法苑珠林 7.27

7.27

Furthermore, the Sanfadu lun jing states: There are three kinds of hells: first, hot; second, cold; third, isolated. Regarding the hot hells, according to the Sarvāstivāda school, there are eight great hells. The first is Sañjīva (Reviving), also called ‘Reviving Again’; either the hell wardens cry out ‘Live!’, or a cold wind blows and revives them—although the two conditions differ, the revival is equal in kind, hence it is called the Sañjīva hell. The second is called the Kālasūtra (Black Ropes) hell, where they are first marked with ropes and then chopped with axes. The third is called the Saṃghāta (Crushing) hell, also called ‘Crowd-Colliding’, where two mountains close from below to crush the sinners. The fourth is called the Hahava hell, also called the Raurava (Wailing) hell, where hell wardens press and pursue them so that they run wailing and shrieking. The fifth is called Great Wailing, also called the Mahāraurava (Great Wailing) hell, where fires from the four elements arise and they have no road by which to flee; therefore, it is called the Mahāraurava hell. The sixth is called the Tapana (Heating) hell, also called ‘Burning’, where fiery iron encloses them closely and they suffer heat within it. The seventh is called the Pratāpana (Great Heating) hell, also called ‘Great Burning’, where mountain fires explode against one another, roasting and skewering the sinners. The eighth is called the Avīci (Non-Differentiating) hell, also called ‘Uninterrupted’; once cast into the fire of suffering, there is never any interval of joy; since the suffering is uninterrupted, what could there be to select or differentiate? These eight hells lie stacked one above the other in Jambudvīpa. According to the Sanfadu lun, the first two have overseers; the next three have few overseers; the last three have no overseers. However, taking these eight as the primary hells, each has sixteen surrounding enclosures; there are four on each side, four by four making sixteen in all, which together with the primary hell makes seventeen. Eight times seventeen makes a total of one hundred and thirty-six locations, wherein sinners suffer the torment of heat. Second, the cold hells are also eight in number. The first is named the Arbuda hell: because they are cut by bitter cold, fine blisters form on their flesh. The second is named the Nirarbuda hell: because cold winds blow upon them, blisters cover their entire bodies. The third is named the Aṭaṭa hell: because they cannot move their lips and can only move their tongues, they make this sound. The fourth is named the Apapa hell: because they cannot move their tongues and can only move their lips, they make this sound. The fifth is named the Hahava hell: because they can move neither lips nor tongues and only vibrate air within their throats, they make this sound. The sixth is named the Utpala hell: this is the blue lotus; the petals of this flower are slender, and because their flesh splits finely into a hue resembling this flower opening in the blazing sun, [it is so named]. The seventh is named the Padma hell: this is the red lotus; because their flesh splits open broadly resembling this flower blooming, [it is so named]. The eighth is named the Puṇḍarīka hell: this is the white lotus; because their bones split open resembling this flower blooming, [it is so named]. The first two take their names from physical characteristics; the next three take their names from vocal sounds; the last three take their names from the appearance of the sores. Therefore, the Kośa-śāstra states: ‘In these eight, sentient beings are pressed by extreme cold; these names are established on account of the transformations in their bodies, sounds, and sores.’ According to the Sanfadu lun, the first two allow crying out; the next three do not allow crying out; the last three make no crying out. These eight reside facing upward at the base of the Iron Ring Mountains between the continents; sinners suffer the pain of freezing cold therein. Third, regarding the isolated hells, according to the Sanfadu lun, they are also of three kinds: first, among mountains; second, among waters; third, in wildernesses. They suffer individual karmic retribution; here they should suffer a mixture of cold and heat. If one speaks of their lifespan retribution, their lives may be long or short.