Does Hinduism have the concept of heaven and hell?

Shri Durgaprasad asked: Padanamaskaram Swami! Following is a comment made by a person about hell and heaven in a Facebook discussion forum. Could You kindly enlighten us more on this?

[The Facebook user wrote: My opinion on whether there is the concept of hell or heaven in Sanātana Dharma (Hinduism) is that we have not any such concept. None of our scriptures suggest it. Because after you die, your soul will leave the body and concept of hell or heaven is for the soul. Now read our Bhagavad Gita. In Chapter-2, Text 22, it is said that as a person puts on new garments, giving up old ones, similarly, the soul accepts new material bodies, giving up the old and useless ones. Even more importantly, it is said in Chapter-2 Text 23, that the soul can never be cut into pieces by any weapon, nor can it be burnt by fire, nor moistened by water, nor withered by the wind. Now think about this, if the soul cannot feel any pain or any pleasure, then what is the difference between hell or heaven for the soul. Both are the same. Hell and heaven are meaningless for the soul, if you believe in the Bhagavad Gita. What is your opinion after you read this?]

Swami replied: O Learned and Devoted Servants of God! It is important to distinguish between two terms namely, soul, which is called ātman and the individual soul, which is called jīva. The soul (ātman) is basically the inert energy in the nervous system that gets converted into awareness, while the individual soul (jīva) is the awareness. Gold is the soul and a golden chain is the individual soul. All the description given in the second chapter of the Gita is related to the soul and not to the individual soul. The individual soul is a work form of energy, whereas the soul is the basic inert energy. Inert energy does not have pain or pleasure because it is not aware. You have quoted some verses from the Gita, without realizing that in other verses, hell and heaven are very much mentioned in it. The Gita speaks about the three main gates of hell (Trividham narakasyedam...). It also mentions heaven. It says that when individual souls exhaust their earned merit by enjoying it in heaven, they return to earth (Tetaṃ bhuktvā svargalokaṃ…).

It is true that an individual soul leaves its old body and takes up a new body. But between the two stages, there is a long story related to hell and heaven. The verse in the Gita quoted by you does not mean that as soon as the individual soul leaves the old body, it will immediately take up a new body. One leaves school and joins college. But it does not mean that one leaves school one evening and the very next morning one goes to college! In between these two steps, there is a long summer vacation!

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| Shri Dattaswami | Does Hinduism have the concept of heaven and hell | Aatman Jiiva Trividham narakasyedam Tetam bhuktvaa swargalokam

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