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.
शक्तितोमरचक्राद्यैः सुदीप्तैर् विविधायुधैः पाशशृङ्खलदण्डैश् च भीषयन्तो महाबलाः
With spears, maces, discs, and other brilliant weapons, with nooses, chains, and staffs, these mighty beings inspire terror.
आगच्छन्ति महारौद्रा मर्त्यानाम् आयुषः क्षये ग्रहीतुं प्राणिनः सर्वे यमस्याज्ञाकरास् तथा
These exceedingly fierce beings come at the end of a mortal’s life to seize all living creatures, obeying the commands of Yama.
यत् तच् छरीरम् आदत्ते यातनीयं स्वकर्मजम् तद् अस्य नीयते जन्तोर् यमस्य सदनं प्रति
That body, which is assumed for suffering and is born of one's own actions, is carried away from the being to the abode of Yama.
बद्ध्वा तत् कालपाशैश् च निगडैर् वज्रशृङ्खलैः ताडयित्वा भृशं क्रुद्धैर् नीयते यमकिंकरैः
Bound with the nooses of Time, with fetters and adamantine chains, beaten severely by the enraged servants of Yama, he is led away.
प्रस्खलन्तं रुदन्तं च आक्रोशन्तं मुहुर् मुहुः हा तात मातः पुत्रेति वदन्तं कर्मदूषितम्
Stumbling, weeping, and crying out again and again—'Alas, father! Mother! Son!'—the one tainted by his deeds is dragged along.
आहत्य निशितैः शूलैर् मुद्गरैर् निशितैर् घनैः खड्गशक्तिप्रहारैश् च वज्रदण्डैः सुदारुणैः
Struck with sharp spears, with heavy, keen mallets, with blows from swords and lances, and with terrible adamantine rods—
भर्त्स्यमानो महारावैर् वज्रशक्तिसमन्वितैः एकैकशो भृशं क्रुद्धैस् ताडयद्भिः समन्ततः
Terrified by great roars, accompanied by thunderbolt-like weapons, he is struck all around, one by one, by those who are intensely enraged.
स मुह्यमानो दुःखार्तः प्रतपंश् च इतस् ततः आकृष्य नीयते जन्तुर् अध्वानं सुभयंकरैः
Overwhelmed by pain, fainting, and burning, the being is dragged here and there along the dreadful path by terrifying beings.
कुशकण्टकवल्मीकशङ्कुपाषाणशर्करे तथा प्रदीप्तज्वलने क्षारवज्रशतोत्कटे
Through thickets of grass, thorns, anthills, spikes, stones, and gravel, and also through blazing fires, caustic substances, and a hundred adamantine horrors—
प्रदीप्तादित्यतप्तेन दह्यमानस् तदंशुभिः कृष्यते यमदूतैश् च शिवासंनादभीषणैः
Burned by the rays of blazing, sun-heated fires, he is dragged by Yama's messengers, whose terrifying shouts are dreadful to hear.