Text 1
rājovāca
maharṣa etad vaicitryaṁ lokasya katham iti.
rājā uvāca — the King said; maharṣe — O great saint (Śukadeva Gosvāmī); etat — this; vaicitryam — variegatedness; lokasya — of the living entities; katham — how; iti — thus.
King Parīkṣit inquired from Śukadeva Gosvāmī: My dear sir, why are the living entities put into different material situations? Kindly explain this to me.
Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura explains that the different hellish planets within this universe are held slightly above the Garbhodaka Ocean and remain situated there. This chapter describes how all sinful persons go to these hellish planets and how they are punished there by the assistants of Yamarāja. Different individuals with different bodily features enjoy or suffer various reactions according to their past deeds.