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.
अधर्मस्य गतिर् ब्रह्मन् कथिता नस् त्वयानघ धर्मस्य च गतिं श्रोतुम् इच्छामो वदतां वर
O Brahman, you have told us the course of unrighteousness; we wish to hear the course of righteousness from you, O best of speakers.
कृत्वा पापानि कर्माणि कथं यान्त्य् अशुभां गतिम् कर्मणा च कृतेनेह केन यान्ति शुभां गतिम्
After committing sinful deeds, how do people attain an evil course? And by what action here do they attain a good course?
कृत्वा पापानि कर्माणि त्व् अधर्मवशम् आगतः मनसा विपरीतेन निरयं प्रतिपद्यते
Having committed sinful deeds, coming under the sway of unrighteousness, with a perverse mind, he attains hell.
मोहाद् अधर्मं यः कृत्वा पुनः समनुतप्यते मनःसमाधिसंयुक्तो न स सेवेत दुष्कृतम्
Whoever, out of delusion, commits unrighteousness and then repents, with a mind joined in concentration, does not engage in evil deeds.
यदि विप्राः कथयते विप्राणां धर्मवादिनाम् ततो ऽधर्मकृतात् क्षिप्रम् अपराधात् प्रमुच्यते
If the Brahmins speak, those who are followers of Brahminical dharma, then one is quickly freed from the offense of unrighteous acts.
यथा यथा नरः सम्यग् अधर्मम् अनुभाषते समाहितेन मनसा विमुञ्चति तथा तथा
As a man sincerely confesses his unrighteousness, with a concentrated mind, he is freed accordingly.
यथा यथा मनस् तस्य दुष्कृतं कर्म गर्हते तथा तथा शरीरं तु तेनाधर्मेण मुच्यते
Just as, to the extent that a person's mind reproaches their wrongful deeds, so too, by that very unrighteousness, the body is freed.
भुजंग इव निर्मोकान् पूर्वभुक्ताञ् जहाति तान् दत्त्वा विप्रस्य दानानि विविधानि समाहितः
Like a serpent sheds its old skins, so does one, having given various gifts to a learned Brahmin with a focused mind, cast off former enjoyments.
मनःसमाधिसंयुक्तः स्वर्गतिं प्रतिपद्यते दानानि तु प्रवक्ष्यामि यानि दत्त्वा द्विजोत्तमाः
Endowed with concentration of mind, one attains the path to heaven; now I will declare the gifts which, when given, O best of twice-born, yield this result.
नरः कृत्वाप्य् अकार्याणि ततो धर्मेण युज्यते सर्वेषाम् एव दानानाम् अन्नं श्रेष्ठम् उदाहृतम्
Even if a man has committed improper acts, he is joined to righteousness through giving; among all gifts, food is declared to be the highest.