What are the Special treatments in hells for devotees for past sins?
Adityan Narasimha asked like this:
“Hare Krishna Prabhu, hope you are doing well by Krishna mercy Prabhu. Yesterday I was reading hellish punishments related posts in our site,,, there in one post , u said that even fallen devotees are sometimes punished in Hells if they did any grave sins like killing.
But u also said, in hell , these fallen devotees will get special treatments, respects, etc by employees of yama while being punished there … Like VIPs in jail with comforts, Where as non devotees will be suffering a lot without any mercy…
So what these special treatments means? Only bearable pain ah? Or will they be allowed to stay in yama luxurious Palace with comforts without any physical pains?
Hare Krishna Prabhu, sorry to disturb you Prabhu”
REPLY:
In general, if we currently take the pains equal to the pains we gave to someone else in our previous birth, that karma is deleted from our account.
For example, had we stopped the marriage of someone in our previous birth and in this birth our marriage is stopped by someone else, we have cleared that karma.
(What is the need of hells since we forget our sins while after death? READ HERE!)
This is the regular process of clearing karma one by one.
There is another process to clear our karma.
If we take severe pains to spread the glories of Krishna, that pains itself are taken as equivalent to the pain we gave to someone else in our previous birth and hence we are relieved from part of our previous karma.
When we continuously take pains throughout the life, as a reward for such severe and continuous pains, still more of our past karma is relieved.
Even some grave offenses will be forgiven IF OUR PAINS ARE VERY SEVERE TO SERVE THE LORD.
For example, the devotees in some countries like Russia, Pak, China, etc., take very severe pains to establish Krishna Bhati there. Some have even been jailed for preaching Krishna Consciousness.
Such devotees deserve special mercy by the Lord.
(How can one enjoy or suffer without gross bodies in heavens and hells? READ HERE!)
Thus, the devotees would have cleared a part of their karma even for chanting and supporting the preaching activities of others or temples.
Though they had accrued severe karma from their previous births, they would have been moderated as a reward for following even some simple devotional practices.
So, their punishments are also moderated and reduced.
For example, if the non devotees are fixed 10 years of severe hell term, the devotees who were just chanting and supporting the preachings will get just a token few months of relaxed hell terms.
As said above, in case a devotee had taken very serious pains to serve the Lord, he may get more relaxation from punishments as he would have cleared most of his pains.
So, the relaxations from the punishments depends on how much pains we have taken to serve the Lord.
So, only on that basis, they are given some relaxations from punishments and respectful approach by the messengers of Yama and also at the hells.
(What are the available hells and who are sent there? READ HERE!)
Though he will face the token punishments for his past karma, the approach of the servants towards him will be respectful. This is one of the Special treatments in hells for devotees alone.
This is like the convicted and/or arrested ministers and VIPs taken to jail by the police respectfully in the countries.
Though a devotee had fallen in the middle, the rewards for his past devotional services will not be denied for him.
No one can stay in the palace of Yama. The jivathmas are sent either to the heavenly planets or to the hells. Not kept at Yama’s Palace.
So, the reply for your question is that the devotees will get some relations in the term and severity of the hellish punishments and also respectful treatment by the employees of hells.
And, yes, his hellish punishments may be made bearable if he had been a sincere devotee while he was alive.
(Who can go to the heavens? List of some acts from Mahabharatha! READ HERE!)
So, the take home message is that even a small devotional service will reduce our pains after death sizably.
More devotional service – more rewards.
Extreme level of devotional services – great/ big relief from even severe past sins.
For your understanding,
If your dedication is 80%, you will be given 80% relief from past karma.
If your dedication and surrender is absolute, all your karma will be totally burnt and you will be taken to Krishna’s kingdom bypassing the heavens or hells.
Hope you are clear about the Special treatments in hells for devotees for serious past sins.
(Is a fallen devotee excluded from hellish terms before next birth? READ HERE!)