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.
यस् तु चोरयते तैलं नरो मोहसमन्वितः सो ऽपि विप्रा मृतो जन्तुस् तैलपायी प्रजायते
A man, deluded, who steals oil, O brahmins, after death is born as an oil-drinker.
अशस्त्रं पुरुषं हत्वा सशस्त्रः पुरुषाधमः अर्थार्थं यदि वा वैरी मृतो जायेत वै खरः
A wretched man who kills an unarmed person while himself armed, whether for wealth or out of enmity, is born after death as a donkey.
खरो जीवति वर्षे द्वे ततः शस्त्रेण वध्यते स मृतो मृगयोनौ तु नित्योद्विग्नो ऽभिजायते
The donkey lives for two years, then is killed with a weapon; after death, he is born in the womb of a deer, always anxious.
मृगो विध्येत शस्त्रेण गते संवत्सरे ततः हतो मृगस् ततो मीनः सो ऽपि जालेन बध्यते
The deer is struck down with a weapon after a year has passed; the slain deer is then born as a fish, and he too is caught in a net.
मासे चतुर्थे संप्राप्ते श्वापदः संप्रजायते श्वापदो दश वर्षाणि द्वीपी वर्षाणि पञ्च च
When the fourth month arrives, he is born as a wild beast; as a wild beast, he lives ten years, and as a leopard, five years.
ततस् तु निधनं प्राप्तः कालपर्यायचोदितः अधर्मस्य क्षयं कृत्वा मानुषत्वम् अवाप्नुयात्
Then, meeting his end as ordained by time, after exhausting the result of unrighteousness, he attains human birth.
वाद्यं हृत्वा तु पुरुषो लोमशः संप्रजायते तथा पिण्याकसंमिश्रम् अन्नं यश् चोरयेन् नरः
A man who steals a musical instrument is born as a hairy creature; likewise, one who steals food mixed with oil-cake—
स जायते बभ्रुसटो दारुणो मूषिको नरः दशन् वै मानुषान् नित्यं पापात्मा स द्विजोत्तमाः
He is born as a harsh, tawny rat, O best of twice-born; always biting humans, he is of sinful soul.
घृतं हृत्वा तु दुर्बुद्धिः काको मद्गुः प्रजायते मत्स्यमांसम् अथो हृत्वा काको जायेत मानवः
If a person with evil intent steals ghee, he is born as a crow or a waterfowl; if he steals fish meat, he becomes a human.
लवणं चोरयित्वा तु चिरिकाकः प्रजायते विश्वासेन तु निक्षिप्तं यो ऽपनिह्नोति मानवः
If one steals salt, he is born as a crow; and whoever dishonestly takes what has been entrusted in confidence becomes a human.
स गतायुर् नरस् तेन मत्स्ययोनौ प्रजायते मत्स्ययोनिम् अनुप्राप्य मृतो जायेत मानुषः
That man, having lost his lifespan, is born in the fish species; after attaining the fish birth and dying, he is born as a human.
मानुषत्वम् अनुप्राप्य क्षीणायुर् उपजायते पापानि तु नरः कृत्वा तिर्यग् जायेत भो द्विजाः
Upon attaining human birth, with a diminished lifespan, he is born again; and after committing sins, a man is born as an animal, O twice-borns.
न चात्मनः प्रमाणं तु धर्मं जानाति किंचन ये पापानि नराः कृत्वा निरस्यन्ति व्रतैः सदा
He does not know the measure of his own self nor any aspect of dharma; those men who commit sins always reject them through vows.
सुखदुःखसमायुक्ता व्याधिमन्तो भवन्त्य् उत असंवीताः प्रजायन्ते म्लेच्छाश् चापि न संशयः
They are afflicted equally by happiness and sorrow, and indeed become diseased; they are born unclothed, and also as mlecchas, without doubt.
नराः पापसमाचारा लोभमोहसमन्विताः वर्जयन्ति हि पापानि जन्मप्रभृति ये नराः
Men of sinful conduct, filled with greed and delusion, avoid sins; those men who shun sins from birth onward.
अरोगा रूपवन्तश् च धनिनस् ते भवन्त्य् उत स्त्रियो ऽप्य् एतेन कल्पेन कृत्वा पापम् अवाप्नुयुः
They become healthy, handsome, and wealthy; women too, by this rule, after committing sin, attain such results.
एतेषाम् एव पापानां भार्यात्वम् उपयान्ति ताः प्रायेण हरणे दोषाः सर्व एव प्रकीर्तिताः
The wives of these sinners also attain such outcomes; in theft, all faults are generally described.
एतद् वै लेशमात्रेण कथितं वो द्विजर्षभाः अपरस्मिन् कथायोगे भूयः श्रोष्यथ भो द्विजाः
This has been told to you only in brief, O best of twice-borns; in another context of discourse, you will hear more, O twice-borns.
एतन् मया महाभागा ब्रह्मणो वदतः पुरा सुरर्षीणां श्रुतं मध्ये पृष्टं चापि यथा तथा
This was formerly heard by me, O illustrious ones, from Brahma speaking among the divine sages, and asked as it was.
मयापि तुभ्यं कार्त्स्न्येन यथावद् अनुवर्णितम् एतच् छ्रुत्वा मुनिश्रेष्ठा धर्मे कुरुत मानसम्
I have also described it to you fully and properly; hearing this, O best of sages, set your mind on dharma.