經律異相 49.33

49.33

The great Saṃghāta hell is surrounded by sixteen minor hells, each five hundred yojanas in extent. Why is it called Saṃghāta (Crushing and Pounding)? There are great rocky mountains, two mountains facing each other. When a person enters between them, the mountains spontaneously come together, crushing and pounding their body so that bones and flesh are pulped, and then the mountains return to their original places. In myriad kinds of agonizing torment, they are made not to die. Furthermore, there are great iron elephants, their entire bodies ablaze with fire, coming on with roars; they trample the sinners, rolling back and forth over them, crushing their bodies to pulp and causing pus and blood to flow forth. Howling and wailing in sorrow, they are made not to die. Further, they seize the sinners, lay them upon large stones, and crush them with great rocks; further, they take the sinners, lay them on the ground, and pound them with iron pestles. From feet to head, skin and flesh are pulped, pus and blood flow forth, and myriad afflictions arrive at once. Because their remaining retribution is not yet finished, they are made not to die; hence it is called Saṃghāta. Having endured suffering for a long time, they then exit Saṃghāta and arrive at the Black Sand hell, and so forth up to the Cold Ice [hell], after which their life comes to an end. Merely committing the three evil deeds and not cultivating the three wholesome practices, one falls into the Saṃghāta hell, its bitter pain beyond description.