Vedic Mythology c9.s3.19

c9.s3.19

That the belief in a hell goes back even to the Indo-European period, has been argued by WEBER¹³ on the strength of the equation Bhṛgu = φλεγύαι¹⁴ and the fact that the former is described in the ŚB. as sent by his father Varuṇa for pride to see the tortures of hell, and the latter are condemned for pride to undergo severe tortures in hell. But the similarity of the two legends is probably only a coincidence, as belief in the torments of hell seems to be a later development in India¹⁵.