क्वचिद् विषमगर्ताभिः क्वचिल् लोष्टैः सुपिच्छलैः सुतप्तवालुकाभिश् च तथा तीक्ष्णैश् च शङ्कुभिः
In some places, with uneven pits; in others, with slippery clods; with intensely heated sand and sharp spikes as well.
अयःशृङ्गाटकैस् तप्तैः क्वचिद् दावाग्निना युतम् क्वचित् तप्तशिलाभिश् च क्वचिद् व्याप्तं हिमेन च
In some places, with heated iron spikes; in others, joined with wildfire; in some, with burning stones; in others, covered with snow.
क्वचिद् वालुकया व्याप्तम् आकण्ठान्तःप्रवेशया क्वचिद् दुष्टाम्बुना व्याप्तं क्वचित् कर्षाग्निना पुनः
In some places, covered with sand, entering up to the neck; in others, covered with foul water; in some, again, with scorching fire.
क्वचित् सिंहैर् वृकैर् व्याघ्रैर् दशकीटैश् च दारुणैः क्वचिन् महाजलौकाभिः क्वचिद् अजगरैः पुनः
In some places, with lions, wolves, tigers, and fierce biting insects; in others, with giant leeches; in some, again, with pythons.
मक्षिकाभिश् च रौद्राभिः क्वचित् सर्पविषोल्बणैः क्वचिद् दुष्टगजैश् चैव बलोन्मत्तैः प्रमाथिभिः
In some places, by fierce swarms of flies, in others by serpents swollen with venom, and elsewhere by enraged, maddened, destructive elephants.
पन्थानम् उल्लिखद्भिश् च तीक्ष्णशृङ्गैर् महावृषैः महाशृङ्गैश् च महिषैर् उष्ट्रैर् मत्तैश् च खादनैः
By great bulls with sharp horns blocking the path, by buffaloes with massive horns, and by crazed, biting camels.
डाकिनीभिश् च रौद्राभिर् विकरालैश् च राक्षसैः व्याधिभिश् च महारौद्रैः पीड्यमाना व्रजन्ति ते
By fierce ḍākinīs and terrifying rākṣasas, and afflicted by dreadful, violent diseases, they proceed onward.
महाधूलिविमिश्रेण महाचण्डेन वायुना महापाषाणवर्षेण हन्यमाना निराश्रयाः
Beaten by a mighty, furious wind mixed with thick dust, and by a storm of huge stones, they are left without shelter.
क्वचिद् विद्युन्निपातेन दीर्यमाणा व्रजन्ति ते महता बाणवर्षेण भिद्यमानाश् च सर्वशः
In some places, they are torn apart by falling lightning; everywhere, they are struck by a great shower of arrows.
पतद्भिर् वज्रनिर्घातैर् उल्कापातैः सुदारुणैः प्रदीप्ताङ्गारवर्षेण दह्यमाना विशन्ति च
Struck by falling thunderbolts and terribly fierce meteors, and burned by a rain of blazing coals, they enter onward.
महता पांशुवर्षेण पूर्यमाणा रुदन्ति च मेघारवैः सुघोरैश् च वित्रास्यन्ते मुहुर् मुहुः
Filled by a great rain of dust, they weep, and are terrified again and again by the dreadful roar of clouds.
निःशेषाः शरवर्षेण चूर्ण्यमाणाश् च सर्वतः महाक्षाराम्बुधाराभिः सिच्यमाना व्रजन्ति च
Completely crushed everywhere by a shower of arrows, and drenched by torrents of highly saline water, they proceed.
महाशीतेन मरुता रूक्षेण परुषेण च समन्ताद् दीर्यमाणाश् च शुष्यन्ते संकुचन्ति च
Torn on all sides by a harsh, bitter, freezing wind, they wither and shrivel up.
इत्थं मार्गेण पुरुषाः पाथेयरहितेन च निरालम्बेन दुर्गेण निर्जलेन समन्ततः
Thus, along a path without provisions, support, or water, and surrounded by difficulty, people travel.
अतिश्रमेण महता निर्गतेनाश्रमाय वै नीयन्ते देहिनः सर्वे ये मूढाः पापकर्मिणः
Through immense exhaustion, having left behind all rest, all embodied beings who are deluded and wicked are led onward.
यमदूतैर् महाघोरैस् तदाज्ञाकारिभिर् बलात् एकाकिनः पराधीना मित्रबन्धुविवर्जिताः
By the terribly fierce messengers of Yama, who act on his command, they are forcibly led, alone, helpless, and bereft of friends and relatives.
शोचन्तः स्वानि कर्माणि रुदन्ति च मुहुर् मुहुः प्रेतीभूता निषिद्धास् ते शुष्ककण्ठौष्ठतालुकाः
Lamenting their own deeds, they weep again and again; having become pretas, they are forbidden, with parched throats, lips, and palates.
कृशाङ्गा भीतभीताश् च दह्यमानाः क्षुधाग्निना बद्धाः शृङ्खलया केचित् केचिद् उत्तानपादयोः
Emaciated, terrified again and again, burning with the fire of hunger, some are bound in chains, others with their feet turned upward.
आकृष्यन्ते शुष्यमाणा यमदूतैर् बलोत्कटैः नरा अधोमुखाश् चान्ये कृष्यमाणाः सुदुःखिताः
Withering, they are dragged by the powerful messengers of Yama; some are pulled face-down, others are dragged away in great distress.
अन्नपानीयरहिता याचमानाः पुनः पुनः देहि देहीति भाषन्तः साश्रुगद्गदया गिरा
Deprived of food and water, begging again and again, they cry out, 'Give, give!' with voices choked by tears.
कृताञ्जलिपुटा दीनाः क्षुत्तृष्णापरिपीडिताः भक्ष्यान् उच्चावचान् दृष्ट्वा भोज्यान् पेयांश् च पुष्कलान्
With hands joined in supplication, miserable, tormented by hunger and thirst, they see abundant foods and drinks, both high and low.
सुगन्धद्रव्यसंयुक्तान् याचमानाः पुनः पुनः दधिक्षीरघृतोन्मिश्रं दृष्ट्वा शाल्योदनं तथा
Begging again and again for fragrant substances, they see rice cooked with curds, milk, and ghee.
पानानि च सुगन्धीनि शीतलान्य् उदकानि च तान् याचमानांस् ते याम्या भर्त्सयन्तस् तदाब्रुवन् वचोभिः परुषैर् भीमाः क्रोधरक्तान्तलोचनाः
And when they begged for fragrant, cool drinks and water, the attendants of Yama, their eyes reddened with anger, rebuked them with harsh and terrible words.
न भवद्भिर् हुतं काले न दत्तं ब्राह्मणेषु च प्रसभं दीयमानं च वारितं च द्विजातिषु
You did not offer oblations at the proper time, nor did you give to the Brahmins; when compelled to give, you refused or withheld from the twice-born.
तस्य पापस्य च फलं भवतां समुपागतम् नाग्नौ दग्धं जले नष्टं न हृतं नृपतस्करैः
Now you have come to experience the fruit of that sin: it was not burned in fire, nor destroyed in water, nor taken away by thieves.
कुतो वा सांप्रतं विप्रे यन् न दत्तं पुराधमाः यैर् दत्तानि तु दानानि साधुभिः सात्त्विकानि तु
How could you now, O lowest of men, give to the Brahmins what you did not give before? The gifts given by the virtuous, by those of pure nature—
तेषाम् एते प्रदृश्यन्ते कल्पिता ह्य् अन्नपर्वताः भक्ष्यभोज्याश् च पेयाश् च लेह्याश् चोष्याश् च संवृताः
For them, here are seen mountains of food prepared—things to eat, to enjoy, to drink, to lick, and to suck, all arranged.
न यूयम् अभिलप्स्यध्वे न दत्तं च कथंचन यैस् तु दत्तं हुतं चेष्टं ब्राह्मणाश् चैव पूजिताः
But you shall not obtain any of it, nor receive anything at all; only those who gave, who offered oblations, who performed rites, and honored Brahmins—
तेषाम् अन्नं समानीय इह निक्षिप्यते सदा परस्वं कथम् अस्माभिर् दातुं शक्येत नारकाः
For them, their food is brought here and always set aside; how could we, the damned, give away what belongs to others?
किंकराणां वचः श्रुत्वा निःस्पृहाः क्षुत्तृषार्दिताः ततस् ते दारुणैश् चास्त्रैः पीड्यन्ते यमकिंकरैः
Hearing the words of the attendants, they, tormented by hunger and thirst, become despondent; then they are afflicted by the fierce weapons of Yama’s servants.