Re: Is hell eternal in hinduism ?
Greetings people,
I found a few contradictions in sources on the internet about what I mentionned in the tittle of this thread : so, does hell exists forever in hinduism of is it just a temporary state of being ? Do you have any scripture to support any theory ?
I thank you for answering me since going to hell forever is something that scares me since I was a child... Finding a religion where God is more mercifull than in my own tradition would be nice
Namaste VVV
Your question has a very clear answer - NO.
In Hinduism, Soul (Atma) is not created by any God but is eternal. Also it is not originally sinful but intrinsically divine. Soul (Atman) is free and liberated for ever. Yes as long as mind is trapped in cycle of rebirth there are pleasures and pains, but once ego is dissolved the person loses all personal identities and merges into Brahman or Atman. Brahman or Atman is free from all bondage and forms.
The eternal hell is a concept which does not makes any sense. It is based on the belief that non-followers of any personal God (Read YaHuWaH and Allah) are condemned for eternal torture. Now this is impossible. No God is stupid or unjust enough to give infinite punishment for finite deeds. In fact this belief exists mostly among Christians and Muslims, even most of Jews don't believe in this concept. Naraka , which is translated as hell by western scholars is not really a hell but a kind of place where you might go for a finite period according to your karma. If anything we experience Naraka or Swarga in this world itself.
Last edited by isavasya; 09 April 2014 at 02:46 AM.
When the light has risen, there is no day, no night, neither existence nor non-existence; Siva alone is there. That is the eternal, the adorable light of Savitri, - and the ancient wisdom proceeded thence (Svetasvatara Upanishad IV-18). :)
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