Why did Srila Bhaktivinoda Thākura say that descriptions of hell are exaggerated?

There are many descriptions of hellish punishments in the Srimad Bhagavatam which may sound disproportionate. How to understand such passages?

“There are many descriptions of hellish punishments in the Srimad Bhagavatam, like a person suffering an extremely painful punishment for just not properly receiving a guest. To me, this sounded extremely disproportionate. When I brought it up, a devotee mentioned that Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura had commented on such passages, explaining that some of them may be exaggerated. He compared it to how a father might speak sternly or threaten his child with a severe punishment, not with the intention of actually inflicting it, but to strongly persuade the child to correct their behavior. Even if such statements are exaggerated, I can understand the educational purpose. But at the same time, it can be challenging for some devotees, especially those who take everything in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam to be literally and absolutely true above all other scriptures. This makes it hard to know how to relate to these passages in a balanced way. It also doesn’t seem consistent in every case. For example, we sometimes hear stories of people who lived in ignorance or sin in a previous life, yet still took birth again as human beings.”

When we read about these various descriptions of punishments, especially the descriptions in the 5th canto of Srimad Bhagavatam, as well as the descriptions of other Puranas, we should understand that these experiences may not apply to everyone in the same way. These passages serve an important purpose, but their application may vary based on the person, situation, and their level of advancement.

An innocent person, who was never educated in the Vedas, and because of this commits different sinful activities, will not be punished in the same way than someone who is takes birth in an advanced society and receives proper training as a Brāhmana since birth, but still chooses to live a life of sin, even tough having all opportunities and understanding that these activities are wrong, for example. Also, just because a certain situation is mentioned, it doesn’t necessarily mean that everyone goes through it.

For instance, in the third canto, there is a detailed description of the soul taking another birth and suffering in the womb. The text describes how the living entity undergoes great discomfort while in the mother’s womb, being bitten by worms, and so on. While this is certainly true for some souls, we should not assume it applies equally to all. For example, we know that there are terrible diseases like different types of cancer that cause great suffering, but this doesn’t mean that everyone contracts these diseases.

For example, the Bhāgavatam mentions that the fetus is bitten by worms in the womb. Although rare, there are indeed worms that can infect the womb, like the Strongyloides stercoralis and Taenia solium. Therefore, in some situations, the descriptions of the Bhagavatam of the fetus being bitten by worms can be literal, but this situation is not necessarily experienced by every soul. In another part of the Srimad Bhagavatam, it is said that when devotees take birth again in the material world, Krsna arranges for them to be born without such difficulties. Thus, for devotees, the experience of birth may be smoother, while for a sinful soul, it may be more painful and traumatic. This shows that the experiences described are true, but not necessarily universal.

Similarly, descriptions of hellish punishments found in the fifth canto are often intended for specific audiences. Some are general, like the description of people who kill animals being attacked at the gates of hell by the same animals they killed. Depending on the severity of the violence they committed, they may suffer in different hells where different types of tortures are administered by the Yamadūtas.

However, other punishments are more specific, sometimes intended for brāhmaṇas or those of higher varṇas. For example, there is a description of a man who makes a woman drink his semen (which appears to refer to oral sex). The Bhāgavatam lists a specific hellish punishment for this behavior, but only if the man is a brāhmaṇa. This suggests that varṇa and the level of training and facilities one receives affect the consequences one faces. A person in a lower varṇa, such as a śūdra or lower than a śūdra, might not be held to the same standard or suffer the same punishment for the same acts, just like children in primary school are not supposed to answer the same tests as adults in the university.

From this, we understand that some punishments are general, while others are conditional, based on one’s varṇa, knowledge, duties, and social responsibilities. The higher one’s social and spiritual position, the more is expected, and the more serious the consequences of falling to follow basic religious and moral principles.

Coming to Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, it is seen that he occasionally made statements that seem to minimize or relativize these hellish descriptions. There are specific passages where he speaks in this way. One explanation is that Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura had the mission to explain Krsna Consciousness to different classes of people, and he had to often adjust the message to fit different audiences.

When we speak about ācāryas adjusting their discourse according to the audience, some presume that they were telling white lies to make the message easier to assimilate, but this is a misconception. We should never project our defects onto great personalities. Just because we sometimes lie, we shouldn’t presume that great ācāryas do the same. Everything he said must be accepted as truth. However, we need to understand in which situations it applies and to which it doesn’t.

For instance, someone born in the West, or even in India, but outside the traditional varṇāśrama structure, may not be subject to the same karmic standards set for brāhmaṇas or kṣatriyas that are described in the Srimad Bhagavatam, and Srila Bhaktivinoda Thākura may have been referring to this point when he said that these descriptions of hell may be exaggerated, for example. Someone born in the West, or even in India but outside the traditional varṇāśrama structure, may not be subject to the same karmic standards set for brāhmaṇas or kṣatriyas. In that context, those hellish descriptions might not directly apply. The higher the qualification, the greater the responsibility and the harsher the judgment when that responsibility is neglected, and vice versa. This principle is seen throughout śāstra.

Apart from that, ācāryas emphasize the most important points. Instead of speaking to people about hell, it is usually more productive to engage them in devotional service, which will automatically save them from hell in the first place.

On the point of sinful people sometimes taking another human birth. Again, it depends on the spiritual level of the individual.

When someone is at a lower level of development, not much is expected from them. Even if such a person is sinful, eating meat or engaging in other impure activities, if they perform some good deeds or show a little piety, they may still be awarded a human body in their next life. The standard for them is not very high, so even a small effort can lead to gradual progress.

However, if one is born in a family of brāhmaṇas, educated in śāstra, trained in cleanliness and good conduct, and has maintained a high standard for many births, then much more is expected. Such a person must live up to a higher level of purity to maintain their position. If they fall into sinful behavior, the consequences are more severe.

In this sense, when people are rising gradually from lower births, they do not need to do very much to continue taking human birth and progress further. But when one has already reached a high level and then deliberately turns toward sinful life, that fall is much more serious. The higher one’s position is, the heavier the reactions are if he acts against dharma.

Another point is that hell is not meant for the punishment of all sins, but rather for taking away the excessive load of sins one may carry.

There are many levels of sinful activity. Ordinary sins are often repaid through normal karmic reactions in future lives, while excessive sins are punished in hell. Sinful people are often reborn in lower forms of life, and this counts as part of their punishment. Some passages describe that people who commit particularly serious sins are punished for millions of years. This describes the long process of evolution these souls have to go through in the lower forms after their punishment in the hellish regions.

Even then, however, the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and other śāstras explain that the severity of punishment depends on different factors. For example, if a person sins out of ignorance, genuinely not knowing that he is doing wrong, he receives a lighter punishment. If someone knows that something is wrong but still does it, perhaps out of weakness or confusion, the punishment is a little stronger. However, the most severe punishments are reserved for those who are arrogant, defiant, or atheistic, who challenge God directly, thinking that they can do whatever they want, because everything ends with death, or there is no superior authority in control. Such defiant souls are chastised strongly because their attitude is deeply offensive to the Supreme Lord and harmful to their own spiritual progress. Because they are so stubborn, stronger punishment is necessary to correct their attitude.

It is also important to understand that the purpose of punishment is not revenge, but reformation. The system of justice in the universe is designed to correct and purify the soul, not to eternally condemn it. If someone acts out of ignorance, usually a small reaction is sufficient for them to learn. If a person acts knowingly, a stronger reaction is usually needed to make them realize their mistake, and if one is obstinate, arrogant, and fully opposed to the Lord, the punishment must be very strong to break that illusion and bring them to humility.

We can see that this topic of hellish punishment is not simple. It is highly nuanced, taking into account the intention, consciousness, knowledge, background, and level of spiritual advancement of each soul.

Often, we become defensive while hearing about these hellish descriptions, equating them with the descriptions of eternal hell from Christianity, while in reality, these descriptions of karma, rebirth, and hellish punishments describe arrangements for the reformation of the soul, having the ultimate purpose of guiding every living being back toward their natural attitude of service to Krsna.

You can also donate using Buy Me a Coffee, PayPal, Wise, Revolut, or bank transfers. There is a separate page with all the links. This helps me enormously to have time to write instead of doing other things to make a living. Thanks!