3. A yojana can be considered to be about 8 miles on earth. It should be noted that this distance and all the distances given in this article are considered, by learned students of the Bhagavatam, in higher dimensional dimensions, and thus distances different then on earth, i.e. specifically for persons with a higher, more subtle sensory perception, e.g. yogi`s, e.t.`s (extraterrestrial beings), demigods etcetera. This is because one yojana is the distance a horse can run at one stretch, without resting. Horses in different dimensions have various abilities.
4. The hellish planets are ruled by Yamaraja, the son of the sun-god. He resides in Pitrloka with his personal assistants, performing his duty according to the rules and regulations laid down by the Supreme Lord. At the time of death, when the heart stops beating, the living entity, namely the soul, along with the subtle material body consisting of mind, intelligence and false ego, is dragged out by the subtle creatures, the Yamadutas, the servants of the lord of death, from his gross material body consisting of solid matter, liquidity, radiant energy, gas, ether.
5. The subtle body of the soul going to hell is at the time of death, covered with a body suitable for punishment – the yAtanA-deha (Bhagavatam 3.30.20), having the same shape as the previous gross body. If the suffering of some hell is too much, he seems to die, but the yAtanA-deha can get resurrected. If the soul, after being in hell, goes to heaven, this body gets dissolved, and the soul will only have the uncovered, now purified, beautiful, subtle body.
6. According to the scriptures and the self-realized souls, the soul is eternally Krishna conscious, but falls down from the eternal spiritual planets that are outside this material universe, due to offences against the Lord and His devotees. Thus, he gradually becomes covered, first by the subtle elements of false ego, intelligence, and mind, which constitutes the subtle body and later by the gross elements, namely by ether, air, fire, water and earth. Understanding the eternal servitorship of God through bhakti yoga, the process of self-realization, one can regain the original purity. In other words, one realizes one's real ego as the eternal servant of God.
7. While in the material world, if the person commits many sins, the subtle body will look very sinful, and the person will be forced to go to the different hells. When the Yamadhutas drag the soul and his impure subtle body, out of the temporary gross body, onto the road to hell, the suffering already begins, according to the degree of committed sins.
8. The Yamadutas are the servants of Yamaraja and they bring the sinful persons before him for judgment. As the King of the pitrs or ancestors, Yamaraja is a very powerful son of sun-god, who resides in Pitrloka with his personal assistants performing his duty according to the rules and regulations laid down by the Supreme Lord. Yama means subduing or controlling and raja means king. He is the superintendent of death, and is also called Dharmaraja, the King of dharma or religion. He punishes or rewards everybody according to the acquired karma.
9. The persons who gave in to sinful activities are within Yamaraja`s jurisdiction and are brought before him dressed in chains and Yamaraja properly judges them according to their specific sinful activities and sends them to one of the many hellish planets for suitable punishment. According to one's sinful activities, one will go to different hellish planets, each planet providing the means for punishing a particular sin committed. The allotted time one has to spend there, enduring the particular punishment, is also determined by Yamaraja, according to the severity of the sin one has committed.
10. In the Srimad Bhagavata (5.26.6) Srila Prabhuada describes: “ Yamaraja has his own abode, Pitrloka, of which he is the king. Sukadeva Gosvami affirms the existence of the Naraka planets, which lie between the Garbhodaka Ocean and Patalaloka. Yamaraja is appointed by the Supreme Personality of Godhead to see that the human beings who violate His rules and regulations get punished accordingly, so that they will not repeat the mistake and do not violate His rules and regulations again”. In science there is the law of cause and effect. This is also for all of one’s actions called karma; they will also all have an effect or reaction. Thus there must be a Supreme Judge, administering this law of cause and effect.
