Vaitarna River (mythological)

Vaitarna or Vaitarani (Vaitaraṇî) river, as mentioned in the Garuda Purana and various other Hindu religious texts, lies between the earth and the infernal Naraka, the realm of Yama, Hindu god of death, and is believed to purify one's sins. Furthermore, while the righteous see it filled with nectar-like water, the sinful see it filled with blood. Sinful souls are supposed to cross this river after death.

According to the Garuda Purana, this river falls on the path leading to the Southern Gate of the city of Yama. It is also mentioned that only the sinful souls come via the southern gate.

However, other texts like the ''Harihareshwara Mahatmya'' in the Skanda Purana mention a physical river as well, that joins in the eastern ocean; he who bathes in it is supposed to forever be free from the torment of Yama.

It first appears in the ''TirthaYatra Parva'' (Pilgrimage Episode) of the Mahabharata, where it is mentioned to be rising from the Vindhyas and falling into the Bay of Bengal after passing through Odisha as present Baitarani River.

Apart from that it appears in Matsya Purana, and Vamana Purana, lastly it is the Padma Purana which reveals the etymology of Vaitarani in ''Vaitarani Mahatmya'', where it is defined as ''Vai'' (truly) ''tarini'' (saving) and that related the legend wherein it was brought on to the earth from ''Patala'', due to the penance of Parashurama resulting in a boon from Shiva.

It is equivalent to the Styx river in Greek mythology and is associated with the ''Vaitarani Vrata'', observed on the eleventh day of the dark phase of the moon i.e., ''Krishna Paksha'' of ''Margashirsha'' in the Hindu calendar, wherein a cow is worshiped and donated, which is believed to take one across the dreaded river as mentioned in the Garuda Purana, verses 77–82.

Description of the river

The river is very frightening in the mythology. When seen, it inspires misery. It is a hundred yojanas in width and does not contain water. Instead, it is a river full of blood and pus, with a bank made of bone. For the sinful, it is impossible to cross the river. They are obstructed by hairy moss, crocodiles, flesh-eating birds, and a great many insects. When a sinner comes near the river, in an attempt to cross, it seethes and becomes overspread with smoke and flame. It is said that the sinful are hungry and thirsty, and so they drink, to fill their emptiness. For those that fall into Vaitarna, there is no rescue. The whirlpools take the fallen into a lower region. For a moment the sinner stays, until they rise to be washed again.

The river was created for the sinful. It is nigh-impossible to cross, and the far bank cannot be seen.

Ways to cross the river

There are a few ways to cross this river. It is important to note that as mentioned in the description of the river, only those souls who have sinned have to cross this river. The souls with good deeds or good karma do not travel on the path through which the Vaitarna River flows.

* The person who commits good deeds in his life and does not have to cross this river.
* A sinner who has done certain meritorious deeds can get a boat to cross the river after travelling on the terrible way of Yama for some time. These deeds include donating a cow, food, wealth or any sacrifice etc.
* It is said that even though a person is a sinner, if he is following a real spiritual guru, the sinner can cross the river holding his Guru's hand.
* If the sinner cannot cross using the above two methods, he has to wait many years till it is decided that he will cross or the servants of Yama drag him through the river.
* The descendants of the sinful soul can help him cross the river by chanting the name ''"Shree Gurudeva Datta"''. This is the chant for the Hindu god Dattatreya.

Consequences of successfully crossing the river

After successfully crossing this river, the sinners reach the terrifying Southern Gate of the City of Yama. In this city the sinners along with the souls with good deeds are judged by the Lord of Justice (Yama or Yamaraja). The sinners are taken to hell and the better souls are taken to heaven.

If a soul cannot cross the Vaitarna River then he cannot be taken to hell. He is stuck at its shore. Thus this prevents him from getting reborn on earth as human or animal. These souls are considered as the ghosts who have not passed on and are stuck.

Mentions in scriptures

* "One should next proceed to the ''Vaitarani'' capable of destroying every sin."
— ''Mahabharata'', Book 3: Vana Parva: Tirta Yatra Parva: Section LXXXV.
* "O king, by creatures of sinful acts, and the miseries endured by those that fall into the river ''Vaitarani'' in the realms of Yama, and the inauspicious wanderings of creatures through diverse wombs, and the character of their residence in the unholy uterus in the midst of blood and water and phlegm and urine and faeces, all of foul smell, and then in bodies that result from the union of blood and the vital seed, of marrow and sinews, ..."
— Bhishma. ''Mahabharata, Shanti Parva'': Part III. Section CCCII.
* "..The torrent of blood excited fear amongst those who came to see it, as the river ''Vaitarani'' on the way to hell (the Lord of Death) is very fearful to the sinners.
— ''Devi Bhagawatam'', The Third Book, Chapter XV, On the battle between Yudhajit and Virasena.

Sikhism

The Vaitarani River (Gurmukhi: ''ਵੈਤਰਨੀ'' ) is a river that comes on the way to Dharam Raj's court after a person dies. The Vaitarani river is also believed to exist by the Hindus. This River is a river full of blood, pus, urine and other filthy things. This river has a very bad smell to it due to it being a river full of filth.
In the river are fierce flesh eating birds, fish, insects, crocodiles and other fierce animals that attack the being. This river has fire on top of it and is set on fire and this river's content is extremely hot.

This river was made especially for the sinners. The sinners burn in this river, and have their flesh torn by the insects and animals as they are made to swim across this river and those who done good deeds are given a boat to cross this river in one piece.

Mentions of the Vaitarani River in the Sikh scriptures:

"In the hereafter, you shall have to cross over the fiery river of poisonous flames (Vaitarani River). No one else will be there; your soul shall be all alone. The ocean of fire spits out waves of searing flames; the self-willed manmukhs fall into it, and are roasted there. , , 9, , "
(Shri Guru Granth Sahib Ji Maharaj, Ang 1026)

I do not know anything about spiritual wisdom, meditation or karma, and my way of life is not clean and pure. Please attach me to the hem of the robe of the Saadh Sangat, the Company of the Holy; help me to cross over the terrible river (Vaitarani River). , , 1, ,
(Shri Guru Granth Sahib Ji Maharaj, Ang 702)

Buddhism

The Vaitaraṇī Nadī (Sanskrit; Pali: ''Vetaraṇī Nadī''), also known as the Kṣārodaka Nadī (Pali: ''Khārodakā Nadī'') or Kṣāra Nadī (lit. ''caustic river'') is recognized in Buddhism as a river that flows through the hell realm. In East Asia it is known as 灰河地獄 (Chinese: ''Huīhé dìyù''; Japanese: ''Haiga Jigoku''; Korean: 회하지옥, ''Hoeha-jiok'' ; Vietnamese: ''Hôi hà địa ngục''; lit. ''Ash river hell'') or transliterated as 鞞多梨尼河 (Chinese: ''Bǐngduōlíní-hé''; Japanese: ''Baitarini-kawa'').

In Pali literature, the river is described as flowing by the forest of sword-leaves ''Asipattavana''. Beings in hell attempt to bathe and drink from it, only to discover that swords and sharp weapons lie concealed beneath its waters. Creepers that bear thorns like spears grow on its banks. Its residents are those who are guilty of abortion and oppressing the weak. In the Nimi Jātaka, (No. 541) the righteous king Nimi was given a tour of the cosmos by Mātali, during which he caught glimpse of the Vetaraṇī in hell.

In Mahāyāna sources such as the Mahāprajñāpāramitāśāstra, the Vaitaraṇī is one of the minor hells (''utsada'') within the realm of Avīci. Sinners who enter the river are swept downstream to a ground of burning iron. The name also refers to the forest of iron spines that runs along its banks, forming one of the sixteen minor hells situated outside the eight great hells. Rebirth here is the result of killing marine life such as fish or turtles, pushing others to fall into the water, or throwing them into either boiling or freezing water.

See also

* Garuda Purana
* Yama
* Sin
* Dattatreya
* Gjöll - Norse mythology
* Hitpun - Mandaeism
* Hubur - Mesopotamian mythology
* Sanzu River - Japanese Buddhism
* Styx - Greek mythology

Footnotes

References

*
* "Siddhabodh" by Gagangiri Maharaj. Gagangad publications. 1998.(Marathi)
* ''Kalayaan'' (Year 43) ''Parlok Aur Punarjanma'' (World of the Dead and Reincarnation), Gita Press, Gorakhpur. (Hindi)
* Spiritual Science Research Foundation :- Articles on ''Martyalok''

{{Death in Hinduism

Locations in Hindu mythology
Mythological rivers
Death and Hinduism
Rivers in Buddhism