वरं हि नरके वासो न तु दुश्चरिते गृहे।
नरकात्क्षीयते पापं कुगृहात्परिवर्धते॥
गरुडपुराणे १-१५०-३
varaṁ hi narake vāso na tu duścarite gṛhe|
narakātkṣīyate pāpaṁ kugṛhātparivardhate||
garuḍapurāṇe 1-150-3
A very forceful statement from Garudapuranam
meaning of the quote
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It s better to remain incarcerated in hell rather than being forced to occupy a house in the company of people of evil mind and activities.
The stay in hell will remove our sins through expiation.. But stay in a house of evil fellows would only increase our sins by leaps and bounds.
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Most religions and faiths designate hell as the ultimate destination for sinners..
And they are almost unanimous in their view that if a sinner suffers and atones for his sins, he would emerge free and removed of sins, at least to start with a clean slate
But living in the company of people with evil minds and evil character and activities, that too in the same residence would only tempt or force a fellow to commit more sins.. and more sins.
There can be a valid argument to the contrary.. You can never repair or change the quality of hell. But if you have a character you may be able to change the mindset of people around you and convert even a devilish house into a peaceful abode..