Verse 3.3 - Infernal beings (nārakī)

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation of Tattvartha sūtra 3.3:

नारका नित्याशुभतरलेश्यापरिणामदेहवेदना विक्रियाः ॥ ३.३ ॥

nārakā nityāśubhataraleśyāpariṇāmadehavedanā vikriyāḥ || 3.3 ||

The thought-colouration (leśyā), environment (pariṇāma), body (deha), suffering (vedanā) and deeds (vikriyā) of the infernal-beings (nārakī) are incessantly more and more inauspicious (aśubha), successively. (3)

Hindi Anvayarth:

अन्वयार्थ: नारकी जीव सदैव ही अत्यन्त अशुभ लेश्या, परिणाम, शरीर, वेदना और विक्रिया को धारण करते हैं।

Anvayartha: naraki jiva sadaiva hi atyanta ashubha leshya, parinama, sharira, vedana aura vikriya ko dharana karate haim |

Explanation in English from Ācārya Pūjyapāda’s Sarvārthasiddhi:

Thought-colouration (leśyā), etc., have already been explained. These are of greater impurity in infernal beings than in the animals. And among the classes of infernal beings themselves, the impurity (foulness) is greater as we go down the infernal regions. ‘Nitya’ means perpetually, incessantly. Thus, the thought-colouration (leśyā), environment (pariṇāma), body (deha), suffering (vedanā) and deeds (vikriyā) of the infernal beings are incessantly more and more impure. In the first and the second regions the prevailing complexion of thought is grey (kāpota). In the upper part of the third region it is grey (kāpota) and in the lower part blue (nīla). In the fourth it is blue (nīla). In the upper part of the fifth it is blue (nīla) and in the lower part black (kṛṣṇa). In the sixth it is black (kṛṣṇa) and in the seventh pitch-black (parama-kṛṣṇa). It is said that the physical-colouration (dravyaleśyā) is the same till the end of one’s life, but the thought-colouration (bhāvaleśyā) changes within one muhūrta. The word ‘pariṇāma’ in the sūtra refers to the environment or the prevailing nature in terms of touch (sparśa), taste (rasa), smell (gandha), colour (varṇa) and sound (śabda). These are successively more inauspicious and disagreeable, and cause great suffering. Because of the rise of inauspicious name-karma (nāmakarma), the bodies (deha) of infernal beings are successively more inauspicious. These are more and more deformed, loathsome and hideous in shape, and disgusting to look at.

Their height in the first region is seven dhanuṣa, three hātha and six aṅgula. It doubles succesively as we go down the seven earths. Owing to the internal rise of inauspicious-feeling (asātāvedanīya) karmas, they incessantly suffer greatly from extreme heat and cold of the external environment. In the first four earths, the abodes cause agony by heat alone. In the fifth earth, two hundred thousand abodes of the upper part have intense heat and one hundred thousand abodes of the lower part intense cold. In the sixth and the seventh earths, suffering is caused by intense cold alone. The infernal beings intend to perform good deeds (vikriyā), but end up committing only the wicked deeds. They desire to do things that can bring about happiness but end up generating misery alone. Lower and lower down, these dispositions become worse and worse.