यः कामान् नापि संरम्भान् न द्वेषाद् धर्मम् उत्सृजेत् यथोक्तकारी सौम्यश् च स सुखं मृत्युम् ऋच्छति
He who does not abandon righteousness out of desire, anger, or hatred, who acts as instructed and is gentle, attains a pleasant death.
वारिदास् तृषितानां ये क्षुधितान्नप्रदायिनः प्राप्नुवन्ति नराः काले मृत्युं सुखसमन्वितम्
Those who give water to the thirsty and food to the hungry, at the proper time, attain a death accompanied by happiness.
शीतं जयन्ति धनदास् तापं चन्दनदायिनः प्राणघ्नीं वेदनां कष्टां ये चान्योद्वेगधारिणः
Those who give wealth overcome cold; those who give sandalwood overcome heat; those who relieve others' suffering and distress overcome deadly pain.
मोहं ज्ञानप्रदातारस् तथा दीपप्रदास् तमः कूटसाक्षी मृषावादी यो गुरुर् नानुशास्ति वै
Those who grant knowledge dispel delusion; those who give lamps dispel darkness; a false witness, a liar, and a teacher who does not instruct—
ते मोहमृत्यवः सर्वे तथा ये वेदनिन्दकाः विभीषणाः पूतिगन्धाः कूटमुद्गरपाणयः
All these are subject to delusion and death, as are those who revile the Vedas: terrifying, foul-smelling, wielding false clubs.
आगच्छन्ति दुरात्मानो यमस्य पुरुषास् तथा प्राप्तेषु दृक्पथं तेषु जायते तस्य वेपथुः
Evil-minded ones, the servants of Yama, approach; when they come into view, trembling arises in him.
क्रन्दत्य् अविरतः सो ऽथ भ्रातृमातृपितृंस् तथा सा तु वाग् अस्फुटा विप्रा एकवर्णा विभाव्यते
He cries out incessantly, calling for brothers, mother, and father; his speech becomes indistinct, and only a single syllable is perceived by the Brahmins.
दृष्टिर् विभ्राम्यते त्रासात् कासावृष्ट्य् अत्य् अथाननम् ततः स वेदनाविष्टं तच् छरीरं विमुञ्चति
His vision spins from fear, his face is covered with cough and tears; then, overwhelmed by pain, he abandons that body.
वाय्वग्रसारी तद्रूपदेहम् अन्यत् प्रपद्यते तत्कर्मयातनार्थे च न मातृपितृसंभवम्
Carried away by the wind, he attains another body of that form, for the purpose of experiencing the results of his actions, not born from mother and father.
तत्प्रमाणवयोवस्थासंस्थानैः प्राप्यते व्यथा ततो दूतो यमस्याथ पाशैर् बध्नाति दारुणैः
He experiences suffering according to the measure, age, condition, and form of that body; then Yama's messenger binds him with harsh ropes.
जन्तोः संप्राप्तकालस्य वेदनार्तस्य वै भृशम् भूतैः संत्यक्तदेहस्य कण्ठप्राप्तानिलस्य च
When the time comes for the creature, greatly afflicted by pain, having abandoned the body and with breath at the throat, the beings—
शरीराच् च्यावितो जीवो रोरवीति तथोल्बणम् निर्गतो वायुभूतस् तु षाट्कौशिककलेवरे
The soul, cast out from the body, cries out intensely; having departed, becoming wind-like, it enters the six-sheathed body.
मातृभिः पितृभिश् चैव भ्रातृभिर् मातुलैस् तथा दारैः पुत्रैर् वयस्यैश् च गुरुभिस् त्यज्यते भुवि
He is abandoned on earth by mothers, fathers, brothers, maternal uncles, wives, sons, friends, and teachers.
दृश्यमानश् च तैर् दीनैर् अश्रुपूर्णेक्षणैर् भृशम् स्वशरीरं समुत्सृज्य वायुभूतस् तु गच्छति
Though seen by those sorrowful ones, their eyes filled with tears, he leaves his own body and, becoming wind-like, departs.
अन्धकारम् अपारं च महाघोरं तमोवृतम् सुखदुःखप्रदातारं दुर्गमं पापकर्मणाम्
A darkness without end, immense and terrible, shrouded in gloom, a place that brings both pleasure and pain, difficult to cross for those of evil deeds.
दुःसहं च दुरन्तं च दुर्निरीक्षं दुरासदम् दुरापम् अतिदुर्गं च पापिष्ठानां सदाहितम्
It is unbearable, endless, impossible to behold, hard to approach, difficult to reach, exceedingly perilous, and always blazing for the most wicked.
कृष्यमाणाश् च तैर् भूतैर् याम्यैः पाशैस् तु संयताः मुद्गरैस् ताड्यमानाश् च नीयन्ते तं महापथम्
Dragged by those beings, bound with Yama’s nooses, struck with mallets, they are led along that great path.
क्षीणायुषं समालोक्य प्राणिनं चायुषक्षये निनीषवः समायान्ति यमदूता भयंकराः
When a living being, his lifespan exhausted, is seen at the end of his life, the terrifying messengers of Yama come, intent on taking him.
आरूढा यानकाले तु ऋक्षव्याघ्रखरेषु च उष्ट्रेषु वानरेष्व् अन्ये वृश्चिकेषु वृकेषु च
At the time of departure, some mount the backs of bears, tigers, donkeys, camels, monkeys, scorpions, and wolves.
उलूकसर्पमार्जारं तथान्ये गृध्रवाहनाः श्येनशृगालम् आरूढाः सरघाकङ्कवाहनाः
Others ride owls, snakes, cats, vultures, hawks, jackals, and some on locusts and herons.
वराहपशुवेतालमहिषास्यास् तथा परे नानारूपधरा घोराः सर्वप्राणिभयंकराः
Some have the faces of boars, cattle, ghosts, and buffaloes; others take on many fearsome forms, terrifying to all living beings.
दीर्घमुष्काः करालास्या वक्रनासास् त्रिलोचनाः महाहनुकपोलास्याः प्रलम्बदशनच्छदाः
They have long testicles, fierce mouths, crooked noses, three eyes, enormous jaws and cheeks, with hanging, protruding teeth.
निर्गतैर् विकृताकारैर् दशनैर् अङ्कुरोपमैः मांसशोणितदिग्धाङ्गा दंष्ट्राभिर् भृशम् उल्बणैः
With deformed teeth like hooks, their bodies smeared with flesh and blood, their fangs exceedingly dreadful.
मुखैः पातालसदृशैर् ज्वलज्जिह्वैर् भयंकरैः नेत्रैः सुविकृताकारैर् ज्वलत्पिङ्गलचञ्चलैः
With mouths like the netherworld, tongues blazing and terrifying, eyes deformed, flickering and fiery-gold.
मार्जारोलूकखद्योतशक्रगोपवद् उद्धतैः केकरैः संकुलैस् स्तब्धैर् लोचनैः पावकोपमैः
Their eyes are wide, rigid, and fiery like cats, owls, fireflies, and beetles, filled with wild, piercing cries.
भृशम् आभरणैर् भीमैर् आबद्धैर् भुजगोपमैः शोणासरलगात्रैश् च मुण्डमालाविभूषितैः
Adorned with dreadful ornaments, bound with snake-like jewels, their limbs stained with blood, decorated with garlands of skulls.
कण्ठस्थकृष्णसर्पैश् च फूत्काररवभीषणैः वह्निज्वालोपमैः केशैः स्तब्धरुक्षैर् भयंकरैः
With black serpents around their necks, terrifying with their hissing roars, hair like blazing fire, stiff, dry, and fearsome.
बभ्रुपिङ्गललोलैश् च कद्रुश्मश्रुभिर् आवृताः भुजदण्डैर् महाघोरैः प्रलम्बैः परिघोपमैः
Covered with tawny, reddish, and bristling hair like Kadru’s offspring, with massive, dreadful arms, hanging like iron clubs.
केचिद् द्विबाहवस् तत्र तथान्ये च चतुर्भुजाः द्विरष्टबाहवश् चान्ये दशविंशभुजास् तथा
Some have two arms, others four; some have eight, others twenty arms.
असंख्यातभुजाश् चान्ये केचिद् बाहुसहस्रिणः आयुधैर् विकृताकारैः प्रज्वलद्भिर् भयानकैः
Others have countless arms, some with a thousand arms, holding blazing, terrifying weapons of strange shapes.