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tsaneladi

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I am reading Steven Rosens's SRI PANCA TATTVA book and am a bit confused on an issue. In 4.4, it refers to a dream and the appearance of the Lord of Hell, Yama. I was never aware that such a place existed in KC and am surprised to hear it mentioned in this context.

 

If indeed this is correct, what actions would preceed a soul spending eternity in Hell?

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The vedic concept of hell is somewhat different than the Christian concept. It is a place of education through punishment for extremely sinful people. It helps them to burn of their negative karma by providing them special bodies that can handle severe hardships. Once they have burned off their heavy karma, they are again born in a regular realm of existence.

 

You can find more information about it in the fifth canto of Srimad Bhagavatam.

 

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Good answer ndas.

 

Also, there is no 'eternal hell'.

 

God's original desire is for us to enjoy with him through transcendental rasas. Rejecting this, the souls are allowed to exorcise their free will in the material world of which hell is a part. Eventually - maybe after an 'eternity' - the persons consciousness finally comes to the right conclusion about his position in the kingdom of God. Then he is allowed to return to the spiritual world from which he came.

 

This allows for free will and fulfills the origianal desire of an omnipotent God. Can an omnipotent God's desire ever be frustrated?

 

Perhaps you're taking the term 'eternal' in an absolute sense. I can remember from the Mahabharata that so many warriors were described as the best fighter or that various princesses were the most beautiful. Literally, they can't all be 'the best'. That's not the way the material world is set up. If everyone or many are the best, then no one is best. So it must be that these descriptions are to create extreme perspectives within us which we would otherwise consider to be ordinary - let's say - on the ladder of extremes.

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The vedic concept of hell is somewhat different than the Christian concept. It is a place of education through punishment for extremely sinful people. It helps them to burn of their negative karma by providing them special bodies that can handle severe hardships. Once they have burned off their heavy karma, they are again born in a regular realm of existence.

 

You can find more information about it in the fifth canto of Srimad Bhagavatam.

 

 

 

 

After the death of a person with loads of bad karma, his soul goes to hell for getting punishment. But how will the soul suffer without a physical body? The pain is not associated to anything without a physical body.

I still haven't read the canto in Srimad Bhagavatam for this one.

 

-Prasad.

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