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whether the denizens of hells reside in hellish regions or not. This doubt of yours is the outcome of contradictory Védic statements.
The following is the Vedic verse :न ह वै प्रेत्य नरके नारकाः सन्ति । Na ha vai pretya naraké nārakāḥ santi.
Because of the above-mentioned Vedic statement, you believe that there are no denizens of hell residing in hells.
You have been interpreting that Védic statement as follows:[न ह वै प्रेत्य नरके नारकाः सन्ति । Na ha vai prétya naraké nārakāh santi.)
There are no Nárakās i-e denizens of hell residing in hells i-e no person becomes a resident of hell after death. Moreover, you are under the impression that the gods-the Sun, the Moon etc are directly visible. People adore some gods and receive the fruits of their adoration; and this goes to prove that gods do exist, for, there is thus the proof of inference; while the souls residing in hells, do not fall within our ken, either by being directly visible or through inference, and hence, it is said there are no Nārakas
But, on the other hand, there is the following Védic statement :
नारको वै एष जायते यः शूद्रानमनाति । Narako vai ésa jāyaté yah sadrã-nnamasnäti
That is to say-The Brāhmaṇa who eats the food of a sûdra (a non-brahmin ) has to be born, as a Näraka (a denizen of liell).
Because of such Védic statements, which seem to be contradictory to one another, you have a doubt regarding the existence of a hell-dweller, because, if there is no possibility of a liell--dweller, how can it be said that 'the Brāhmaṇa eating the food of a non-brāhmin is born as a Näraka (a hell-dweller)?
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