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.
पितरं मातरं चैव यस् तु पुत्रो ऽवमन्यते सो ऽपि विप्रा मृतो जन्तुः पूर्वं जायेत गर्दभः
If a son disrespects his father and mother, O Brahmins, after dying, that creature is first born as a donkey.
गर्दभत्वं तु संप्राप्य दश वर्षाणि जीवति संवत्सरं तु कुम्भीरस् ततो जायेत मानवः
Having attained the state of a donkey, he lives for ten years; then, for one year as a crocodile, after which he is born as a human.
पुत्रस्य मातापितरौ यस्य रुष्टाव् उभाव् अपि गुर्वपध्यानतः सो ऽपि मृतो जायेत गर्दभः
If both parents of a son are angry due to the disrespect of the teacher, after dying, he is born as a donkey.
खरो जीवति मासांश् च दश चापि चतुर्दश बिडालः सप्त मासांस् तु ततो जायेत मानवः
The donkey lives for ten and fourteen months; the cat lives for seven months, after which he is born as a human.
मातापितराव् आक्रुश्य सारीकः संप्रजायते ताडयित्वा तु ताव् एव जायते कच्छपो द्विजाः
By shouting at his mother and father, a person is born as a starling; but by striking them, O twice-born, he is born as a turtle.
कच्छपो दश वर्षाणि त्रीणि वर्षाणि शल्यकः व्यालो भूत्वा तु षण् मासांस् ततो जायेत मानुषः
The turtle lives for ten years, the porcupine for three years; then, after becoming a snake for six months, he is born as a human.
भर्तृपिण्डम् उपाश्नीनो राजद्विष्टानि सेवते सो ऽपि मोहसमापन्नो मृतो जायेत वानरः
One who eats the food offered to the husband and serves those hated by the king, being deluded, is born as a monkey after death.
वानरो दश वर्षाणि सप्त वर्षाणि मूषकः श्वा च भूत्वा तु षण् मासांस् ततो जायेत मानवः
The monkey lives for ten years, then for seven years as a mouse; after being a dog for six months, he is then born as a human.
न्यासापहर्ता तु नरो यमस्य विषयं गतः संसाराणां शतं गत्वा कृमियोनौ प्रजायते
A man who steals from those who have renounced, having gone to Yama's realm and passed through a hundred cycles of rebirth, is born in the womb of worms.
तत्र जीवति वर्षाणि दश पञ्च च भो द्विजाः दुष्कृतस्य क्षयं कृत्वा ततो जायेत मानुषः
There, O twice-born, he lives for fifteen years; after exhausting his evil deeds, he is then born as a human.