ग्रसन्तम् इव त्रैलोक्यम् उद्गिरन्तम् इवानलम् मृत्युं च तत्समीपस्थं कालानलसमप्रभम्
He appeared as if swallowing the three worlds, as if spewing forth fire, and death stood nearby, radiant like the fire of time.
प्रलयानलसंकाशं कृतान्तं च भयानकम् मारीचोग्रा महामारी कालरात्री च दारुणा
There was the dreadful god of death, terrifying as the fire of dissolution, along with fierce Marīcī, the great pestilence, and the terrible Kālarātrī.
विविधा व्याधयः कष्टा नानारूपा भयावहाः शक्तिशूलाङ्कुशधराः पाशचक्रासिधारिणः
Various harsh diseases, taking many fearsome forms, were present, bearing spears, tridents, goads, nooses, discs, and swords.
वज्रदण्डधरा रौद्राः क्षुरतूणधनुर्धराः असंख्याता महावीर्याः क्रूराश् चाञ्जनसप्रभाः
Fierce beings wielding thunderbolts and clubs, armed with razors, quivers, and bows, countless in number, of great might, cruel, and dark as collyrium, were seen.
सर्वायुधोद्यतकरा यमदूता भयानकाः अनेन परिवारेण महाघोरेण संवृतम्
The terrifying messengers of Yama, with all weapons raised in their hands, surrounded him with this vast and dreadful retinue.
यमं पश्यन्ति पापिष्ठाश् चित्रगुप्तं विभीषणम् निर्भर्त्सयति चात्यर्थं यमस् तान् पापकारिणः
The most sinful see Yama and the fearsome Citragupta, and Yama harshly rebukes those who have committed evil deeds.
चित्रगुप्तस् तु भगवान् धर्मवाक्यैः प्रबोधयन्
But the blessed Citragupta instructs them with words of righteousness.
भो भो दुष्कृतकर्माणः परद्रव्यापहारिणः गर्विता रूपवीर्येण परदारविमर्दकाः
O you who have performed wicked deeds, who have stolen the wealth of others, who are proud of your beauty and strength, who have violated the wives of others—
यत् स्वयं क्रियते कर्म तत् स्वयं भुज्यते पुनः तत् किम् आत्मोपघातार्थं भवद्भिर् दुष्कृतं कृतम्
Whatever action one performs, that alone one must experience again; so why have you committed evil acts, bringing harm upon yourselves?
इदानीं किं नु शोचध्वं पीड्यमानाः स्वकर्मभिः भुञ्जध्वं स्वानि दुःखानि नहि दोषो ऽस्ति कस्यचित्
Why do you now lament, tormented by your own deeds? Endure your own sufferings; there is no fault in anyone else.
य एते पृथिवीपालाः संप्राप्ता मत्समीपतः स्वकीयैः कर्मभिर् घोरैर् दुष्प्रज्ञा बलगर्विताः
These rulers of the earth who have come before me, deluded and proud of their power, have arrived here because of their own terrible actions.
भो भो नृपा दुराचाराः प्रजाविध्वंसकारिणः अल्पकालस्य राज्यस्य कृते किं दुष्कृतं कृतम्
O kings of evil conduct, destroyers of your people, why have you committed wickedness for the sake of a kingdom that lasts but a short time?
राज्यलोभेन मोहेन बलाद् अन्यायतः प्रजाः यद् दण्डिताः फलं तस्य भुञ्जध्वम् अधुना नृपाः
Because of greed for the kingdom and delusion, you unjustly punished your subjects by force; now, O kings, experience the fruit of that.
कुतो राज्यं कलत्रं च यदर्थम् अशुभं कृतम् तत् सर्वं संपरित्यज्य यूयम् एकाकिनः स्थिताः
Where now is the kingdom or the wife for whose sake you performed evil? Having abandoned all that, you now stand here alone.
पश्यामो न बलं सर्वं येन विध्वंसिताः प्रजाः यमदूतैः पाट्यमाना अधुना कीदृशं फलम्
We see no power left by which you destroyed your subjects; now, as you are torn by Yama's messengers, what kind of result do you face?
एवं बहुविधैर् वाक्यैर् उपालब्धा यमेन ते शोचन्तः स्वानि कर्माणि तूष्णीं तिष्ठन्ति पार्थिवाः
Thus, rebuked by Yama with many such words, the kings, grieving over their own actions, stand silent.
इति कर्म समादिश्य नृपाणां धर्मराट् स्वयम् तत्पातकविशुद्ध्यर्थम् इदं वचनम् अब्रवीत्
Having thus declared the actions of the kings, the Lord of Justice himself spoke these words for the purification of their sins.
भो भोश् चण्ड महाचण्ड गृहीत्वा नृपतीन् इमान् विशोधयध्वं पापेभ्यः क्रमेण नरकाग्निषु
O Caṇḍa, O Mahācaṇḍa, seize these kings and cleanse them from their sins, one by one, in the fires of hell.
ततः शीघ्रं समुत्थाय नृपान् संगृह्य पादयोः भ्रामयित्वा तु वेगेन क्षिप्त्वा चोर्ध्वं प्रगृह्य च
Then, rising swiftly, they seize the kings by the feet, whirl them with force, and hurl them upward, holding them tightly.
तत्तत्पापप्रमाणेन यमदूताः शिलातले आस्फोटयन्ति तरसा वज्रेणेव महाद्रुमम्
According to the measure of each one's sin, the messengers of Yama dash them violently upon a stone slab, as a thunderbolt shatters a great tree.
ततस् तु रक्तं स्रोतोभिः स्रवते जर्जरीकृतः निःसंज्ञः स तदा देही निश्चेष्टश् च प्रजायते
Then, blood flows from their wounds, their bodies shattered; at that moment, the embodied one becomes unconscious and motionless.
ततः स वायुना स्पृष्टः शनैर् उज्जीवते पुनः ततः पापविशुद्ध्यर्थं क्षिपन्ति नरकार्णवे
After that, touched by the wind, he slowly revives again; then, for the purification of his sin, they cast him into the ocean of hell.
अन्यांश् च ते तदा दूताः पापकर्मरतान् नरान् निवेदयन्ति विप्रेन्द्रा यमाय भृशदुःखितान्
At that time, those messengers present other men, devoted to sinful deeds and greatly afflicted, to Yama, O best of Brahmins.
एष देव तवादेशाद् अस्माभिर् मोहितो भृशम् आनीतो धर्मविमुखः सदा पापरतः परः
O Lord, by your command, we have brought this one here, thoroughly deluded, always turned away from righteousness and intent on sin.
एष लुब्धो दुराचारो महापातकसंयुतः उपपातककर्ता च सदा हिंसारतो शुचिः
He is greedy, of evil conduct, joined with great sins, a doer of secondary sins, always delighting in violence, and impure.
अगम्यागामी दुष्टात्मा परद्रव्यापहारकः कन्याक्रयी कूटसाक्षी कृतघ्नो मित्रवञ्चकः
He approaches forbidden women, is wicked-hearted, steals others' wealth, buys maidens, gives false testimony, is ungrateful, and deceives friends.
अनेन मदमत्तेन सदा धर्मो विनिन्दितः पापम् आचरितं कर्म मर्त्यलोके दुरात्मना
By this one, intoxicated with pride, righteousness has always been reviled; sinful actions have been performed in the mortal world by this evil-minded man.
इदानीम् अस्य देवेश निग्रहानुग्रहौ वद प्रभुर् अस्य क्रियायोगे वयं वा परिपन्थिनः
Now, O Lord of the gods, declare whether punishment or mercy should be shown to him; you are the master of his fate, and we are only your agents.
इति विज्ञाप्य देवेशं न्यस्याग्रे पापकारिणम् नरकाणां सहस्रेषु लक्षकोटिशतेषु च
Having thus informed the Lord of the gods, they place the sinner before him, among thousands and hundreds of millions of hells.
किंकरास् ते ततो यान्ति ग्रहीतुम् अपरान् नरान् प्रतिपन्ने कृते दोषे यमो वै पापकारिणाम्
Then Yama's attendants go forth to seize other men, when a fault has been committed, for Yama is the punisher of sinners.