Naraka (Jainism)

Naraka (Sanskrit: नरक) is the realm of existence in Jain cosmology characterized by great suffering.

A soul is reborn into a Naraka as a direct result of their previous karma (actions of body, speech and mind), and resides there for a finite length of time until their karma has achieved its full result.

[1] The hellish beings (Sanskrit: नारकीय, Nārakī) are a type of soul which reside in these various hells.

They experience five types of sufferings: bodily pain, inauspicious leśyā or soul colouring and pariṇāma or physical transformation, from the nature and location of hells, pain inflicted on one other and torture inflicted by mansion-dwelling demi-gods (Asura/Rakshasa).

In a dialogue between Sudharma Swami and Mahavira in the Jain text Sutrakritanga, Mahavira speaks of various reasons a soul may take birth in hells:[3] According to Jain scripture, Tattvarthasutra, following are the causes for birth in hell:[4] In a dialogue between Sudharma and Mahavira the Jain text Sutrakritanga, Mahavira describes various tortures and sufferings in hells:[6] In Hell beings have a life span of innumerable years and are not easily killed even though they endure great torture.

17th century cloth painting depicting seven levels of Jain hell and various tortures suffered in them. Left panel depicts the demi-god and his animal vehicle presiding over the each hell.
Tortures in the hells