THE WORLDS
About Maharaurava
The realm is not simply an alternative spelling of Raurava. It has its own entry and a specifically named class of tormenting creatures. The account concentrates on a person who places bodily maintenance above the lives of others, making self-preservation the pretext for destructive conduct.
Kravyadas are flesh-eating beings in this punishment account. The person who treated other bodies as expendable now finds his own body exposed to attack. That reversal supplies Maharaurava's particular role within Yama's assessment of harmful conduct.
More About Maharaurava
A named Naraka distinguished from Raurava in the Bhagavata account.
AT A GLANCE
Identity & Context
- Identity
- Realm
- Form
- Judgement realms
- Tradition
- Hindu cosmological traditions
- World & Associations
- Judgement realms
THE STORY
The Realm & Its Stories
ROLE & ESSENCE
Attributes & Significance
Maharaurava matters as a pointed criticism of self-interest without restraint. Feeding and protecting oneself are not presented as sufficient reasons to injure others. The account’s severity makes that criticism unforgettable, but its purpose is clearer when the moral relationship is explained rather than when the imagery is repeated for spectacle.
Realm Category
Judgement realms
Cosmological Position
Judgement realms
Ruler / Presiding Association
Inhabitants & Associated Beings
Guardians
Yama’s messengers, in judgement accounts.
Environment & Landmarks
A named Naraka distinguished from Raurava in the Bhagavata account.
Atmosphere
A restrained reading of the text’s moral imagery; no Western hell imagery.
Access / Routes
Related realms below are conceptual reading paths, not physical travel routes.
Earthly Association
No physical geographical equivalence asserted.
Tradition Notes
Names and accounts can vary by recension, region and commentary. This entry distinguishes attested details from identifications still requiring a passage-level source.
Archive Classification Notes
Original archive annotations are retained here. The current playable classification is shown in the side panel.
- Tradition Dependence
- High — cosmological systems and supreme-abode theologies differ.
- Important Stories
- Not established in the passage; no additional claim is made here.
TRADITION & MEANING
Traditions & Interpretations
The Bhagavata distinguishes Maharaurava from Raurava and names its kravyada creatures. Other texts arrange and describe their lists of Narakas differently.
The account connects the offence with the bodily suffering that follows it: self-maintenance does not make other lives expendable. The chapter's later description of renewed birth places Maharaurava within continuing consequences of action, rather than ending the person's existence with this destination.
Names and accounts can vary by recension, region and commentary. This entry distinguishes attested details from identifications still requiring a passage-level source.
From the Sacred Texts
Explore the sacred texts behind these stories in the Suvarnaveda library.
FOLLOW THE THREADS
Connected Cards
3 connected profiles. Every path leads to an original record.
Characters & Cosmic Entities1
Yama’s assessment provides the framework for the Naraka destinations.
Realms & Cosmic Worlds2
Raurava also connects violence with its return through ruru beings.