Hells

In Hinduism there are believed to be
many additional planes of existence
besides the visible earthly realm. These
alternate planes of existence include the
hells, which are conceived of as places of
punishment for one’s past misdeeds.
Traditional Hindu accounts describe
the hells in great detail, often linking
particular sorts of punishments to
particular sinful actions. Just as with
heavens, life in a hell is ultimately
an impermanent state, although the
time of punishment is usually described
as enormously long and incredibly
painful. Still, when the time of punishment is done and one’s bad deeds
have been expiated, one will be reborn
in a higher form.
Needless to say, birth in any of
the hells is something to be avoided if
at all possible, and for this reason people
are urged to perform penances
(prayashchitta) for their sins while they
are still living, so that the consequences
of these sins may not burden them in
their next lives.