Album page with an original Jain artwork depicting the torments of the condemned in Hell. Gouache on paper. 10 x 5.25 inches (sheet). From the collection of Paul F. Walter.

In Jain cosmology, naraka is the realm of existence which is characterized by great suffering, and is usually translated into English as "hell" or "purgatory." Souls may stay in naraka for many years, but not for eternity; a soul is born into naraka as a result of his or her previous karma, and remains there until his or her karma has achieved its full result. After this period of suffering, the soul may be reborn into a higher world. While in naraka, the souls are tortured by hellish beings, or Naraki.