Depending on the varying degrees to which beings are influenced by the different attributes of material nature—virtue, passion, or ignorance—the results they obtain are also diverse.

Just as performing various virtuous acts leads to different levels of Edenic, paradisiacal existence, acting impiously plunges one into different infernal conditions. Those influenced by ignorance commit various sinful acts, and according to the extent of their ignorance, they must endure infernal conditions of varying degrees.

He who acts in ignorance under the influence of madness will experience less suffering.

He who commits sinful acts knowing the difference between virtue and impiety falls into a hell of intermediate suffering.

As for him who acts in ignorance and impiously due to his atheistic nature, he is subjected to the worst infernal punishments.

Because of ignorance, every living being has been transported by various desires to thousands of different infernal planets since time immemorial.

Each galaxy is divided into three major regions. The highest is composed of thousands of Edenic, paradisiacal planets; the middle region is composed of thousands of Earth-like planets; and the lowest region, called “Hell,” is composed of thousands of infernal planets. Hell is located in the southern part of the galaxy, below the middle region, and this is true for every galaxy in the material cosmos.

Hell is ruled by Yamaraja, appointed to this position by Krishna, God, the Supreme Person.

The king of the Pitas (the deceased ancestors or souls of the departed who inhabit the planet Pitirloka) is named Yamaraja, the mighty son of the celestial being of the Sun.

He dwells on 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. Then, he 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 has the title of “master of the destiny of beings, master of death, and judge of sinners.”