In the previous episode, we had witnessed a detailed accord on the nuances of the “Karma Theory” and the “Birth-Death cycle”, which all of us go through birth after birth. We had classified “Kamra” into two categories, namely, the “Sanchita Karma” and the “Praarabdha Karma”. While the “Sanchita Karma” is the accumulation of sacks and sacks of our “Karma” over the births, the “Praarabdha Karma” is where we begin experiencing the resultant of one of the sacks of “Karma”, from the “Sanchita Karma”. Once this sack is over, we again pick up the next sack from the “Sanchita Karma” and start experiencing the resultant of that. This cycle continues on and on. This cycle only grows further because, during every birth, we would be accumulating more and more “Karma”, and all these go into fresh sacks and get stored as part of the “Sanchita Karma”. For this, we again would require fresh birth(s) to experience the results of these fresh accumulations. Again in those fresh births we would be accumulating more “Karma” and that would again go into the “Sanchita Karma” sacks! This cycle keeps on continuing without abating!
Thus, as we’re amidst this cycle, we would always have a sense of fear, isn’t it? Even if we go into the “Svarga Lokha”, there is no guarantee that we would reside there permanently. We wouldn’t know when we would be pushed into the “Naraka Lokha” for experiencing some punishments for our “Paapa Karma”! All of us would have accumulated truckloads of “Paapa-Karma” by now, and we’re also still continuing to accumulate the same. Even though we might know many aspects of our “Sanaatana Dharma” by now, and what is “Dharma” and “Adharma”, we might still be doing some “Paapa-Karma” here and there (Although not very major) unknowingly too! So even for these “Paapa-Karma” that we’re forced to perform everyday unknowingly, we’ve to experience the result of all these as well! Thus, the point here is that, even if we’ve performed enormous “Punya-Karma” and ascend towards the “Svarga-Lokha” it is not permanent! We would never know when we would be pushed out of it!
So what is the way out of this here? How do we escape this vicious cycle? Is there no end to our miseries and fear? It is this background that is going to be discussed as part of the conversation between Sage Ashtaka and King Yayaati. Thus, going into the conversation, King Yayaati replies to Sage Ashtaka thus, “Oh great Sage! You’ve asked me where am I falling, and from where am I coming, isn’t it? Hear from me thus – I’m falling down from the “Svarga Lokha” and I’m falling into the “Naraka Lokha”! As King Yayaati replies thus, Sage Ashtaka is unable to understand the meaning of what he answered! Sage Ashtaka asks back thus, “Oh King Yayaati! You’re only falling towards the “Manushya Lokha”! I’ve heard that the “Naraka Lokha” is somewhere located in the southern direction! But you’re not going anywhere there, isn’t it? So if at all you’re falling into the “Naraka Lokha”, which of the “Naraka Lokhas” are you heading towards? Is it “Ruru Naraka Lokha” or “Kumbhi Paaga” or “Asita Paksha” or “Laalaa Bhaksha”? Which of these “Naraka Lokhas” are you heading towards?”
As Sage Ashtaka asks thus, we also understand that there is no one “Naraka Lokha”! There are plenty of them! As per our “Sanaatana Dharma” literature, the “Naraka Lokha” is just a generic terminology that encompasses around fourteen different “Naraka Lokhas” within. I’ve just mentioned some four or five in this context. But for each type of “Adharma” that we perform, there is a designated “Naraka Lokha”, where we would get the apt punishments for all what we do! Now coming back to the context here, King Yayaati replies thus, “Oh Sage Ashtaka! I’m not going to any of the “Naraka Lokhas” that you’ve pointed out. I’m going towards the “Bhouma Naraka Lokha”! As Sage Ashtaka listens to this reply, he thinks within himself thus, “Oh wow! What is this “Bhouma Naraka Lokha”? This doesn’t feature anywhere in the fourteen -odd “Naraka Lokhas” that I’ve read about! Why is King Yayaati saying something very different here? Does he even know what he’s talking about?”
As Sage Ashtaka thinks for a moment thus, King Yayaati himself clarifies what does he mean by the “Bhouma Naraka Lokha”. By saying so, he only refers to the “Manushya Lokha” and designates this itself as one of the “Naraka Lokhas”, along with the fourteen-odd others! The “Samsaara” itself is an embodiment of the “Naraka Lokha” and this is the one that motivates and encourages all of us to perform all kinds of sins, isn’t it? King Yayaati continues to reply Sage Ashtaka and is going to explain a very important point here. What is that important point? Let us wait till the next episode to find out! Stay tuned! 🙂
The Indian Dharma 