經律異相 49.12

49.12

The first is King Pingchao, in charge of the Great Avīci Naraka. The second is King Jinping, in charge of the Heavy Hell of Black Ropes. The third is King Dadu, in charge of the Iron Mortar Hell. The fourth is King Futian, in charge of the Crushing Hell. The fifth is King Shengdu, in charge of the Great Mountain Hell. The sixth is King Xuandu, in charge of the Fire City Hell. The seventh is King Guangwu, in charge of the Sword-Tree Hell. The eighth is King Wuyang, in charge of the Clamour and Howling Hell. The ninth is King Pingyang, in charge of the Eight-Roads Hell. The tenth is King Duyang, in charge of the Thorn-Tree Hell. The eleventh is King Xiaoyang, in charge of the Boiling Ashes Hell. The twelfth is King Tingwei, in charge of the Great Wailing Hell and the Minor Wailing Hell. The thirteenth is King Guangjin, in charge of the Great Avīci Hell. The fourteenth is King Gaodu, in charge of the Iron Cart Hell. The fifteenth is King Gongyang, in charge of the Iron Fire Hell. The sixteenth is King Pingjie, in charge of the Boiling Excrement Hell. The seventeenth is King Zhuyang, in charge of the Burning Earth Hell. The eighteenth is King Pingqiu, in charge of the Mili Hell. The nineteenth is King Danshi, in charge of the Mountain Rock Hell. The twentieth is King Langye, in charge of the Duohuan Hell. The twenty-first is King Duguan, in charge of the Naraka Hell. The twenty-second is King Xuanxi, in charge of the Flying Insects Hell. The twenty-third is King Taiyi, in charge of the Yang'a Hell. The twenty-fourth is King Heshi, in charge of the Great Mill Hell. The twenty-fifth is King Liangwu, in charge of the Cold Snow Hell. The twenty-sixth is King Wuyuan, in charge of the Iron Pestle Hell. The twenty-seventh is King Zhengzhi, in charge of the Iron Pillar Hell. The twenty-eighth is King Gaoyuan, in charge of the Pus and Blood Hell. The twenty-ninth is King Dujin, in charge of the Burning Stone Hell. The thirtieth is King Yuandu, in charge of the Iron Wheel Hell. These are the thirty great, severely agonizing narakas. The divine spirits listen and investigate, recording sins and blessings without regard to noble or base. Six times a month they present reports, and four times a year they conduct reviews. On the days of the four reviews, they always use the eight kings. The days of the eight kings are when the heavenly kings inspect and compare the heavenly populace and their subjects; those with merit have their life extended, and those with sin have their life-reckoning reduced. The allotment of life, whether long or short, does not err by a hair's breadth. The people are blind and ignorant, completely unaware of this themselves; failing to perform good in advance, they are arrested and committed to the hells. (Extracted from the *Jingdu sanmei jing*.)