अन्नम् अश्नन्ति ये देवाः शरीरस्था द्विजोत्तमाः पृथिवी वायुर् आकाशम् आपो ज्योतिर् मनस् तथा
The gods who dwell in the body, O best of twice-born, consume food: earth, air, space, water, fire, and likewise the mind.
ततस् तृप्तेषु भो विप्रास् तेषु भूतेषु पञ्चसु मनःषष्ठेषु शुद्धात्मा रेतः संपद्यते महत्
Then, when these five elements and the sixth, the mind, are satisfied, O Brahmins, from the pure self arises the great seed.
ततो गर्भः संभवति श्लेष्मा स्त्रीपुंसयोर् द्विजाः एतद् वः सर्वम् आख्यातं किं भूयः श्रोतुम् इच्छथ
Then the embryo is formed from the phlegm of woman and man, O twice-born; all this has been told to you—what more do you wish to hear?
आख्यातं नो भगवता गर्भः संजायते यथा यथा जातस् तु पुरुषः प्रपद्यते तद् उच्यताम्
The Blessed One has explained to us how the embryo is generated; now tell us, when a person is born, what does he attain?
आसन्नमात्रपुरुषस् तैर् भूतैर् अभिभूयते विप्रयुक्तस् तु तैर् भूतैः पुनर् यात्य् अपरां गतिम्
The person, as soon as he is born, is overpowered by those elements; but when separated from those elements, he attains another state.
स च भूतसमायुक्तः प्राप्नोति जीवम् एव हि ततो ऽस्य कर्म पश्यन्ति शुभं वा यदि वाशुभम् देवताः पञ्चभूतस्थाः किं भूयः श्रोतुम् इच्छथ
And when joined with the elements, he indeed attains life; then the gods dwelling in the five elements perceive his deeds, whether good or bad—what more do you wish to hear?
त्वग् अस्थि मांसम् उत्सृज्य तैस् तु भूतैर् विवर्जितः जीवः स भगवन् क्वस्थः सुखदुःखे समश्नुते
Casting off skin, bone, and flesh, and bereft of those elements, O Blessed One, where does that living being go, and how does he experience pleasure and pain?
जीवः कर्मसमायुक्तः शीघ्रं रेतःसमागतः स्त्रीणां पुष्पं समासाद्य ततः कालेन भो द्विजाः
The living being, joined with karma, swiftly unites with the seed; having reached the flower of women, then, O twice-born, in due time—
यमस्य पुरुषैः क्लेशो यमस्य पुरुषैर् वधः दुःखं संसारचक्रं च नरः क्लेशं च विन्दति
There is torment from the servants of Yama, there is destruction by the servants of Yama; a man experiences suffering, the cycle of rebirth, and affliction.
इह लोके स तु प्राणी जन्मप्रभृति भो द्विजाः सुकृतं कर्म वै भुङ्क्ते धर्मस्य फलम् आश्रितः
Here in this world, O twice-born, from birth onward, the living being enjoys the fruit of righteousness, supported by virtuous deeds.
यदि धर्मं समायुज्य जन्मप्रभृति सेवते ततः स पुरुषो भूत्वा सेवते नित्यदा सुखम्
If, from birth onward, he follows righteousness, then, having become a man, he always enjoys happiness.
अथान्तरान्तरं धर्मम् अधर्मम् उपसेवते सुखस्यानन्तरं दुःखं स जीवो ऽप्य् अधिगच्छति
But if, from time to time, he pursues both righteousness and unrighteousness, then after happiness, that living being also attains suffering.
अधर्मेण समायुक्तो यमस्य विषयं गतः महादुःखं समासाद्य तिर्यग्योनौ प्रजायते
Joined with unrighteousness, having reached the realm of Yama, he encounters great suffering and is born in an animal womb.
कर्मणा येन येनेह यस्यां योनौ प्रजायते जीवो मोहसमायुक्तस् तन् मे शृणुत सांप्रतम्
By whatever deed, in whatever womb the living being is born here, joined with delusion—hear that from me now.
यद् एतद् उच्यते शास्त्रैः सेतिहासैश् च छन्दसि यमस्य विषयं घोरं मर्त्यलोकं प्रवर्तते
What is spoken in the scriptures, in the histories, and in the Vedas: the dreadful realm of Yama, the world of mortals, comes into being.
इह स्थानानि पुण्यानि देवतुल्यानि भो द्विजाः तिर्यग्योन्यतिरिक्तानि गतिमन्ति च सर्वशः
Here, O twice-born, there are auspicious places, equal to the gods, apart from animal wombs, and all of them possess their own destinations.
यमस्य भवने दिव्ये ब्रह्मलोकसमे गुणैः कर्मभिर् नियतैर् बद्धो जन्तुर् दुःखान्य् उपाश्नुते
In the divine abode of Yama, which is equal to Brahma's world in its qualities, the creature bound by fixed actions experiences sufferings.
येन येन हि भावेन येन वै कर्मणा गतिम् प्रयाति पुरुषो घोरां तथा वक्ष्याम्य् अतः परम्
By whatever disposition and by whatever action a person attains a course, I shall now describe the dreadful results accordingly.
अधीत्य चतुरो वेदान् द्विजो मोहसमन्वितः पतितात् प्रतिगृह्याथ खरयोनौ प्रजायते
A twice-born who has studied the four Vedas but is possessed by delusion, after accepting gifts from the fallen, is born in the womb of an ass.
खरो जीवति वर्षाणि दश पञ्च च भो द्विजाः खरो मृतो बलीवर्दः सप्त वर्षाणि जीवति
The ass lives for ten and five years, O twice-borns; when the ass dies, it becomes an ox, which lives for seven years.
बलीवर्दो मृतश् चापि जायते ब्रह्मराक्षसः ब्रह्मरक्षस् तु मासांस् त्रींस् ततो जायेत ब्राह्मणः
When the ox dies, it is born as a Brahma-rakshasa; the Brahma-rakshasa lives for three months, then is born as a Brahmana.
पतितं याजयित्वा तु कृमियोनौ प्रजायते तत्र जीवति वर्षाणि दश पञ्च च भो द्विजाः
Having performed sacrifices for the fallen, one is born in the womb of worms; there, O twice-borns, he lives for ten and five years.
क्रिमिभावाद् विनिर्मुक्तस् ततो जायेत गर्दभः गर्दभः पञ्च वर्षाणि पञ्च वर्षाणि शूकरः
Released from the state of being a worm, he is then born as a donkey; the donkey lives for five years, and the pig for five years.
कुक्कुटः पञ्च वर्षाणि पञ्च वर्षाणि जम्बुकः श्वा वर्षम् एकं भवति ततो जायेत मानवः
The rooster lives for five years, the jackal for five years; the dog lives for one year, then is born as a human.
उपाध्यायस्य यः पापं शिष्यः कुर्याद् अबुद्धिमान् स जन्मानीह संसारे त्रीन् आप्नोति न संशयः
If a foolish disciple commits sin against his teacher, he undergoes three births in this cycle, without doubt.
प्राक् श्वा भवति भो विप्रास् ततः क्रव्यात् ततः खरः प्रेत्य च परिक्लिष्टेषु पश्चाज् जायेत ब्राह्मणः
First he becomes a dog, O Brahmins, then a flesh-eater, then an ass; after dying in those painful states, he is born as a Brahmana.
मनसापि गुरोर् भार्यां यः शिष्यो याति पापकृत् उदग्रान् प्रैति संसारान् अधर्मेणेह चेतसा
If a sinful disciple even desires his teacher's wife in his mind, he proceeds to elevated cycles of existence through unrighteousness in this world.
श्वयोनौ तु स संभूतस् त्रीणि वर्षाणि जीवति तत्रापि निधनं प्राप्तः क्रिमियोनौ प्रजायते
Born in the womb of a dog, he lives for three years; after dying there, he is born in the womb of worms.
कृमिभावम् अनुप्राप्तो वर्षम् एकं तु जीवति ततस् तु निधनं प्राप्य ब्रह्मयोनौ प्रजायते
Having attained the state of a worm, he lives for one year; after dying there, he is born in the womb of a Brahmana.
यदि पुत्रसमं शिष्यं गुरुर् हन्याद् अकारणम् आत्मनः कामकारेण सो ऽपि हिंस्रः प्रजायते
If a teacher kills a disciple who is like his own son without cause, acting from his own desire, he too is born as a violent being.