King Song Di

Translations

Magistrate title: Third court - King Song Di

Couplets to either side of magistrate

Advise others that, when they devise impure undertakings in their mind,
there are spirits waiting just three inches away from their head.

Presenting document: Official task

With most of the hell kings, it is hard to discern physical features regularly associated with particular kings with the exception of Yama who is almost always portrayed with a dark visage. King Song Di also has a regular physical feature, namely his lack of beard that makes him unique among the kings. His name literally translates as "King Emperor Song," Song being an eastern state, although this name does not seem to predate the ten kings.

If Qin in the first king's name stands for the west and Chu in the second king's name stands for the south -- both of which were common geographic synecdoches -- Song may be here alluding to the east, in turn encouraging us to look for a northern geographical region among the rest of the names to fill out the map. Unfortunately, the meaning has been lost for several of the other names as well, although some may be geographic such as "Bian Cheng" of the sixth hell, Bian cheng another name for Kaifeng. We only have recourse to speculation.




A second example of King Song Di from another hell scroll, again without a beard (S14).