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life period is left, even with whatever activeness of mind one has , better practice religious and moral activities beneficial to the soul, so in future there is no occasion to repent.
Atheist sinner King even though he deserved Hell, he attained Dev Vimãn/Heaven due to his Tapa Penance) and Vrat [ religious vow] similarly one can get Heaven through true knowledge, religion and moral activities like Tapa Vrat and practising Religious code, and thereby entry to Hell is stopped. Negligence [ in Religion path] lead to Hell and the activness in Religion lead to Heaven.
Rev. Gurudev Shri A. B. Kalãpurnasuriswarji Mahārāj Saheb. (Religious Preceptor/a Jain monk) preached on the subject of Jivabhigam Sutra [Scripture] in Ujjain during Chãturmããs [Monsoon Season) where the description of Hell continued quite a long - but it could not come to an end.
A million years would be less to describe the extremely torturous physical and mental intense sorrows and pains in Hell [ bloodsheds, burns, tortures by weapons, Vaitarni lake etc., because those sufferings are beyond measurement .) then too, I have tried to describe it in brief, as per my ability.
When my age was of 13 years, and was studying in a school in Madras, I saw some pictures of Hell in a small booklet and I completely abandoned the eating after sunset. After getting Diksha [ i.e. initiation) from [my] Rev. Preceptor and upon knowing about the description of Hell in Jeevābhigam [ a script / an Agam] , I got detached further, and desired to become ( more] alert and active. I decided to write a book on the description of Hell which can become useful to all lives- young and aged- and which can restrain the readers from sins and if the abandoning the sins is not possible, then at least an intense sense of repentance be born, and thereby become firm in abandonment of the sins at the earliest opportunity. I had this strong
desire and accordingly I wrote the description of Hell in any school notebook.
The pictures contained in this book are adopted from the book on Hell - lives with pictures - of Rev. Acharya Shri Jinendrasuriswrji Mãhãraj Saheb and also that from the description of the results of sins like Violence etc. by Rev. Arun vijayji Mahārāj Saheb.The descriptions are taken from the religious scriptures such as Tatvãrth Sutra, Lokprakash and Bhavbhãvnã. Books on Hell are also written by Rev. Acharya Shri Jinendrasuriswarji Maharaj Sāheb, Rev. Shri Hemchandrasuri Mahārāj Saheb, Rev. Acharya Suri Ratnakarsuriswarji Maharaj Saheb and Rev. Shri Rajendrasuriswarji Mahārāj Saheb. Looking at the extreme need and importance of the subject in today's world, I too, wrote this book. Gamanbhai of Navsari adviced me of writing a nice and useful book on Hell in Vikaram Samvat [Hindu calender year] 2058, when I was preaching about Hell. With the courtesy of Chintamani Sangh a good amount of money was donated for the making, publishing etc. of this book in Gujarati language, later many Mumbairesidents' donated for this Mr. Laljibhai Karia, a liberal and generous donor has played a very important role. Similarly Mr. Dhanjibhai Gala and Mr. Rameshbhai Premji had donated generously and had put great efforts for this project and due to which the difficult task became easy with these 3 supporters.
The members of K. P. Sanghavi family have generously contributed towards the publication of this [ translated] book. Their generousity and virtue of devotion towards True Religion and True Knowledge - is appreciated by us and we hope they would continue this act of theirs.
This book could be written due to the kind blessings of Rev. Gurudev. I apologise if any mistake has remained in writing this if any mistake has remained while printing works, or due to my mistake or error, if any breach or Violation is committed by me against the Verdict/ Orders of the Jins [i.e. the Gods], then I beg pardon for the same [Michchãmi Dukkadam] Readers may please rectify the error.
- Pujya Gani Vimalprabh Vijay
