Significance of Underworld
Synonyms: Netherworld, Abyss, Inferno, Lower world, Hell, Realm of the dead, Afterlife
In Finnish: Manala; In Spanish: Inframundo
The below excerpts are indicatory and do represent direct quotations or translations. It is your responsibility to fact check each reference.
Buddhist concept of 'Underworld'
In Buddhism, the Underworld signifies a realm tied to hells, characterized by intangible jails shaped by individual karma, illustrating the consequences of one's actions in a spiritual context.
From: Hualin International Journal of Buddhist Studies
(1) A place of punishment and suffering after death, often contrasted with the Pure Land.[1] (2) This is where the beings are fed; the rituals consist of a series of programs of ritual performance, such as feeding the beings in the underworld, and praying for the sentient beings, under the leadership of monastic members.[2]
From: Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Purvapranidhana Sutra
(1) A realm associated with hells, where the jails are not physically tangible and are affected by individual karma.[3]
Hindu concept of 'Underworld'
In Hinduism, the Underworld, or Pathala, is depicted as the lower realm in cosmology, situated beneath Earth. This realm symbolizes a distinct spiritual area with specific characteristics and significance in Hindu beliefs.
From: Tiruvaymoli (Thiruvaimozhi): English translation
(1) Represents the realm where defeated Asuras hide, signifying a place removed from the divine and good forces.[4] (2) Referred to as Pathala, it is the lower realm in Hindu cosmology, representing the area beneath the Earth.[5]
From: Kathasaritsagara (the Ocean of Story)
(1) A realm associated with spirits and demons, related to the dark challenges faced by heroes in their quests.[6]
The concept of Underworld in local and regional sources
Underworld denotes the criminal realm where Neelu was a prominent and feared figure, highlighting his influential status and the overall power dynamics within illegal activities in the region.
From: Triveni Journal
(1) A term referring to the criminal world where Neelu held a significant and feared position.[7]
The concept of Underworld in scientific sources
Underworld, in this context, symbolizes the place where YHWH sent Pharaoh and his army after they were swallowed during the Reed Sea crossing, according to regional sources.
From: Religions Journal (MDPI)
(1) Imagined as a bureaucratic system mirroring the temporal one, influenced by political systems and official systems, affecting people's understanding and imagining.[8] (2) YHWH caused this to swallow Pharaoh and his forces during the pursuit at the Reed Sea.[9]
Classical concept of 'Underworld'
From: The Book of the Dead
(1) This is a realm where individuals seek to go, where gods reside, and from which individuals hope to have the power to come forth, avoiding being driven back.[10] (2) The Ushabti figure is to do work in the underworld, and there are chapters of coming forth by day and of going into and of coming out from the underworld.[11] (3) Grant ye that I may pass through the tomb, and that I may enter into Re-stau, and that I may go in through the hidden doors of the underworld.[12] (4) The underworld is a realm where the 'Soul, Creator of Nu' makes his abode, representing a subterranean or spiritual plane of existence.[13] (5) The text describes the opening of the underworld, passage through the underworld, and the gods who live in the underworld, suggesting a realm separate from the world.[14]
From: The Gods of the Egyptians Vol 1
(1) The underworld is where Ptah was believed to fashion the new bodies in which the souls of the dead were to live, showcasing his role in the afterlife and the transition of souls.[15] (2) It is the “lady of the Holy Land,” and she appears in the form of a cow walking out from the funeral mountain. The deceased could never attain to everlasting life without her friendly help and protection. She gave them new life, and celestial food wherewith to maintain it.[16] (3) The Underworld is the realm of the dead in ancient Egyptian mythology, where souls awaited assistance from gods like Thoth, who aided the deceased.[17] (4) The chapter is recited over a figure of Apepi, as doing so shall be of great benefit upon earth and in the Underworld, indicating the importance of the ritual for both the living and the dead.[18] (5) Is the common translation of the word Tuat, but the Egyptian word does not imply that it was situated under our world, and the translation is only adopted because the exact meaning is unknown.[19]
From: Ancient Egypt the Light of the World
(1) A place that is opened up by a creator and the seven Knemmu, which later becomes the seven princes in Hebrew renderings.[20] (2) The underworld is the place of the shades, the underworld to which the souls of the departed went, and from which the dead were summoned by the consulters of oboth or familiar spirits.[21] (3) The 'underworld' is the pathway to paradise that is reached when the solar mythos had been added to the stellar mythos, making the road of the sun the road of souls in the eschatology.[22] (4) The making of Amenta involved portraying how the sun passed through the underworld of earth by night, using types like a tortoise or the beetle Kheper.[23] (5) As described, "the underworld" is a destination where the solar god reckons bones and sets limbs, suggesting a place of transition or transformation after death.[24]
From: Egyptian Magic
(1) The document describes the resin of Phoenicia and the bitumen of Byblos will make his burial perfect in the underworld, and give him his legs.[25] (2) Underworld navigation required knowledge of the names of gods and devils, as the deceased's liberty would be fettered without it.[26] (3) The underworld is described as a realm where the deceased faced challenges and required protection through words of power and offerings to ensure a positive afterlife experience.[27] (4) The soul shall not be fettered to the body at the gates of this place, but it shall enter in and come forth in peace.[28]
From: The Egyptian Heaven and Hell
(1) According to the provided text, the Underworld is also known as AMENTI, or the "hidden" land, and KHENTI-AMENTI was the governor of this realm, indicating a realm beyond the living world.[29] (2) A concept that is unsatisfactory because it produces a wrong impression in the mind unless it is specially defined to mean the place of departed spirits in general.[30] (3) A place where the deceased hoped to rejoin ancestors, father, mother, foster-parents, kinsfolk, young children, wives, concubines, friends, servants, and property of every kind.[31] (4) The Underworld, as depicted in ancient Egyptian texts and illustrations, reflects the complex beliefs about the journey of the soul after death.[32]
From: The Book of Gates
(1) A realm referenced in the context of uniting the soul to its body, involving gods who bring (Anniu) and gods who run (Pehiu).[33] (2) The "underworld" is mentioned as the subject of the book being summarized, indicating a realm or dimension beyond the earthly plane explored within the text.[34]
From: Popular Literature in Ancient Egypt
(1) The underworld is a realm that Saosiri leads his father Setna into, where they penetrate into the judgment-hall of Osiris and witness the fates of the righteous and the evil.[35]
From: The Book of Am-Tuat
(1) The underworld is where the boat of the god makes its way over the waters of the river during the Third Hour, as the Sun-god passes through the Third Division of the Tuat.[36]
From: The Argonautica (English translation)
(1) The gods of the underworld are called upon as witnesses to an oath, indicating that the underworld is a realm with its own deities and significance.[37]