Naraka
/nəˈrɑːkə/noun
A hell realm or place of punishment in Hindu and Buddhist cosmology.
Did you know?Unlike the concept of eternal damnation in some traditions, Buddhist Naraka is generally temporary: beings eventually leave when their destructive karma is exhausted.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-Iranian (proposed)
PII
*naraka-
“A reconstructed term associated with an underworld or hell realm; its deeper origin remains disputed.”
Vedic Sanskrit
Sanskrit
naraka
“A place of suffering or punishment after death.”
Classical Sanskrit
Sanskrit
narakaḥ
“Hell or an infernal realm in Hindu religious literature.”
Early Buddhism
Pali
niraya
“A hell realm where beings experience the results of destructive karma.”
Buddhist Sanskrit
Sanskrit
naraka
“One of the painful rebirth destinations in Buddhist cosmology.”
19th–20th Century
English
Naraka
“An English loanword used in translations and discussions of Hindu and Buddhist cosmology.”