Reigning over Hell is Yamaraja, the mighty son of the celestial being of the Sun. He dwells in Pitirloka with his personal servants, the Yamadutas. Following the rules established by the Supreme Lord, Krishna, he commands them to bring all sinners to him immediately after their death. When they are in his presence, he judges them fairly according to the specific sins they have committed, and then sends them to one of the many hell planets to be punished accordingly. Yamaraja's realm comprises hundreds and thousands of hell planets, and all ungodly beings are sent to one of these planets according to their degree of impiety. Yamaraja is appointed by Krishna, God, the Supreme Person, to ensure that human beings do not violate the rules He has established. He thus holds the title of “Master of the Destiny of Beings and Master of Death,” and “Judge of Sinners.”
The Supreme Lord says: When his final hour arrives, he sees the emissaries of the Lord of Death approaching him, their eyes filled with rage. Overcome with fear, he urinates and defecates. Just as a criminal is arrested by the authorities to serve his sentence, the man who has criminally indulged in sensual pleasure is seized by the Yamaduras (the servants of the Lord of Death and Judge of Sinners), who bind him by the neck with strong ropes and cover his ethereal body to inflict severe punishment.
The incarnate soul can experience two forms of transmigration or reincarnation after leaving its body. The first form of reincarnation consists of going to the one who judges sinful acts, Yamaraja, and the second form is that of going to the higher planets of the galaxy, or better, to the spiritual world.
What is the purpose of the suffering endured in Hell?
During the transfer from one body to another, the soul is carried away by Yamaraja's servants, who first subject it to a certain type of infernal life in order to accustom it to the condition it will have to live in its next body.
The suffering that souls endure in Hell is intended to allow them to atone for their sins and make them aware of the magnitude of their abominable crime, so that they regain their sanity, repent, do penance, ask forgiveness for their sins, turn to God, and resolve to obey the Lord and never sin again.
This is what happens to souls who, because of their sins committed in their last life, must be reincarnated in the Horn of Africa, where they will endure a very difficult existence due to prolonged drought, lack of water and food. They end up with very emaciated bodies.
This is also what happens to souls who must live in extreme poverty, deep in the forest, in mountainous regions, or in areas of extreme cold.
It is sometimes said that humankind experiences heaven and hell on planet Earth, because infernal punishments are also visible there. If these punishments exist on infernal planets, it is primarily to allow the being who suffers them to train for living in the infernal conditions to which they will be subjected in their next life, after which they are reborn on another planet to continue their infernal existence. For example, if a man is condemned to live in hell and ingest excrement and urine, he must first undergo training on the planet Yamaraja, after which he will acquire a particular body—in this case, that of a pig—allowing him to believe he is enjoying life by eating excrement. In all conditions, even the most abominable, the fallen soul believes itself to be happy. Otherwise, it would be impossible for it to experience such infernal living conditions.