देही च देहं संत्यज्य मृग्यमाणः शुभाशुभैः। कथं संयुज्यतेप्रेत्य इह वा द्विजसत्तम
And when the embodied soul abandons the body, being pursued by good and bad deeds, how is it joined with them after death, or here, O best of twice-born?
ऐहलौकिकमेवैतदुताहो पारलौकिकम्। क्व वा कर्माणि तिष्ठन्ति जन्तोः प्रेतस्य भार्गव
Is this (result) only of this world, or is it otherworldly? Where indeed do the deeds of a being remain after death, O Bhargava?
त्वद्युक्तोऽयमनुप्रश्नो यथावद्वदतांवर। विदितं वेदितव्यं ते स्थित्यर्थं त्वं तु पृच्छसि
This question you have asked is timely, O best of speakers; what is to be known is known to you, yet you ask for the sake of understanding.
अत्र ते कथयिष्यामि तदिहैकमनाः शृणु। यथेहामुत्र च नर सुखदुःखमुपाश्नुते
Here I will explain this to you; listen with focused mind, how a man experiences pleasure and pain both here and hereafter.
निर्मलानि शरीराणि विशुद्धानि शरीरिणाम्। ससर्ज धऱ्मतन्त्राणि पूर्वोत्पन्नः प्रजापतिः
The Lord of creatures, born in the beginning, created bodies for embodied beings that were pure, spotless, and governed by righteousness.
अमोघफलसंकल्पाः सुव्रताः सत्यवादिनः। ब्रह्मभूता नराः पुण्याः पुराणाः कुरुसत्तम
Those ancient, virtuous men, O best of Kurus, were steadfast in vows, speakers of truth, their intentions never failed, and they were of the nature of Brahman.
सर्वे देवैः समायान्ति स्वच्छन्देन नभस्तलम्। ततश्च पुनरायान्ति सर्वे स्वच्छन्दचारिणः
All of them, at will, would ascend to the sky with the gods, and then, moving freely, they would return again.
स्वच्चन्दमरणाश्चासन्नराः स्वच्छन्दजीविनः। अल्पबाधा निरातङ्काः सिद्धार्था निरुपद्रवाः
They lived and died at will, free in their lives, with little suffering, free from affliction, accomplished, and undisturbed.
द्रष्टारोदेवसङ्घानामृषीणां च महात्मनाम्। प्रत्यक्षाः सर्वधर्माणां दान्ता विगतमत्सराः
They were seers of the assemblies of gods and great sages, perceiving all dharmas directly, self-controlled, and free from envy.
आसन्वर्षसहस्राणि तथा पुत्रसहस्रिणः। ततः कालान्तरे तस्मिन्पृथिवीतलचारिणः
For thousands of years they lived, having thousands of sons; then, in the course of time, they began to move about on the earth.
कामक्रोधाभिभूतास्ते मायाव्याजोपजीविनः। लोभमोहाभिभूताश्च त्यक्ता देवैस्ततो नराः
Overcome by desire and anger, living by deceit and illusion, overpowered by greed and delusion, those men were then abandoned by the gods.
अशुभैः कर्मभिः पापास्तिर्यङ्गिरयगामिनः। संसारेषु विचित्रेषु पच्यमानाः पुनः पुनः
Through evil deeds, the sinful ones went to animal and hellish births, being cooked again and again in the various cycles of existence.
मोघेष्टा मोघसंकल्पा मोघज्ञाना विचेतसः। `काङ्क्षिणः सर्वकामानां नास्तिका भिन्नसेतवः
Their sacrifices, intentions, and knowledge were fruitless, their minds confused, desiring all objects, faithless, and with broken restraints.
सर्वाभिशङ्खिनश्चैव संवृत्ताः क्लेदायिनः। अशुभैः कर्मभिश्चापि प्रायशः परिचिह्निताः
They became suspicious of everything, causing decay, and were generally marked by evil deeds.
दौष्कुल्या व्याधिबहुला दुरात्मानोऽभितापिनः। भवन्त्यल्पायुषः पापा रौद्रकर्मफलोदयाः। नाथन्तः सर्वकामानां नास्तिका भिन्नचेतसः
They became of wicked lineage, afflicted by many diseases, evil-minded, tormented, short-lived, sinful, with the results of cruel actions arising, faithless, desiring all objects, and with broken minds.
जन्तोः प्रेतस्य कौन्तेय गतिः स्वैरिह कर्मभिः। प्राज्ञस्य हीनबुद्धेश्च कर्मकोशः क्व तिष्ठति
O son of Kunti, the fate of a being after death is determined by his own actions here; but where does the store of deeds of the wise and the dull-witted remain?
क्वस्थस्तत्समुपाश्नाति सुकृतं यदि वेतरत्। इति ते दर्शनं यच्च तत्राप्यनुनयं शृणु
Where does he partake of that which is well done, or otherwise? This is your question regarding the vision; now listen to the explanation concerning it.
अयमादिशरीरेण देवसृष्टेन मानवः। शुभानामशुभानां च कुरुते संचयं महत्
This human being, with the primordial body created by the gods, accumulates a great collection of both auspicious and inauspicious deeds.
आयुषोऽन्ते प्रहायेदं क्षीणप्रायं कलेबरम्। संभवत्येव युगपद्योनौ नास्त्यन्तराऽभवः
At the end of life, this worn-out body is abandoned; birth occurs simultaneously, without any interval between the two.
तत्रास्य स्वकृतं कर्म च्छायेवानुगतं सदा। फलत्यथ सुखार्हो वा दुःखार्होवाऽथ जायते
There, his own actions always follow him like a shadow; then, he becomes one who deserves happiness or suffering, and is born accordingly.
कृतान्तविधिसंयुक्तः स जन्तुर्लक्षणैः शुभैः। अशुभैर्वा निरादानो लक्ष्यते ज्ञानदृष्टिभिः
That creature, endowed with the ordinance of Death, is recognized by wise vision as bearing auspicious or inauspicious marks, and is received accordingly.
एषा तावदबुद्धीनां गतिरुक्ता युधिष्ठिर। अतः परं ज्ञानवतां निबोध गतिमुत्तमाम्
This, then, is the path described for those without wisdom, O Yudhishthira; now hear the supreme path for those who possess knowledge.
मनुष्यास्तप्ततपसः सर्वागमपरायणाः। स्थिरव्रताः सत्यपरा गुरुशुश्रूषणे रताः
Men who are devoted to intense austerity, who follow all scriptures, who are steadfast in vows, who are devoted to truth, and who delight in serving their teachers,
सुशीलाः शुक्लजातीयाः क्षान्ता दान्ताः सुतेजसः। शुचियोन्यन्तरगताः प्रायशः शुभलक्षणाः
Who are virtuous, born in pure lineages, patient, self-controlled, possessing great energy, mostly born in pure wombs, and bearing auspicious marks,
जितेनद्रियत्वाद्वशिनः सत्कृत्यान्मन्दरागिणः। अल्पाबाधपरित्रासा भवन्ति निरुपद्रवाः
Who are masters of their senses due to conquering attachment, who honor others and are free from excessive passion, who have little affliction or fear, and live without disturbance,
च्यवन्तं जायमानं च गर्भस्यं चैव सर्वशः। स्वमात्मानं परं चैव बुध्यन्ते ज्ञानचक्षुषः
Those with the eye of knowledge perceive, in every way, the departing, the being born, and the state within the womb, both their own self and that of others.
ऋषयस्ते महात्मानः प्रत्यक्षागमबुद्धयः। कर्मभूमिमिमां प्राप्य पुनर्यान्ति सुरालयम्। `कृत्वा शुभानि कर्माणि ज्ञानेन भरतर्षभ
Those sages, great-souled, whose wisdom is based on direct perception and scripture, having reached this realm of action, return again to the abode of the gods, having performed auspicious deeds through knowledge, O best of Bharatas.
किंचिद्दैवाद्धठात्किंचित्किंचिदेव स्वकर्मभिः। प्राप्नुवन्ति नरा राजन्मा तेऽस्त्वन्याविचारणा
Some attain by divine favor, some by effort, and some by their own actions; men, O king, receive accordingly—let there be no other speculation.
इमामत्रोपमां चापि निबोध वदतांवर। मनुष्यलोके यच्छ्रेयः परंमन्ये युधिष्ठिर
Now hear this analogy as well, O foremost of speakers; in the world of men, what is considered the highest good, some regard as supreme, O Yudhishthira.
इहैवैकस्य नामुत्र अमुत्रैकस्य नो इह। इह चामुत्र चैकस् नामुत्रैकस्य नो इह
For one, it is only here and not hereafter; for another, only hereafter and not here; for some, both here and hereafter; for another, neither here nor hereafter.