I find it significant that whereas in Christian history, the horrors of hell were often a major, practically central part of Christian preaching, I don’t recall ever hearing a Vaishnava Acarya make hell a significant point in their preaching. The general rule, as found in the Bg 4.11, is that the punishment always fits the crime. So in cases where the punishment goes far beyond the severity of the crime, this may be simply a salutary warning. Good parents often threaten heavy punishments to prevent their children from doing bad or dangerous things.