Hell in Shaivism

[Vitani]

Namaste,

I found a reference to hell on this website:

http://www.shaivam.org/shp_faq.htm

It said that those who act certain ways go to hell to suffer. This hell is not eternal, of course, correct? Is the belief in a hell realm universal in Shaivism?


I apologize if my question did not make sense. Thank you for reading.

Pranams,

Vitani

[wundermonk]

Hello Vitani:

I searched for the term hell and found it referenced below:

Question : What will happen to the sinners?

Answer : They fall in hell and suffer.

Question : If meat and wine were taken what will happen?

Answer : They will go to hell and will be tortured there.

Question : What are all sins?

Answer : Killing, Stealing, telling lies, drinking liqueur, scolding guru are great sins. By doing this we will have hell suffering. Coverting others woman, envy, anger, harsh words, Voilence, deception, ungratitude, unfriendlyness, ruthless also will best hell suffering.

Nowhere could I find mention that hell is eternal. In general, in Hinduism, the overriding principles are that of Karma and Reincarnation. Hell, also, is more a state of consciousness rather than a physical place with Yama riding on his bull, etc.

PS: You are going to get different views on consumption of meat/alcohol on HDF. So, watch out!

[Mana]

हरिः ओम्


Namaste Vitani,

This is how have come to see Hell, I hope my analogy helps you with yours.

As we go through life we may, if we are observant, recognise that we inherently get in to cycles or routines. वृत्ति vRtti .
These cycles and patterns are, the way in which we move forwards in our lives. Now in order to give structure to this notion of cycles;
they have been given sub divisions, or, otherwise said put in to boxes; लोक loka.


Now in the understanding of nature, it is often beneficial to replicate that which nature shows to us in her form, for example:
the light spectrum contains an infinite amount of varying colours, yet when we look at a rainbow, we see only seven distinct differing colours.
We can apply and use this model when we discuses loka, so as to express an otherwise very complicated notion, in a simple visual form; a model.


The lowest states or loka, we might chose to equate to the Abrahamic idea of hell, yet if we go back to the start of this page we see that these vRtti
are only self made routines in which we become trapped, these affect the colour of our lives.


Now this is not really so very similar to the polar notion of Hell, is it? We can be released from these cycles, as simply as by seeing that they exist,
the hard part is in remembering this for long enough to break the cycle!


This is how I have come to realise these concepts, please feel free to correct my analogy if it has wandered far from traditional understanding,
I am as ever keen to learn.



pranāma

mana


ॐ नमः शिवाय
Aum Namaḥ Śivāya

[shian]

Lord Shiva is destroyer of hell

[Eastern Mind]

Vannakkam: Hellish states of mind, yes. Temporary places of confusion between births, yes. Permanent hell? No.

Just a poor choice of words in translation causes this oft repeated confusion.

Aum Namasivaya

[Shuddhasattva]

Namaste

What makes you say that Shiva isn't the destroyer of hell?

[yajvan]

hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~

namasté

Hell (Narka) is not just one place, there are many places, and Hell is an planet where this all happens, where you see Yamraj Devta and Chitragupta Devta and their workers giving punishment, it isn't forever but it's best to avoid going there. Shiva is the destroyer, not of hell though.

Please consider a different font color so your fellow HDF members can easily read your valuable posts.

thank you,

praṇām

[Shuddhasattva]

Thank you yavjan!

Hell is not a bad place that pramatma has made, it is a place of consequences for people, they must go through it if they have made paaps, Yamraj Devta is NOT wrong at all when he gives punishments. Why would Shiva destroy Narka when it is made for consequences of humans?

Namaste

Because Shiva is responsible for the dissolution of all things, all transient lokas. The individual, as a microcosm, experiences this destruction seemingly before it 'actually' occurs on a macro scale. That is to say, on a subtle level, the individual is composed of lokas. In a similar manner Shiva destroys tripura.

In his hymn for the destruction of poverty, Rishi Vasistha eulogizes Shiva as the destroyer of Naraka.