ये यजन्ति द्विजश्रेष्ठाः क्रतुभिर् भूरिदक्षिणैः तप्तहाटकसंकाशैर् विमानैर् यान्ति ते सुखम्
Those best of twice-born who perform sacrifices with abundant gifts go happily in aerial cars shining like heated gold.
परपीडाम् अकुर्वन्तो भृत्यानां भरणादिकम् कुर्वन्ति ते सुखं यान्ति विमानैः कनकोज्ज्वलैः
Those who do not harm others and who provide for their servants go happily in aerial cars gleaming with gold.
ये क्षान्ताः सर्वभूतेषु प्राणिनाम् अभयप्रदाः क्रोधमोहविनिर्मुक्ता निर्मदाः संयतेन्द्रियाः
Those who are patient with all beings, who grant fearlessness to living creatures, who are free from anger, delusion, and pride, and who have controlled their senses—
पूर्णचन्द्रप्रकाशेन विमानेन महाप्रभाः यान्ति वैवस्वतपुरं देवगन्धर्वसेविताः
They, radiant in aerial cars shining like the full moon, go to the city of Vaivasvata, attended by gods and gandharvas.
एकभावेन ये विष्णुं ब्रह्माणं त्र्यम्बकं रविम् पूजयन्ति हि ते यान्ति विमानैर् भास्करप्रभैः
Those who worship Viṣṇu, Brahmā, Tryambaka, and the Sun with single-minded devotion go in aerial cars radiant like the sun.
ये च मांसं न खादन्ति सत्यशौचसमन्विताः ते ऽपि यान्ति सुखेनैव धर्मराजपुरं नराः
Those men who do not eat meat and are endowed with truth and purity also go happily to the city of Dharmarāja.
मांसान् मिष्टतरं नास्ति भक्ष्यभोज्यादिकेषु च तस्मान् मांसं न भुञ्जीत नास्ति मिष्टैः सुखोदयः
There is nothing tastier than meat among foods and edibles; therefore, one should not eat meat, for happiness does not arise from delicacies.
गोसहस्रं तु यो दद्याद् यस् तु मांसं न भक्षयेत् समाव् एतौ पुरा प्राह ब्रह्मा वेदविदां वरः
He who gives a thousand cows and he who does not eat meat—these two, the best knower of the Vedas, Brahmā, declared to be equal long ago.
सर्वतीर्थेषु यत् पुण्यं सर्वयज्ञेषु यत् फलम् अमांसभक्षणे विप्रास् तच् च तच् च च तत्समम्
The merit gained at all holy places and the fruit of all sacrifices is equal to abstaining from eating meat, O brāhmaṇas.
एवं सुखेन ते यान्ति यमलोकं च धार्मिकाः दानव्रतपरा यानैर् यत्र देवो रवेः सुतः
Thus, the righteous, devoted to charity and vows, go happily to the world of Yama in vehicles where the god, the son of the Sun, resides.
दृष्ट्वा तान् धार्मिकान् देवः स्वयं संमानयेद् यमः स्वागतासनदानेन पाद्यार्घ्येण प्रियेण तु
Seeing those righteous souls, the god Yama himself honors them with a warm welcome, offering a seat, water for the feet, and a pleasing arghya.
धन्या यूयं महात्मान आत्मनो हितकारिणः येन दिव्यसुखार्थाय भवद्भिः सुकृतं कृतम्
Blessed are you, great souls, benefactors of yourselves, by whose good deeds you have acted for the sake of divine happiness.
इदं विमानम् आरुह्य दिव्यस्त्रीभोगभूषिताः स्वर्गं गच्छध्वम् अतुलं सर्वकामसमन्वितम्
Ascending this celestial chariot, adorned with divine women and pleasures, go to heaven, incomparable and filled with every desire.
तत्र भुक्त्वा महाभोगान् अन्ते पुण्यपरिक्षयात् यत् किंचिद् अल्पम् अशुभं फलं तद् इह भोक्ष्यथ
There, after enjoying great pleasures, when your merit is exhausted, whatever small impure result remains, that you shall experience here.
ये तु तं धर्मराजानं नराः पुण्यानुभावतः पश्यन्ति सौम्यमनसं पितृभूतम् इवात्मनः
But those men who, through the power of their virtue, see the Lord of Dharma—gentle-minded, like a father to themselves—
तस्माद् धर्मः सेवितव्यः सदा मुक्तिफलप्रदः धर्माद् अर्थस् तथा कामो मोक्षश् च परिकीर्त्यते
Therefore, righteousness must always be pursued, for it bestows the fruit of liberation; from righteousness arise wealth, desire, and also liberation, it is declared.
धर्मो माता पिता भ्राता धर्मो नाथः सुहृत् तथा धर्मः स्वामी सखा गोप्ता तथा धाता च पोषकः
Righteousness is mother, father, brother; righteousness is protector and friend; righteousness is master, companion, guardian, creator, and nourisher.
धर्माद् अर्थो ऽर्थतः कामः कामाद् भोगः सुखानि च धर्माद् ऐश्वर्यम् एकाग्र्यं धर्मात् स्वर्गगतिः परा
From righteousness comes wealth, from wealth comes desire, from desire come enjoyments and happiness; from righteousness arise sovereignty, concentration, and the supreme path to heaven.
धर्मस् तु सेवितो विप्रास् त्रायते महतो भयात् देवत्वं च द्विजत्वं च धर्मात् प्राप्नोत्य् असंशयम्
Indeed, when righteousness is served, O Brahmins, it saves from great fear; divinity and twice-born status are certainly attained through righteousness.
यदा च क्षीयते पापं नराणां पूर्वसंचितम् तदैषां भजते बुद्धिर् धर्मं चात्र द्विजोत्तमाः
And when the accumulated sins of men are diminished, then their mind turns to righteousness, O best of the twice-born.
जन्मान्तरसहस्रेषु मानुष्यं प्राप्य दुर्लभम् यो हि नाचरते धर्मं भवेत् स खलु वञ्चितः
He who, after attaining rare human birth in thousands of previous lives, does not practice righteousness, is truly deceived.
कुत्सिता ये दरिद्राश् च विरूपा व्याधितास् तथा परप्रेष्याश् च मूर्खाश् च ज्ञेया धर्मविवर्जिताः
Those who are degraded, poor, deformed, diseased, servants of others, or ignorant—know them to be devoid of righteousness.
ये हि दीर्घायुषः शूराः पण्डिता भोगिनो ऽर्थिनः अरोगा रूपवन्तश् च तैस् तु धर्मः पुरा कृतः
Those who are long-lived, heroic, learned, prosperous, wealthy, healthy, and handsome—by them righteousness was practiced before.
एवं धर्मरता विप्रा गच्छन्ति गतिम् उत्तमाम् अधर्मं सेवमानास् तु तिर्यग्योनिं व्रजन्ति ते
Thus, O Brahmins, those devoted to righteousness attain the highest state; but those who pursue unrighteousness enter the wombs of animals.
ये नरा नरकध्वंसिवासुदेवम् अनुव्रताः ते स्वप्ने ऽपि न पश्यन्ति यमं वा नरकाणि वा
Those men who are devoted to Vāsudeva, destroyer of hell, do not see Yama or the hells, even in dreams.
अनादिनिधनं देवं दैत्यदानवदारणम् ये नमन्ति नरा नित्यं नहि पश्यन्ति ते यमम्
Those men who always bow to the beginningless and endless God, destroyer of demons and Dānavas, do not see Yama.
कर्मणा मनसा वाचा ये ऽच्युतं शरणं गताः न समर्थो यमस् तेषां ते मुक्तिफलभागिनः
Those who take refuge in Acyuta through action, mind, and speech—Yama is not able to reach them; they partake of the fruit of liberation.
ये जना जगतां नाथं नित्यं नारायणं द्विजाः नमन्ति नहि ते विष्णोः स्थानाद् अन्यत्र गामिनः
Those people, O Brahmins, who always bow to Nārāyaṇa, Lord of the worlds, do not go anywhere apart from Viṣṇu's abode.
न ते दूतान् न तन् मार्गं न यमं न च तां पुरीम् प्रणम्य विष्णुं पश्यन्ति नरकाणि कथंचन
They do not see the messengers, nor that path, nor Yama, nor that city; having bowed to Viṣṇu, they never see the hells in any way.
कृत्वापि बहुशः पापं नरा मोहसमन्विताः न यान्ति नरकं नत्वा सर्वपापहरं हरिम्
Even those men who, possessed by delusion, commit many sins, do not go to hell if they bow to Hari, destroyer of all sins.