their argument, however, surprised him: the conditioned souls were never with Kṛṣṇa. Material bondage is anādi, without beginning, since no one can fall from Vaikuṇṭha. The authors maintained that these conclusions represented the teachings of the previous ācāryas, the proper siddhānta. As Mādhava continued reading, several doubts arose. If material bondage is anādi, does it mean the soul had never turned away from Kṛṣṇa, that we were simply always here in the material world? And if that’s the case, then how could the soul be at all connected with Kṛṣṇa? He remembered that Mahāprabhu says that Kṛṣṇa-prema is nitya-siddha, eternally established in the heart, and that Prabhupāda explained that this love for Kṛṣṇa, which is already present in the heart, has simply to be awakened. If the soul has never been with Kṛṣṇa, as the book claims, then what exactly was forgotten, and to what original position are we supposed to return? More troubling, however, was the authors’ explanation of Prabhupāda’s teachings. They argued that Prabhupāda’s explanations of the soul having been originally with Kṛṣṇa and somehow forgetting Him were just a preaching strategy and should not be accepted literally. According to them, the deeper philosophical meaning is found in the writings of the previous ācāryas. Mādhava found this point difficult to accept. He had learned that spiritual knowledge descends through paramparā, perfect knowledge that descends from a perfect source and is maintained as it is link after link, different from the scientific knowledge he studies in the university, which is composed of theories that are constantly evolving and changing. The book, however, seemed to use a scholarly interpretation of earlier authorities to determine which statements of Prabhupāda should be accepted and which should be rejected. Mādhava did not know how to resolve these contradictions. The arguments of the book appeared convincing, but they conflicted with many conclusions he had received from the books of Śrīla Prabhupāda. The arguments themselves, however, were based on the words of the previous ācāryas, which he could not dismiss. He could never say Jīva Gosvāmī, Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura or Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa were wrong, but he also could not accept that Prabhupāda had repeatedly taught something contrary to their conclusions. The next morning, he felt drained. He chanted his rounds somehow, but mechanically, with no taste. For the first time in months, chanting seemed like a chore he had to finish, and not something he enjoyed. He looked at the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam but felt no desire to open it. Then, something crossed his mind: Gaurāṅga Dāsa also woke up early every day, and he did not live very far. Maybe he could just visit him and ask. He had studied both Prabhupāda’s books and the teachings of the previous ācāryas for several decades. If there were contradictions there, he must have noticed them. Mādhava put his tablet with the book in his backpack and sped off on his bicycle. Soon the next part… This is a publication for thoughtful readers who want to go deeper into Kṛṣṇa consciousness. I publish daily, trying to offer high-quality spiritual content, and all posts are available to free subscribers. If you wish, you can support this work with a monthly contribution. When you subscribe, you can choose between a free subscription and a monthly contribution, and you can switch from a free subscriber to a supporter at any time. Subscribe to receive new posts by email: You can also receive updates on WhatsApp (https://chat.whatsapp.com/GM7S7GHYYJXCKMfYo3pzJs) or Telegram (https://t.me/ccdas_net). If you would like to contribute further, you can find the donation links here (https://www.ccdas.net/p/donate). Get full access to Mysteries of the Vedas at www.ccdas.net/subscribe (https://www.ccdas.net/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)

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   4 Oct 2026

   Hell in the Vedas: a description of the realm of Yamaraja (5th Canto #37)

   Subscribe to receive new articles by e-mail. It’s free, but if you like, you can pledge a donation: Join the Telegram group (https://t.me/bhagavatam4u) if you would like to join the live lessons. This course is maintained with your donations. Click here to donate (https://www.ccdas.net/p/donate). 💬 Text of the lesson The hellish planets The descriptions of hell in the Fifth Canto are another difficult passage of the text. At first, the punishments described may appear barbaric or disproportionate, but it makes more sense when we understand that they are punishments for specific types of sins. Just as in modern judicial systems, the punishment for a crime has to be significant to discourage people from committing it. If the punishment for stealing were just a small fine, every dishonest person would steal, calculating that if caught, the consequence would be minimal. If instead the punishment for stealing is 10 years in prison, people will think twice. In Vedic culture, people would know their duties and would also hear descriptions of the punishments for performing grossly immoral acts, and thus would learn to avoid them, understanding the consequences. It is not difficult to understand that one who kills animals or seduces the wives of others will have to face consequences for that. The greatest risk of modern life is exactly that, because atheistic philosophies are so popular and even established religions more often than not fail to alert their followers to the dangers of animal cruelty and other activities, people are clueless about the consequences of their habits and thus risk falling into very painful situations after death. There is a phenomenon studied in modern medicine called terminal restlessness, or terminal agitation. People who are about to die commonly become restless, complain about seeing frightening figures and animals in corners or floating around the bed, and even being bound by them, visions that provoke great panic. From the description of the scriptures, we can understand that these are visions of the Yamadūtas preparing to take the soul. The visions usually start a few days before one passes away, and continue until one falls unconscious. Doctors and nurses are trained to deal with these episodes using sedatives, and in this way they just put a person to sleep, trying to create the illusion of a peaceful death. This, however, does nothing to solve the underlying problem. Even if the physical body is put to sleep, one continues to experience the same in the subtle body. Devotees who have the opportunity of being with relatives and other people in such a situation describe great improvement when they chant the holy names and give the dying person Tulasi, garlands from deities, and so on. This all matches the description of the protective power of the holy names and sacred items. Being engaged in hearing and chanting the holy names is the best way to save oneself from the Yamadūtas, even at the last moment, as described in the history of Ajāmila. Just as in the case of the general cosmological model of the Vedas, hearing these descriptions can help people to escape from the dangerous path of atheism. By understanding the consequences of their acts, people gain the opportunity to take a different path. “King Parīkṣit inquired from Śukadeva Gosvāmī: My dear sir, why are the living entities put into different material situations? Kindly explain this to me. The great sage Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: My dear King, in this material world there are three kinds of activities — those in the mode of goodness, the mode of passion and the mode of ignorance. Because all people are influenced by the three modes of material nature, the results of their activities are also divided into three. One who acts in the mode of goodness is religious and happy, one who acts in passion achieves mixed misery and happiness, and one who acts under the influence of ignorance is always unhappy and lives like an animal. Because of the varying degrees to which the living entities are influenced by the different modes of nature, their destinations are also of different varieties.” (SB 5.26.1-2) In Western culture, people have in general an aversion to the idea of hell, perhaps due to Christianity having abused this idea for centuries. Even people who are religious often prefer to believe that people just go to heaven or that we immediately reincarnate, without passing through any form of judgment. However, the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam describes in detail the activities of Yamarāja and his servants, as well as the hellish worlds with which they punish the sinful. Prabhupāda explains the basic rationale in his purport to text five: “The conditioned souls, who have come to this material world for sense gratification, are allowed to enjoy their senses under certain regulative principles. If they violate these regulations, they are judged and punished by Yamarāja. He brings them to the hellish planets and properly chastises them to bring them back to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. By the influence of māyā, however, the conditioned souls remain infatuated with the mode of ignorance. Thus in spite of repeated punishment by Yamarāja, they do not come to their senses, but continue to live within the material condition, committing sinful activities again and again.” We don’t live alone in the world. When our actions are not properly directed, we can create a lot of pain to others. Just as people who commit crimes are sent to jail, souls who commit serious sins are sent to hell for some time to be punished for them and thus corrected. The mistake in Christianity is the belief in hell as a place of eternal damnation, instead of a correctional facility. Such hellish planets are part of the universal model described in the Bhāgavatam and part of the experience of conditioned souls in this world. They are thus included by Śukadeva Gosvāmi in his description of the universe, opening the door for Maharaja Parīkṣit to question how people can become free from such torments, leading, in turn, to the description of the pastime of Ajāmila in the beginning of the Sixty Canto, which emphasizes the potency of the holy names. Because of their devotional service, devotees are escorted to their next bodies (be it spiritual or material) by the Viṣṇudutas. This is also described in the Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta (2.3.85-91): “Śrī Gaṇeśa said: These are associates of the ruler of Vaikuṇṭha, the Supreme Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa. They have attained bodily forms similar to His and have come here from Vaikuṇṭha itself. Just see these other Vaikuṇṭha companions of the Lord, traveling in this small universe ruled by four-headed Brahmā. And further away those others, moving swiftly in the universe of an eight-headed Brahmā, a world twice as large. And those others in the world of a Brahmā with sixteen heads, a world twice as large again. In this way Gaṇeśa showed me many Vaikuṇṭha companions of the Lord traveling with ease in the millions and billions of universes of multitudes of huge Brahmās, who had millions and billions of lotus faces. The Vaikuṇṭha devotees, attractive to the eyes and mind, all had suitable bodies and were suitably equipped for the universes they were visiting. Śrī Gaṇeśa continued: These persons cherish only devotional service to the Lord. They travel as they please, spreading pure devotion everywhere. They save the Lord’s devotees from all fears, even at the time of death, if those devotees have but once had even a reflection of the Lord’s name on the tip of their tongues or the path to their ears.” As Śrila Haridāsa Thākura explains, even chanting on the stage of Nāmābhāsa is capable of destroying one’s sins and bringing a person to the liberated platform, where there is no question of meeting the Yamadūtas. The history of Ajāmila, narrated in the 6th canto of Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, is a graphic illustration of how one can be saved from hell even by chanting at the last moment. Because Ajāmila was so sinful, the Yamadūtas were prepared to bring him to hell, but at the moment they started snatching the soul from the body using their subtle ropes, the Viṣṇudūtas appeared carrying weapons and ordered them to release Ajāmila, or else. It happened that Ajāmila destroyed all his karma by desperately chanting the name of Narāyana at the last moment. Even though he chanted to call his son (and not directly addressing Lord Narāyana), because he chanted in full concentration, it was sufficient to free him from all his past sinful activities. By the time the Yamadūtas started taking the soul out of the body, he was indeed an innocent man, and thus the Viṣṇudūtas immediately appeared to protect him. What about the souls who are not so fortunate? How is the severity of the punishment one will receive in hell determined? Śukadeva Gosvāmi explains that it is determined according to one’s individual consciousness. Those who commit sins due to madness receive the least punishment. Those who know the difference between right and wrong, but still commit sins due to weakness, receive moderate punishment, but those who are stubborn atheists, consciously willing to commit sins and deluding themselves with the idea that there is no God, receive the most severe punishment. This is explained in the next verse: “Just as by executing various pious activities one achieves different positions in heavenly life, by acting impiously one achieves different positions in hellish life. Those who are activated by the material mode of ignorance engage in impious activities, and according to the extent of their ignorance, they are placed in different grades of hellish life. If one acts in the mode of ignorance because of madness, his resulting misery is the least severe. One who acts impiously but knows the distinction between pious and impious activities is placed in a hell of intermediate severity. And for one who acts impiously and ignorantly because of atheism, the resultant hellish life is the worst. Because of ignorance, every living entity has been carried by various desires into thousands of different hellish planets since time immemorial. I shall try to describe them as far as possible.” (SB 5.26.3) Why do atheists receive a harsher punishment? The point is that the main purpose of this punishment is reformation. The system of justice in the universe is designed to correct and purify the soul, not to eternally condemn. If someone acts out of ignorance, usually a small reaction is sufficient for him to learn. If a person acts knowingly, a stronger reaction is usually needed to make him realize his mistake, and if one is obstinate, arrogant, and fully opposed to the Lord, the punishment must be very strong to break that illusion and bring him to humility. We can see thus that this topic of hellish punishment is not simple. It is highly nuanced, taking into account the intention, consciousness, knowledge, background, and level of spiritual advancement of each soul. Yamarāja is empowered by the Lord to understand all these factors and thus pass the correct judgment in each case. Another point is the nature of this punishment. In hell, one does not have a gross body like here; everything happens in a subtle, astral plane. Still, the mind is active, and thus one perceives the experience as painful. “King Parīkṣit inquired from Śukadeva Gosvāmī: My dear lord, are the hellish regions outside the universe, within the covering of the universe, or in different places on this planet? The great sage Śukadeva Gosvāmī answered: All the hellish planets are situated in the intermediate space between the three worlds and the Garbhodaka Ocean. They lie on the southern side of the universe, beneath Bhū-maṇḍala, and slightly above the water of the Garbhodaka Ocean. Pitṛloka is also located in this region between the Garbhodaka Ocean and the lower planetary systems. All the residents of Pitṛloka, headed by Agniṣvāttā, meditate in great samādhi on the Supreme Personality of Godhead and always wish their families well.” (SB 5.26.4-5) Geographically, the hellish planets are situated under Pātāla-loka, a little above the waters of the Garbhodaka ocean. That’s the same place where Pitṛloka, the court of Yamarāja, is situated. It is described that after leaving his body, Vidura was received by the inhabitants of Pitṛloka. Vidura is Yamarāja himself, who took birth from a maidservant due to a curse, and thus had the opportunity of associating with the Pandavas and being present in many of the personal pastimes of Kṛṣṇa. After leaving his body in Prabhāsa, he was reinstated in his post. Although situated at the bottom of the universe, Pitṛloka is a celestial place where pious persons who are attached to their families have the opportunity to meet their ancestors and enjoy with them while at the same time observing their descendants on earth. They can remain there as long as their descendants honor them and offer them food and water (piṇḍa) every year. In other words, Pitṛloka offers pious people the possibility of keeping their current identities in the afterlife and remaining connected with their family members, provided that they perform their family duties properly and leave pious descendants who can continue the family tradition, continuing to follow the scriptures and honoring their ancestors according to the rules and regulations. That’s why in Vedic culture, the offerings to the ancestors are considered so important. When this chain is broken, all the ancestors fall from Pitṛloka and the lineage ends. From this point, each ancestor follows his individual destiny, and they forget each other. That’s what Arjuna refers to when he mentions that, “An increase of unwanted population certainly causes hellish life both for the family and for those who destroy the family tradition. The ancestors of such corrupt families fall down, because the performances for offering them food and water are entirely stopped.” (Bg 1.41) We can see that there are many possibilities for one’s destiny after life, according to one’s acts. Devotees who directly worship the Lord and focus their attention on Him go back home, back to Godhead. Transcendentalists engaged in meditation and other advanced spiritual practices can be elevated to Maharloka and upwards, up to the impersonal Brahmajyoti, while those who spend their time performing fruitive activities may reach Svargaloka, or the earthly heavens of Bhū-mandala. Those who perform their duties and are dedicated to family traditions may enjoy Pitṛloka, while others who don’t do anything special, but have some rudimentary faith in God and are not very sinful, may take birth again as human beings on this planet. There are many different paths. Even if one is an atheist, if one can act according to the precepts of the scriptures, avoiding gross sinful activities, one can have the opportunity of enjoying one of the subterranean heavens. However, if one doesn’t want to follow any religious principle at all and just enjoys at the cost of the suffering of others, then one may see himself surrounded by the Yamadūtas after death. As Prabhupāda explains in his purport to text 15: “It doesn’t matter which set of religious principles one follows: the only injunction is that he must follow them strictly. An atheist, or nāstika, is one who does not believe in the Vedas. However, even if one takes up a different system of religion, according to this verse he must follow the religious principles he has accepted. Whether one is a Hindu, or a Mohammedan or a Christian, he should follow his own religious principles. However, if one concocts his own religious path within his mind, or if one follows no religious principles at all, he is punished in the hell known as Asi-patravana. In other words, a human being must follow some religious principles. If he does not follow any religious principles, he is no better than an animal. As Kali-yuga advances, people are becoming godless and taking up so-called secularism. They do not know the punishment awaiting them in Asi-patravana, as described in this verse.” The path that a sinful person is forced to take is described earlier in the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam by Lord Kapila. There, it is described that: “At death, he sees the messengers of the lord of death come before him, their eyes full of wrath, and in great fear he passes stool and urine. As a criminal is arrested for punishment by the constables of the state, a person engaged in criminal sense gratification is similarly arrested by the Yamadūtas, who bind him by the neck with strong rope and cover his subtle body so that he may undergo severe punishment. While carried by the constables of Yamarāja, he is overwhelmed and trembles in their hands. While passing on the road he is bitten by dogs, and he can remember the sinful activities of his life. He is thus terribly distressed. Under the scorching sun, the criminal has to pass through roads of hot sand with forest fires on both sides. He is whipped on the back by the constables because of his inability to walk, and he is afflicted by hunger and thirst, but unfortunately there is no drinking water, no shelter and no place for rest on the road. While passing on that road to the abode of Yamarāja, he falls down in fatigue, and sometimes he becomes unconscious, but he is forced to rise again. In this way he is very quickly brought to the presence of Yamarāja. Thus he has to pass ninety-nine thousand yojanas within two or three moments, and then he is at once engaged in the torturous punishment which he is destined to suffer.” (SB 3.30.19-24) This path corresponds to a subtle path from our planet all the way to the bottom of the universe, where one is first judged and then sent to the appropriate hellish planets according to his sins. The Sāroddhāra recension of the Garuḍa Purana describes that there are a total of four paths that one can take after death to the castle of Yamarāja. They are taken by different classes of people according to their actions: dharmarājapure yānti tribhir dvārais tu dhārmikāḥ pāpās tu dakṣiṇa-dvāra-mārgeṇaiva vrajanti tat “In the city of Dharmarāja, the righteous pass through three gates; but sinners reach it only by the route of the southern gate.” The description of the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam matches the description of the path to the southern gate, which is the path taken by sinful people, who are meant to be punished in hell. On this path, they face the scorching sun, are beaten by the Yamadūtas, and so on. This is already part of the hellish punishment they are entitled to. The other three paths (to the east, north, and west) are reserved for pious people who follow the principles of the scriptures: great kings, brāhmanas, renounced sages, and others practicing advanced pious or spiritual activities. They are decorated with many trees and gardens, refreshments, and so on. The pious go through these paths escorted by pleasant companions who help them in the journey. Reaching the city of Yamarāja, they are received personally by him, who appears in a pleasant form, describing their pious actions before awarding them the results. This is, however, rare for people of our age. “The King of the pitās is Yamarāja, the very powerful son of the sun-god. He resides in Pitṛloka with his personal assistants and, while abiding by the rules and regulations set down by the Supreme Lord, has his agents, the Yamadūtas, bring all the sinful men to him immediately upon their death. After bringing them within his jurisdiction, he properly judges them according to their specific sinful activities and sends them to one of the many hellish planets for suitable punishments. Some authorities say that there is a total of twenty-one hellish planets, and some say twenty-eight. My dear King, I shall outline all of them according to their names, forms and symptoms. The names of the different hells are as follows: Tāmisra, Andhatāmisra, Raurava, Mahāraurava, Kumbhīpāka, Kālasūtra, Asipatravana, Sūkaramukha, Andhakūpa, Kṛmibhojana, Sandaṁśa, Taptasūrmi, Vajrakaṇṭaka-śālmalī, Vaitaraṇī, Pūyoda, Prāṇarodha, Viśasana, Lālābhakṣa, Sārameyādana, Avīci, Ayaḥpāna, Kṣārakardama, Rakṣogaṇa-bhojana, Śūlaprota, Dandaśūka, Avaṭa-nirodhana, Paryāvartana and Sūcīmukha. All these planets are meant for punishing the living entities.” (SB 5.26.6-7) Yamarāja is an empowered living entity who receives the power of observing all activities of all human beings to reward or punish them according to their actions. Not all living beings are judged by him. As Prabhupāda explains in his purport to 6.3.12, “Yamarāja is in charge of some of the moving living entities, namely the human beings, but the animals, who also move, are not under his control. Only human beings have consciousness of right and wrong, and among them only those who perform sinful activities come under the control of Yamarāja. Therefore although Yamarāja is a controller, he is only a departmental controller of a few living entities. There are other demigods who control many other departments, but above them all is one supreme controller, Kṛṣṇa.” Even though so powerful, Yamarāja does not work alone. He is in charge of a large police force, composed of millions of Yamadūtas. They are very strong and ruthless, and in general can’t be challenged even by demigods. In the Ramayana, it is described that once Rāvana attacked hell and fought with the Yamadūtas with the intention of challenging Yamarāja to a fight. He took a beating and could defeat them only by invoking the pāśupata-astra he had previously received from Lord Śiva. Who are they? In the Garuḍa Purāṇa (2.18.34), it is mentioned that “Those who have passed several years in the dreadful hell and have no descendants (to offer gifts) in their favor become messengers of Yama.” In his purport to Bg 1.14, Prabhupāda mentions that, “According to the rules and regulations of fruitive activities, there is a need to offer periodical food and water to the forefathers of the family. This offering is performed by worship of Viṣṇu, because eating the remnants of food offered to Viṣṇu can deliver one from all kinds of sinful reactions. Sometimes the forefathers may be suffering from various types of sinful reactions, and sometimes some of them cannot even acquire a gross material body and are forced to remain in subtle bodies as ghosts. Thus, when remnants of prasādam food are offered to forefathers by descendants, the forefathers are released from ghostly or other kinds of miserable life. Such help rendered to forefathers is a family tradition, and those who are not in devotional life are required to perform such rituals. One who is engaged in the devotional life is not required to perform such actions. Simply by performing devotional service, one can deliver hundreds and thousands of forefathers from all kinds of misery.” We can see thus that a person who falls into hell under a heavy load of sins can still be saved if he has living descendants who can offer him prasādam or save him by becoming devotees. If, however, one has no living descendants, one falls into a very dangerous position, having a very long sentence ahead, without any hope of being saved. In such cases, Yamarāja can show compassion and convert their sentences into work as Yamadūtas, just as sometimes prisoners are engaged in guarding and punishing other prisoners. Yamadūtas act carefully under the orders of Yamarāja and are very devoted to him. We can see that the Yamadūtas who went to take Ajāmila in the Sixth Canto saw Yamarāja as the Supreme Lord and became deeply surprised in seeing that there was someone above him. “My dear King, a person who appropriates another’s legitimate wife, children or money is arrested at the time of death by the fierce Yamadūtas, who bind him with the rope of time and forcibly throw him into the hellish planet known as Tāmisra. On this very dark planet, the sinful man is chastised by the Yamadūtas, who beat and rebuke him. He is starved, and he is given no water to drink. Thus the wrathful assistants of Yamarāja cause him severe suffering, and sometimes he faints from their chastisement. The destination of a person who slyly cheats another man and enjoys his wife and children is the hell known as Andhatāmisra. There his condition is exactly like that of a tree being chopped at its roots. Even before reaching Andhatāmisra, the sinful living being is subjected to various extreme miseries. These afflictions are so severe that he loses his intelligence and sight. It is for this reason that learned sages call this hell Andhatāmisra.” (SB 5.26.8-9) Family life is considered very sacred in Vedic culture. Not only is one’s family very central to his duties and place in society, but it is also the place where one can perform the service of educating his children in God consciousness. Having one’s wife or children taken away is certainly a very painful experience, and it is also very damaging for society at large. If one treacherously commits such a sin, one becomes entitled to be punished on this particular planet. “A person who accepts his body as his self works very hard day and night for money to maintain his own body and the bodies of his wife and children. While working to maintain himself and his family, he may commit violence against other living entities. Such a person is forced to give up his body and his family at the time of death, when he suffers the reaction for his envy of other creatures by being thrown into the hell called Raurava. In this life, an envious person commits violent acts against many living entities. Therefore after his death, when he is taken to hell by Yamarāja, those living entities who were hurt by him appear as animals called rurus to inflict very severe pain upon him. Learned scholars call this hell Raurava. Not generally seen in this world, the ruru is more envious than a snake. Punishment in the hell called Mahāraurava is compulsory for a person who maintains his own body by hurting others. In this hell, ruru animals known as kravyāda torment him and eat his flesh. For the maintenance of their bodies and the satisfaction of their tongues, cruel persons cook poor animals and birds alive. Such persons are condemned even by man-eaters. In their next lives they are carried by the Yamadūtas to the hell known as Kumbhīpāka, where they are cooked in boiling oil.” (SB 5.26.10-13) The rurus are not regular animals. They are very angry and have very strong bodies, and are thus capable of causing great suffering. From where do they come? The very animals and other creatures that a person tortured in his life have the opportunity to take such forms to avenge their suffering. In the Fourth Canto, it is described that Nārada Muni showed these rurus to King Prācīnabarhi in a visual display of what was awaiting him after death due to his indiscriminate killing of animals in unnecessary fruitive sacrifices: “The great saint Nārada said: O ruler of the citizens, my dear King, please see in the sky those animals which you have sacrificed without compassion and without mercy in the sacrificial arena. All these animals are awaiting your death so that they can avenge the injuries you have inflicted upon them. After you die, they will angrily pierce your body with iron horns.” (SB 4.25.7-8) This is, however, not something imposed. The animals are not forced to take such forms, but if they keep a grudge against their tormentor, they have this opportunity of waiting for him or her at the doors of the hellish planets to get their revenge. After that, they continue their evolutionary path. In his purport to text 10, Prabhupāda explains, “If one simply considers his body to be his self, as do the animals, he is not very sinful. However, if one needlessly commits sins to maintain his body, he is put into the hell known as Raurava. This is the opinion of Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura. Although animals are certainly in the bodily concept of life, they do not commit any sins to maintain their bodies, mates or offspring. Therefore animals do not go to hell. However, when a human being acts enviously and cheats others to maintain his body, he is put into a hellish condition.” Meat eating is sanctioned in the scriptures in certain cases and for certain types of persons, but never with unnecessary cruelty. When Nārada Muni saw Mṛgāri torturing the animals before killing them, intentionally shooting them at non-vital points so they would bleed to death, he asked him to at least kill the animals immediately, so they would not suffer in that way. At that occasion, he also showed him the punishment that was awaiting him in hell. This led Mṛgāri to have a change of heart and stop killing animals altogether, becoming a pure Vaiṣnava instead. “The killer of a brāhmaṇa is put into the hell known as Kālasūtra, which has a circumference of eighty thousand miles and which is made entirely of copper. Heated from below by fire and from above by the scorching sun, the copper surface of this planet is extremely hot. Thus the murderer of a brāhmaṇa suffers from being burned both internally and externally. Internally he is burning with hunger and thirst, and externally he is burning from the scorching heat of the sun and the fire beneath the copper surface. Therefore he sometimes lies down, sometimes sits, sometimes stands up and sometimes runs here and there. He must suffer in this way for as many thousands of years as there are hairs on the body of an animal.” (SB 5.26.14) In Vedic societies, brāhmanas and cows have special importance, for the brāhmanas take care of the society spiritually, while cows and bulls maintain it materially, with milk, labor, and fertilizer for agriculture. Brāhmanas and cows are thus considered most beneficial for any civilized society. Due to their importance, and also for the fact that they are basically defenseless, it is considered a great sin to kill them. If, despite this strong warning from the scriptures, one so does, he becomes eligible for being tormented in this particular type of hell. “If a person deviates from the path of the Vedas in the absence of an emergency, the servants of Yamarāja put him into the hell called Asi-patravana, where they beat him with whips. When he runs hither and thither, fleeing from the extreme pain, on all sides he runs into palm trees with leaves like sharpened swords. Thus injured all over his body and fainting at every step, he cries out, “Oh, what shall I do now! How shall I be saved!” This is how one suffers who deviates from the accepted religious principles.” (SB 5.26.15) People who were born in Vedic societies would be trained from birth to follow the path of the Vedas and worship the Supreme Lord. This was a great privilege that would allow them to follow the path of piety since early life, instead of being born in degraded families and having the opportunity to come in contact with Kṛṣṇa Consciousness only later on, as most of us nowadays. However, this would also come with a great responsibility, since they were expected to continue following these principles. An innocent person who was never educated in the Vedas, and because of this would commit different sinful activities, would not be punished in the same way as someone who was born in an advanced society and received proper training since birth, but still chose to live a life of sin, even though having all opportunities and understanding that these activities are wrong. There is also the question of emergencies. Sometimes there would be great famines, and people would be forced to eat animals or other types of food that would normally not be acceptable. This would generally not be considered very sinful if performed under certain limits. However, if one were to kill an animal without necessity, just to enjoy the meat, there would be serious punishment. What about us? Even though we may not be expected to follow rules and regulations to the same extent as people born in Vedic societies, we still need to accept the laws of God. Prabhupāda explains how this applies to our reality in his purport. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam: The only religious principle is to follow the orders of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The dharma for this age is to adopt the process of saṅkīrtana, chanting the holy names of the Lord. When we do that, not only do we automatically advance in spiritual realization, but we are also excused for past sinful activities. There are also other systems of religion that offer other forms of God worship. Everyone should follow one of these systems and abide by the rules and regulations prescribed, thus following the laws of God at least to some level. If one intentionally rejects the path of religion and becomes an atheist, living a life of sin, disregarding all regulations from the scriptures, one becomes eligible to be punished in this particular hell. In this context, it’s important to note that both the Bible and the Quran contain passages that condemn the killing of animals, such as “Thou shalt not kill”. This is not unique to Vaiṣṇava literature. The difficulty is that people opt to overlook these rules. Other forms of animal cruelty are also punishable. As described in texts 32 to 34. “In his next life, a sinful king or governmental representative who punishes an innocent person, or who inflicts corporal punishment upon a brāhmaṇa, is taken by the Yamadūtas to the hell named Sūkaramukha, where the most powerful assistants of Yamarāja crush him exactly as one crushes sugarcane to squeeze out the juice. The sinful living entity cries very pitiably and faints, just like an innocent man undergoing punishments. This is the result of punishing a faultless person.” (SB 5.26.16) Kings, ministers, and other government officials concentrate a great deal of power, but this power is supposed to be used to protect the innocent. If instead one becomes cruel or corrupt and uses this power to oppress, punishing innocent people, he becomes eligible to be punished on this particular planet. Brāhmanas are generally considered out of the jurisdiction of common law. Even if a brāhmana commits some mistake, he is supposed to be corrected by other brāhmanas or realize the mistake himself and atone for it. If a brāhmana commits serious sins and doesn’t atone for them, he is eligible to be punished by Yamarāja. However, a brāhmana is never supposed to be imprisoned, whipped, or hanged like an ordinary criminal. If a government officer were to do that, he would also become eligible to be punished in this way. “By the arrangement of the Supreme Lord, low-grade living beings like bugs and mosquitoes suck the blood of human beings and other animals. Such insignificant creatures are unaware that their bites are painful to the human being. However, first-class human beings — brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas and vaiśyas — are developed in consciousness, and therefore they know how painful it is to be killed. A human being endowed with knowledge certainly commits sin if he kills or torments insignificant creatures, who have no discrimination. The Supreme Lord punishes such a man by putting him into the hell known as Andhakūpa, where he is attacked by all the birds and beasts, reptiles, mosquitoes, lice, worms, flies, and any other creatures he tormented during his life. They attack him from all sides, robbing him of the pleasure of sleep. Unable to rest, he constantly wanders about in the darkness. Thus in Andhakūpa his suffering is just like that of a creature in the lower species.” (SB 5.26.17) The most fundamental religious principle is non-violence. We can see that Lord Buddha was forced to reject the Vedas because people at the time were misusing the authority of the scriptures and indiscriminately killing animals. He thus centered his message on the idea of non-violence, bringing people back to the path of piety and creating the basis for the work of the following ācāryas. Even insects that bite, such as mosquitoes, should not be killed, for they lack the understanding that their bites create pain to others and are thus considered to be innocent. Animals may kill each other, like a tiger hunting a deer, or a spider capturing another insect, but as human beings we are gifted with superior intelligence and should use it to find peaceful ways to deal with disturbing insects and other creatures. As Prabhupāda explains in his purport, “Although a tiger is not sinful if he attacks another animal and eats its flesh, if a man with developed consciousness does so, he must be punished.” Even if one argues that this is too difficult for general people to follow, the scriptures prescribe that at least brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, and vaiśyas, who would receive higher education, should follow this principle. If a member of these higher classes indiscriminately kills these animals, he or she becomes eligible to be punished in this particular place. This is a publication for thoughtful readers who want to go deeper into Kṛṣṇa consciousness. I publish daily, trying to offer high-quality spiritual content, and all posts are available to free subscribers. If you wish, you can support this work with a monthly contribution. When you subscribe, you can choose between a free subscription and a monthly contribution, and you can switch from a free subscriber to a supporter at any time. Subscribe to receive new posts by email: If you would like to contribute further, you can find the donation links here (https://www.ccdas.net/p/donate). Get full access to Mysteries of the Vedas at www.ccdas.net/subscribe (https://www.ccdas.net/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)

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