How many hells (naraka) are there according to Hinduism?

Question

If I am not wrong, the concept of hell (Naraka) was introduced in the Puranas. Hells do have specific names. I have heard of "Raurava Naraka". I guess, there is one more Naraka called "Put", a "Putra" or son can save the person from that Naraka. Are there any more? How many hells are there? Can someone give an exhaustive list of all the hells? Please include their name and a short description. Please provide authentic primary references (like Puranas, etc.) and verse numbers.

Answer 1

Concept of hell is not introduced in the Puranas. Manu Smriti also talks about hells in many of it's chapters.

The hell called Put, which you've referred to, is also mentioned in Manu Smriti:

9.138. Because a son delivers (trayate) his father from the hell called Put, he was therefore called put-tra (a deliverer from Put) by the Self-existent (Svayambhu) himself

Some more verses are as follows:

4.87. He who accepts presents from an avaricious king who acts contrary to the Institutes (of the sacred law), will go in succession to the following twenty-one hells:

4.88. Tamisra, Andhatamisra, Maharaurava, Raurava, the Kalasutra hell, Mahanaraka,

4.89. Samgivana, Mahaviki, Tapana, Sampratapana, Samghata, Sakakola, Kudmala, Putimrittika,

4.90. Lohasanku, Rigisha, Pathin, the (flaming) river, Salmala, Asipatravana, and Lohakaraka.

Manu Smriti mentions about only 21 of them but I think more details and names of further ones are found in the Puranas.

From this page we find the names of 21 hells as per Vishnu Purana:

Viṣṇu (43.1-22).—‘The Hells are as follows—

Tāmisra,
Andhatāmisra,
Raurava,
Mahāraurava,
Kālasūtra,
Mahāmaraka,
Sañjīvana,
Avīci,
Tāpana,
Sampratāpana,
Saṅghātaka,
Kākola,
Kuḍmala,<br? Pūtimṛttika,
Lohaśaṅku,
Ṛcīṣa,
Viṣamapathin,
Kaṇṭakaśālmali,
Dīnapadī,
Asipatravana,
Lohacāraka.’

Skandapurāṇa (quoted in Parāśaramādhava, p. 199).—‘The man who has been brought up on gifts from the king becomes a Brahmarākṣasa in the water-less desert, and docs not obtain another birth. The man who, having renounced his Brāhmaṇahood, and deluded by greed for riches and for sensual objects, accepts gifts from the king, his fall into the Raurava hell is certain. Even trees burnt by forest-fíres grow again on the advent of rain; but those that have been burnt by gifts from the king never grow again.’