In the Puranas, the residence of the asuras is called pa-tala, the subterranean realm; this is where they belong, just as the devas belong in the celestial realm, the sky above. But in The Gita, the residence of the asuras is called naraka, or hell. Pa-tala is a physical description but naraka is a psychological description: lack of faith results in hopelessness and rage and hence creates hell.
