भुज्यमानैश् च गन्तव्यं पापिष्ठैर् मधुघातकैः विश्वस्तं स्वामिनं मित्रं स्त्रियं वा यस् तु घातयेत्
Those most wicked killers of honey, who slay a trusting master, friend, or woman, must proceed along this path.
शस्त्रैर् निकृत्यमानैश् च गन्तव्यं चातुरैर् नरैः घातयन्ति च ये जन्तूंस् ताडयन्ति निरागसः
Those clever men who are struck with weapons, and those who kill creatures or beat the innocent, must go this way.
राक्षसैर् भक्ष्यमाणास् ते यान्ति याम्यपथं नराः ये हरन्ति परस्त्रीणां वरप्रावरणानि च
Those men devoured by rākṣasas, and those who steal the fine garments of another’s wife, travel the path of Yama.
ते यान्ति विद्रुता नग्नाः प्रेतीभूता यमालयम् वासो धान्यं हिरण्यं वा गृहक्षेत्रम् अथापि वा
They go, fleeing and naked, as ghosts to the abode of Yama—whether they have taken clothing, grain, gold, or house and field.
ये हरन्ति दुरात्मानः पापिष्ठाः पापकर्मिणः पाषाणैर् लगुडैर् दण्डैस् ताड्यमानैस् तु जर्जरैः
Those evil-hearted, most sinful wrongdoers who steal are beaten with stones, clubs, and rods, battered and broken.
वहद्भिः शोणितं भूरि गन्तव्यं तु यमालयम् ब्रह्मस्वं ये हरन्तीह नरा नरकनिर्भयाः
Carrying much blood, they must go to the abode of Yama; those who steal Brahman property here, fearless of hell.
ताडयन्ति तथा विप्रान् आक्रोशन्ति नराधमाः शुष्ककाष्ठनिबद्धास् ते छिन्नकर्णाक्षिनासिकाः
They strike Brahmins and abuse them, these lowest of men; bound with dry wood, their ears, eyes, and noses are cut.
पूयशोणितदिग्धास् ते कालगृध्रैश् च जम्बुकैः किंकरैर् भीषणैश् चण्डैस् ताड्यमानाश् च दारुणैः
Smeared with pus and blood, they are attacked by black vultures, jackals, and fierce, terrifying servants.
विक्रोशमाना गच्छन्ति पापिनस् ते यमालयम् एवं परमदुर्धर्षम् अध्वानं ज्वलनप्रभम्
Crying out, those sinners proceed to the abode of Yama, along a most difficult, blazing path.
रौरवं दुर्गविषमं निर्दिष्टं मानुषस्य च प्रतप्तताम्रवर्णाभं वह्निज्वालास्फुलिङ्गवत्
Raurava, harsh and perilous, is prescribed for humans; its color is like heated copper, blazing with fire and sparks.
कुरण्टकण्टकाकीर्णं पृथुविकटताडनैः शक्तिवज्रैश् च संकीर्णम् उज्ज्वलं तीव्रकण्टकम्
It is strewn with sharp thorns and battered by heavy blows, filled with spears and thunderbolts, shining and intensely thorny.
अङ्गारवालुकामिश्रं वह्निकीटकदुर्गमम् ज्वालामालाकुलं रौद्रं सूर्यरश्मिप्रतापितम्
Mixed with burning coals and sand, hard to cross with fire insects, encircled by flames, dreadful, scorched by the rays of the sun.
अध्वानं नीयते देही कृष्यमाणः सुनिष्ठुरैः यदैव क्रन्दते जन्तुर् दुःखार्तः पतितः क्वचित्
The embodied soul is led along this path, dragged by the most cruel ones; whenever the creature cries out in pain, fallen somewhere—
तदैवाहन्यते सर्वैर् आयुधैर् यमकिंकरैः एवं संताड्यमानश् च लुब्धः पापेषु यो ऽनयः
At that very moment, he is struck by all the weapons of Yama’s servants; thus, tormented, the greedy one who acts wickedly among sins.
अवशो नीयते जन्तुर् दुर्धरैर् यमकिंकरैः सर्वैर् एव हि गन्तव्यम् अध्वानं तत् सुदुर्गमम्
Helpless, the creature is led by the fierce servants of Yama; all must traverse that most difficult path.
नीयते विविधैर् घोरैर् यमदूतैर् अवज्ञया नीत्वा सुदारुणं मार्गं प्राणिनं यमकिंकरैः
He is led by various terrifying messengers of Yama, with contempt; after leading him along the most dreadful way, the servants bring the living being.
प्रवेश्यते पुरीं घोरां ताम्रायसमयीं द्विजाः सा पुरी विपुलाकारा लक्षयोजनम् आयता
He is made to enter the dreadful city, colored like copper, O twice-born; that city is vast in form, stretching a hundred thousand yojanas.
चतुरस्रा विनिर्दिष्टा चतुर्द्वारवती शुभा प्राकाराः काञ्चनास् तस्या योजनायुतम् उच्छ्रिताः
It is described as square, possessing four gates, auspicious; its ramparts are of gold, rising ten thousand yojanas high.
इन्द्रनीलमहानीलपद्मरागोपशोभिता सा पुरी विविधैः संघैर् घोरा घोरैः समाकुला
That city, adorned with sapphires, great blue gems, and padmaraga stones, was crowded with various terrifying hosts.
देवदानवगन्धर्वैर् यक्षराक्षसपन्नगैः पूर्वद्वारं शुभं तस्याः पताकाशतशोभितम्
Its eastern gate, beautiful and decorated with hundreds of banners, was thronged by gods, demons, gandharvas, yakshas, rakshasas, and serpents.
वज्रेन्द्रनीलवैदूर्यमुक्ताफलविभूषितम् गीतनृत्यैः समाकीर्णं गन्धर्वाप्सरसां गणैः
It was embellished with vajra gems, sapphires, cat’s-eye, and pearls, and filled with the singing and dancing troupes of gandharvas and apsarases.
प्रवेशस् तेन देवानाम् ऋषीणां योगिनां तथा गन्धर्वसिद्धयक्षाणां विद्याधरविसर्पिणाम्
Through that entrance passed the gods, sages, yogis, gandharvas, siddhas, yakshas, vidyadharas, and serpents.
उत्तरं नगरद्वारं घण्टाचामरभूषितम् छत्त्रचामरविन्यासं नानारत्नैर् अलंकृतम्
The northern city gate was adorned with bells and yak-tail fans, arranged with parasols and chowries, and decorated with various jewels.
वीणारेणुरवै रम्यैर् गीतमङ्गलनादितैः ऋग्यजुःसामनिर्घोषैर् मुनिवृन्दसमाकुलम्
It was filled with delightful sounds of vina and other instruments, auspicious songs and music, and the resonant chanting of Rig, Yajur, and Sama Vedas by assemblies of sages.
विशन्ति येन धर्मज्ञाः सत्यव्रतपरायणाः ग्रीष्मे वारिप्रदा ये च शीते चाग्निप्रदा नराः
Through that gate enter those who know righteousness, who are devoted to truth and vows, those who give water in summer and fire in winter.
श्रान्तसंवाहका ये च प्रियवादरताश् च ये ये च दानरताः शूरा मातापितृपराश् च ये
Those who help the weary, those who delight in kind speech, those devoted to giving, the brave, and those devoted to their mother and father.
द्विजशुश्रूषणे युक्ता नित्यं ये ऽतिथिपूजकाः पश्चिमं तु महाद्वारं पुर्या रत्नैर् विभूषितम्
Those engaged in serving the twice-born, those who always honor guests—these enter through the western great gate of the city, which is adorned with jewels.
विचित्रमणिसोपानं तोमरैः समलंकृतम् भेरीमृदङ्गसंनादैः शङ्खकाहलनादितम्
Its steps were fashioned of various gems and decorated with spears, resounding with drums and mridangas, and the blare of conches and kahalas.
सिद्धवृन्दैः सदा हृष्टैर् मङ्गलैः प्रणिनादितम् प्रवेशस् तेन हृष्टानां शिवभक्तिमतां नृणाम्
It was always resounding with auspicious cries from joyful hosts of siddhas; through that entrance enter the joyful men devoted to Shiva.
सर्वतीर्थप्लुता ये च पञ्चाग्नेर् ये च सेवकाः प्रस्थाने ये मृता वीरा मृताः कालञ्जरे गिरौ
Those who have bathed at all the sacred fords, those who serve the five fires, those who died on journeys, heroes who died on the mountain Kalañjara—