शूकरः पञ्च वर्षाणि दश वर्षाणि वै बकः पिपीलिकस् तु मासांस् त्रीन् कीटः स्यान् मासम् एव च
The pig lives for five years, the heron for ten years; the ant for three months, and the insect for just one month.
एतान् आसाद्य संसारान् कृमियोनौ प्रजायते तत्र जीवति मासांस् तु कृमियोनौ चतुर्दश
Having passed through these existences, he is born in the womb of worms, where he lives for fourteen months.
नरो ऽधर्मक्षयं कृत्वा ततो जायेत मानुषः पूर्वं दत्त्वा तु यः कन्यां द्वितीये दातुम् इच्छति
A man, having committed a decline in righteousness, is born as a human; but one who, after giving his daughter in marriage once, wishes to give her again—
सो ऽपि विप्रा मृतो जन्तुः क्रिमियोनौ प्रजायते तत्र जीवति वर्षाणि त्रयोदश द्विजोत्तमाः
That person, O Brahmins, upon death, is born as a creature in the worm species, and lives there for thirteen years.
अधर्मसंक्षये मुक्तस् ततो जायेत मानुषः देवकार्यम् अकृत्वा तु पितृकार्यम् अथापि वा
When the decline of righteousness is exhausted, he is released and then born as a human; but if he has not performed duties to the gods or to the ancestors—
अनिर्वाप्य पितॄन् देवान् मृतो जायेत वायसः वायसः शतवर्षाणि ततो जायेत कुक्कुटः
Without satisfying the ancestors and gods, upon death, he is born as a crow; as a crow for a hundred years, then he is born as a rooster.
जायते व्यालकश् चापि मासं तस्मात् तु मानुषः ज्येष्ठं पितृसमं चापि भ्रातरं यो ऽवमन्यते
He is born as a snake for a month, and then as a human; one who disregards his eldest brother or one equal to his father—
सो ऽपि मृत्युम् उपागम्य क्रौञ्चयोनौ प्रजायते क्रौञ्चो जीवति वर्षाणि दश जायेत जीवकः
That person, upon encountering death, is born in the crane species; the crane lives for ten years, then is born as a jivaka bird.
ततो निधनम् आप्नोति मानुषत्वम् अवाप्नुयात् वृषलो ब्राह्मणीं गत्वा कृमियोनौ प्रजायते
Afterwards, he meets his end and attains human birth; a shudra who approaches a Brahmin woman is born in the worm species.
ततः संप्राप्य निधनं जायते शूकरः पुनः शूकरो जातमात्रस् तु रोगेण म्रियते द्विजाः
Then, upon reaching death, he is born again as a pig; the pig, immediately upon birth, dies from disease, O Brahmins.
श्वा च वै जायते मूढः कर्मणा तेन भो द्विजाः श्वा भूत्वा कृतकर्मासौ जायते मानुषस् ततः
He is born as a foolish dog because of that deed, O Brahmins; after being a dog and performing actions, he is then born as a human.
तत्रापत्यं समुत्पाद्य मृतो जायेत मूषिकः कृतघ्नस् तु मृतो विप्रा यमस्य विषयं गतः
There, after producing offspring, upon death he is born as a mouse; but one who is ungrateful, O Brahmins, upon death, goes to the realm of Yama.
यमस्य विषये क्रूरैर् बद्धः प्राप्नोति वेदनाम् दण्डकं मुद्गरं शूलम् अग्निदण्डं च दारुणम्
In the realm of Yama, bound by cruel beings, he experiences suffering: the club, the hammer, the spear, and the fierce fire-rod.
असिपत्त्रवनं घोरं वालुकां कूटशाल्मलीम् एताश् चान्याश् च बहवो यमस्य विषयं गताः
The dreadful sword-leaf forest, sand, and the spiked silk-cotton tree—these and many others are found in the realm of Yama.
यातनाः प्राप्य घोरास् तु ततो याति च भो द्विजाः संसारचक्रम् आसाद्य क्रिमियोनौ प्रजायते
After enduring these terrible torments, then, O Brahmins, he enters the cycle of rebirth and is born in the worm species.
क्रिमिर् भवति वर्षाणि दश पञ्च च भो द्विजाः ततो गर्भं समासाद्य तत्रैव म्रियते नरः
He becomes a worm for fifteen years, O Brahmins; then, upon entering a womb, he dies there as a human.
ततो गर्भशतैर् जन्तुर् बहुशः संप्रपद्यते संसारान् सुबहून् गत्वा ततस् तिर्यक् प्रजायते
Then, through hundreds of wombs, the creature repeatedly attains birth; after passing through many existences, he is born as an animal.
ततो दुःखम् अनुप्राप्य बहुवर्षगणानि वै स पुनर्भवसंयुक्तस् ततः कूर्मः प्रजायते
Afterwards, experiencing suffering for many years, he is again bound to rebirth; then he is born as a tortoise.
दधि हृत्वा बकश् चापि प्लवो मत्स्यान् असंस्कृतान् चोरयित्वा तु दुर्बुद्धिर् मधुदंशः प्रजायते
Stealing curds, a crane, or a heron; stealing uncooked fish, a person of wicked mind is born as a honeybee.
फलं वा मूलकं हृत्वा पूपं वापि पिपीलिकः चोरयित्वा तु निष्पावं जायते फलमूषकः
Stealing fruit or roots, or even a cake, he becomes an ant; stealing peas, he is born as a fruit-mouse.
पायसं चोरयित्वा तु तित्तिरत्वम् अवाप्नुयात् हृत्वा पिष्टमयं पूपं कुम्भोलूकः प्रजायते
By stealing rice pudding, one attains the state of a partridge; by taking a cake made of flour, one is born as a barn owl.
अपो हृत्वा तु दुर्बुद्धिर् वायसो जायते नरः कांस्यं हृत्वा तु दुर्बुद्धिर् हारीतो जायते नरः
A person of wicked mind who steals water is born as a crow; one of wicked mind who steals bronze becomes a harita-bird.
राजतं भाजनं हृत्वा कपोतः संप्रजायते हृत्वा तु काञ्चनं भाण्डं कृमियोनौ प्रजायते
By stealing a silver vessel, one is born as a pigeon; by taking a golden vessel, one is born in the womb of worms.
पत्त्रोर्णं चोरयित्वा तु कुररत्वं नियच्छति कोशकारं ततो हृत्वा नरो जायेत नर्तकः
By stealing silk thread, one attains the state of a kite; by taking from a weaver, a man is born as a dancer.
अंशुकं चोरयित्वा तु शुको जायेत मानवः चोरयित्वा दुकूलं तु मृतो हंसः प्रजायते
By stealing a garment, a man is born as a parrot; by stealing fine cloth, after death, one is born as a swan.
क्रौञ्चः कार्पासिकं हृत्वा मृतो जायेत मानवः चोरयित्वा नरः पट्टं त्व् आविकं चैव भो द्विजाः
A crane, having stolen cotton, is born as a human after death; and, O twice-born, a man who steals silk or woolen cloth—
क्षौमं च वस्त्रम् आहृत्य शशो जन्तुः प्रजायते चूर्णं तु हृत्वा पुरुषो मृतो जायेत बर्हिणः
By taking linen cloth, a creature is born as a hare; by stealing flour, a man is born after death as a peacock.
हृत्वा रक्तानि वस्त्राणि जायते जीवजीवकः वर्णकादींस् तथा गन्धांश् चोरयित्वेह मानवः
By stealing red garments, one is born as a jivajivaka bird; likewise, a man who steals dyes and perfumes—
चुच्छुन्दरित्वम् आप्नोति विप्रो लोभपरायणः तत्र जीवति वर्षाणि ततो दश च पञ्च च
A brahmin devoted to greed attains the state of a mongoose, living there for fifteen years.
अधर्मस्य क्षयं कृत्वा ततो जायेत मानवः चोरयित्वा पयश् चापि बलाका संप्रजायते
After exhausting the result of unrighteousness, he is then born as a human; by stealing milk, one is born as a crane.