When justice is given by the God: Hinduism

Justice — sama?jasya or nyāya — is the application of the law by courts of law. It is important to note that law does not always concur with morality. In Hinduism, the notion of Justice is complex, as there is never one size that fits all. Among the many meanings of Dharma is both law and morality. What is legal/moral for one person based on caste or profession may not be so for another. It was illegal for a Brahmin to even smell alcohol and the drinking thereof was punishable by the courts. Whereas Sudras could freely imbibe to their hearts content.

In Ancient India there were a number of legal layers.

kula-dharma — were the rules of the extended family, tribe and clan presided over by a patriarch and in some families, particularly in the South, by matriarchs.

Jāti-dharma — was the caste law which was based on caste tradition, custom and practice and adjudicated by the elected panchayat.

Desha-dharma — The Law of the Land promulgated by the Rajas in consultation with the scholarly Brahmins and adjudicated by courts of Law.

It is of utmost importance to note that all laws in Hinduism are made by people, there are no laws from a Divine Creator.

Laws need to be modified according to ever changing situations, so the concept of revealed divine laws which are static is unhelpful and retarded.

In the absence of the first two, Hindus are obligated to live under the law of the land to which they migrate. Any Hindu custom which conflicts with the Law of the Land must be abandoned even though sanctioned by the Vedas. (Yajnavalkya Smriti. 1:156). Another reason why Hindus make such good migrants!

The Garuda Purana is a text which details the Various types of hell and the punishments and entrance criteria for them. To apply… please sin accordingly. 28 Deadly Punishments Mentioned in Garuda Puran Which Are Likely to be Held after Death. Garuda Purana, the sacred manuscript of Hindu religion briefs about the life after death of humans. Garuda Purana is believed to be the an exchange of selective information over human’s life, re-birth (reincarnation), human death, funeral rites, life after death and many other corresponding contexts with the Garuda (a kind of bird) by the lord Vishnu.

Garuda which is a part of eighteen Puranas of Hindu body texts called as Smriti principally stresses on the reason and meaning of human life exploring the conversation of Lord Vishnu and Garuda (King of Birds). Brutal punishments which have been listed and mentioned in the Garuda Purana are so barbarous and roughshod that no reader of the Purana would wish to get punished with those penalties of their souls after death. Penalties of the Garuda Purana are described as ‘The Torments of Yama’ as per the conversation of lord Vishnu and Garuda. Here is the list of 28 Garuda Purana Punishments described in the book,

Crime: People who try to take the possession over others property (wealth, money, land, houses, jewellery) exercising unacceptable acts such as robbing, surcharging with interests etc., would be punished with this punishment by god of death Yam raj's retainers and cast them into the Naraka (hell) known as Tamisram. Punishment: Souls which have been confined to the Tamisram Naraka (hell) would be thrashed until the victim gets bleed and fainted and end of their time period in the hell. Punishment 2: Andhatamtrsam (Flogging)

Crime: Soulmates, husbands and wives who cheat their partners in the relationship are punished with this Andhatamtrsam penalty. Perhaps most of the people during this modern times may get punished with this penalty as very often we go through a story of divorce and many other unethical practices of relationship who treat their partners well when there is a need of them for profits or pleasure.

Penalty: Most of penalties under the Andhatamtrsam are similar to that of Tamisram while it involves the agonizing thrashes by tying up victims fast with ropes and making them fall down unconscious circulation in abyss. Crime: Enjoying others property or resources with through possession. Punishment: Tortured with the serpents, thrown into the hell of Rauravam where the people they have cheated assume the shape of “Ruru”, a dreadful serpent, torment them severely until their time is up.

Crime: Destroying other property, Denial of legitimate heirs, inheritance and possession of others property, Brutally destroying other’s property and family for the sake of acquisition, Punishment: Squeezing and nonstop biting of sinners with snakes with extreme and violent energy and coiling around them. Crime: Killing animals for pleasure, Penalty: Throwing accused souls to huge boiling vessels. Punishment Kalasutram (Hot as hell).

Crime: Disrespecting, torturing and putting elders & parents in starvation. Penalty: Sinners are made to run around in unbearable heat and drop down exhausted from time to time and are made to undergo similar treatment as they did to their elders. Punishment: Asitapatram (sharp flogging). Crime: Abandon, giving up one’s own duty, abetting god and violate dharma practices. Penalty: Flogged with whips made of asipatra (sharp-edged sword-shaped leaves), stabbed with knives until sinners drop unconscious, tortured by evil spirits resulting fear and repeating the similar process. Punishment: Sukaramukham(Crushed and tormented).

Crime: Disregarding duties and persecute their subjects by misrule, punishing innocent people and accomplice unlawful activities. Penalty: Sinners are crushed to pulp by heavy beating, grinded under the sharp teeth of an animal and repeated until their time is up. Punishment: Andhakupam( Attack of the animals). Crime: Discouraging and not helping needy despite having the resources, oppressing good people, torturing lives and inhuman activities. Penalty: Biting by wild animals, run over by wild animals, pushed into a well of beasts like Lions, tigers, eagles and venomous creatures like snakes and scorpions. Sinners had to endure the constant attacks of these creatures until the expiry of the period of their punishment. Punishment :Taptamurti or Agnikundam (Burnt Alive).

Crime: Stealing, snatching other’s property by force, steal gold and jewels care cast into the furnaces of this Naraka and gaining undue advantage and unlawfully making best out of everything in the world. Penalty: Sinners are roasted in inverted positions with hands and legs tied over fire. Punishment: Krimibhojanam(Food for worms). Crime: Dishonoring guests, Using people for self-needs and gains, eating and benefitting from other’s work. Penalty: Sinners are subjected to worms, insects and serpents which would eat their souls and bodies until the punishment period ends with the continuous process. Insects are left intruding the body. Punishment: Salmali(Embracing hot images).

Crime: Committing adultery (men and women), unchaste relationships with kamukas. Penalty : Hot solid figures of gadha’s (maces, clubs) made of iron are heated red-hot and thrashed on genital space, Yama’s servants flog the victim behind. Punishment: Vajrakantakasali or Vajrakandaka (Embracing Sharp images). Crime: Unnatural intercourse with animals, humans, unmatching people, forced sexual contacts. Penalty: Embrace, physical hugging of fire spitting idols, full of sharp diamond needles which would pierce through their bodies. Punishment Vaitarani(River of Filth).

Crime: Abusing with their powers and adulterers, misusing the official and rulers stature to attain undue advantage and acting against dharma. Penalty: Submerging victims and souls in a river filled with human excreta, blood, hair, bones, nails, flesh and all kinds of dirty substances where various kinds of terrible beasts who attack and mauled by these creatures from all sides. Added to this sinners have to spend the term of their punishment, feeding upon the contents of this river. Punishment: Puyodakam (Well of hell). Crime: Men having intercourse and cheating women with no intentions of marrying, treating women cruelly like animals during sexual intercourse, Penalty: Thrown in polluted well with excreta, urine, blood, phlegm, biting by poisonous insects and animals and remain until their time is up. Punishment: Pranarodham (Piece by Piece).

Crime: Torture and kill animals for food. Penalty: Limbs and life organs of sinner slashed by the Yama kinkaras (servants of lord yama) with arrows. Punishment: Visasanam(Bashing from Clubs). Crime: Rich people torturing poor and boasting the wealth and splendour without helping the needy. Penalty: Non-stop bashing from heavy clubs from Yama’s servants until their punishment term ends. Punishment: Lalabhaksam-(River of semen). Crime: Lust men/wife torturing their soulmate/partner, unchaste intercourse, forcing wife/husband to swallow genital liquid (semen / white discharge). Penalty: Accused souls thrown in river of semen, feeding upon semen alone until his period of punishment. Punishment: Sarameyasanam(Torment from dogs).

To undergo all these punishments, the Jeeva should have a physical body as they cannot punish the Atma directly. So, when judgement is given by Yama, the Jeeva is given a physical body called 'Yaatanaa' shareeram, which will tolerate / bear any kind of torturing, but will not die. The punishment has to be undergone till the stipulated period is over. Remember not to take this too lightly. The focus on Sanatana Dharma is a inward Self introspection to know the True nature of the self.