वैतरण्यां च यद् दुःखं पतितानां यमक्षये योनिषु च विचित्रासु संचारान् अशुभांस् तथा
And the suffering in the Vaitaraṇī for those fallen at the abode of Yama, and the various wanderings in strange wombs, and likewise the inauspicious ones.
जठरे चाशुभे वासं शोणितोदकभाजने श्लेष्ममूत्रपुरीषे च तीव्रगन्धसमन्विते
And the dwelling in the impure belly, in the vessel of blood and water, and in mucus, urine, and feces, accompanied by intense foulness.
शुक्रशोणितसंघाते मज्जास्नायुपरिग्रहे शिराशतसमाकीर्णे नवद्वारे पुरे ऽथ वै
In the mass of semen and blood, surrounded by marrow and sinews, filled with hundreds of veins, in the city with nine gates.
विज्ञाय हितम् आत्मानं योगांश् च विविधान् द्विजाः तामसानां च जन्तूनां रमणीयानृतात्मनाम्
Knowing the beneficial self and the various forms of yoga, O twice-born, and the delightful but false-natured beings of darkness.
सात्त्विकानां च जन्तूनां कुत्सितं मुनिसत्तमाः गर्हितं महताम् अर्थे सांख्यानां विदितात्मनाम्
And the base nature of beings of purity, O best of sages, and the reproachful acts among the great, in the matter of the Sāṃkhyas, who know the self.
उपप्लवांस् तथा घोराञ् शशिनस् तेजसस् तथा ताराणां पतनं दृष्ट्वा नक्षत्राणां च पर्ययम्
And likewise the dreadful disturbances, the waning of the moon’s energy, the falling of the stars, and the changes of the constellations.
द्वंद्वानां विप्रयोगं च विज्ञाय कृपणं द्विजाः अन्योन्यभक्षणं दृष्ट्वा भूतानाम् अपि चाशुभम्
Having understood the separation of pairs and the misery, O twice-born, and having seen the mutual devouring and the inauspiciousness even among beings,
बाल्ये मोहं च विज्ञाय पक्षदेहस्य चाशुभम् रागं मोहं च संप्राप्तं क्वचित् सत्त्वं समाश्रितम्
Having understood the delusion in childhood and the misfortune of the bodily condition, and having seen attachment and delusion arise, and sometimes the presence of purity,
सहस्रेषु नरः कश्चिन् मोक्षबुद्धिं समाश्रितः दुर्लभत्वं च मोक्षस्य विज्ञानं श्रुतिपूर्वकम्
Among thousands, only one man pursues the intention for liberation; and the rarity of liberation, and knowledge preceded by the Veda, are to be understood.
बहुमानम् अलब्धेषु लब्धे मध्यस्थतां पुनः विषयाणां च दौरात्म्यं विज्ञाय च पुनर् द्विजाः
Having seen the lack of respect for those who have not obtained, and indifference upon obtaining, and having understood the baseness of sense objects, O twice-born,
गतासूनां च सत्त्वानां देहान् भित्त्वा तथा शुभान् वासं कुलेषु जन्तूनां मरणाय धृतात्मनाम्
Having seen the bodies of beings whose life has departed, whether pure or not, and the dwelling of creatures in families, and the death of those who are steadfast in self-control,
सात्त्विकानां च जन्तूनां दुःखं विज्ञाय भो द्विजाः ब्रह्मघ्नानां गतिं ज्ञात्वा पतितानां सुदारुणाम्
Having understood the suffering of sattvic beings, O twice-born, and having known the fate of slayers of Brahmins, which is most terrible for the fallen,
सुरापाने च सक्तानां ब्राह्मणानां दुरात्मनाम् गुरुदारप्रसक्तानां गतिं विज्ञाय चाशुभाम्
Having understood the inauspicious fate of Brahmins addicted to drinking liquor, of evil-minded ones, and of those attached to the wives of their teachers,
जननीषु च वर्तन्ते येन सम्यग् द्विजोत्तमाः सदेवकेषु लोकेषु येन वर्तन्ति मानवाः
By whom beings are born in mothers, O best of twice-born, and by whom men exist among the worlds with the gods,
तेन ज्ञानेन विज्ञाय गतिं चाशुभकर्मणाम् तिर्यग्योनिगतानां च विज्ञाय च गतीः पृथक्
By that knowledge, having understood the fate of those who perform inauspicious deeds, and having known separately the destinies of those born in animal wombs,
वेदवादांस् तथा चित्रान् ऋतूनां पर्ययांस् तथा क्षयं संवत्सराणां च मासानां च क्षयं तथा
The various doctrines of the Vedas, and likewise the cycles of the seasons, and the decline of years, and likewise the waning of months,
पक्षक्षयं तथा दृष्ट्वा दिवसानां च संक्षयम् क्षयं वृद्धिं च चन्द्रस्य दृष्ट्वा प्रत्यक्षतस् तथा
Having seen the waning of fortnights, and likewise the decrease of days, and having directly observed the waning and waxing of the moon,
वृद्धिं दृष्ट्वा समुद्राणां क्षयं तेषां तथा पुनः क्षयं धनानां दृष्ट्वा च पुनर् वृद्धिं तथैव च
Having seen the increase of oceans, and likewise their decrease, and having seen the loss of wealth and again its increase in the same way,
संयोगानां तथा दृष्ट्वा युगानां च विशेषतः देहवैक्लव्यतां चैव सम्यग् विज्ञाय तत्त्वतः
Having seen the unions, especially of the ages, and having thoroughly understood the infirmity of the body in truth,
आत्मदोषांश् च विज्ञाय सर्वान् आत्मनि संस्थितान् स्वदेहाद् उत्थितान् गन्धांस् तथा विज्ञाय चाशुभान्
And having understood all the faults residing in the self, and the inauspicious odors arising from one's own body,
कान् उत्पातभवान् दोषान् पश्यसि ब्रह्मवित्तम एतं नः संशयं कृत्स्नं वक्तुम् अर्हस्य् अशेषतः
Which faults, arising from calamity, do you see, O knower of Brahman? You ought to tell us this entire doubt completely.
पञ्च दोषान् द्विजा देहे प्रवदन्ति मनीषिणः मार्गज्ञाः कापिलाः सांख्याः शृणुध्वं मुनिसत्तमाः
The wise, who know the path, the Kapilas and Sāṃkhyas, O best of sages, declare five faults in the body; listen, O twice-born.
कामक्रोधौ भयं निद्रा पञ्चमः श्वास उच्यते एते दोषाः शरीरेषु दृश्यन्ते सर्वदेहिनाम्
Desire and anger, fear, sleep, and the fifth is breath—these faults are seen in the bodies of all embodied beings.
छिन्दन्ति क्षमया क्रोधं कामं संकल्पवर्जनात् सत्त्वसंसेवनान् निद्राम् अप्रमादाद् भयं तथा
They cut off anger by forgiveness, desire by abandoning intention, sleep by cultivating purity, and likewise fear by vigilance.
छिन्दन्ति पञ्चमं श्वासम् अल्पाहारतया द्विजाः गुणान् गुणशतैर् ज्ञात्वा दोषान् दोषशतैर् अपि
Twice-borns, by moderation in food, cut off the fifth breath; knowing virtues by hundreds of virtues, and faults even by hundreds of faults.
हेतून् हेतुशतैश् चित्रैश् चित्रान् विज्ञाय तत्त्वतः अपां फेनोपमं लोकं विष्णोर् मायाशतैः कृतम्
Understanding, through hundreds of subtle reasons, the various causes in truth, they see the world as like the foam of water, created by hundreds of illusions of Viṣṇu.
चित्रभित्तिप्रतीकाशं नलसारम् अनर्थकम् तमःसंभ्रमितं दृष्ट्वा वर्षबुद्बुदसंनिभम्
Seeing it as resembling a painted wall, having the essence of reeds, useless, bewildered by darkness, and like a bubble in the rain.
नाशप्रायं सुखाधानं नाशोत्तरमहाभयम् रजस् तमसि संमग्नं पङ्के द्विपम् इवावशम्
A repository of pleasure, yet destined for destruction, and after destruction, great fear arises; immersed in passion and darkness, like an elephant helpless in the mud.
सांख्या विप्रा महाप्राज्ञास् त्यक्त्वा स्नेहं प्रजाकृतम् ज्ञानज्ञेयेन सांख्येन व्यापिना महता द्विजाः
The wise twice-born, skilled in Sāṃkhya, having abandoned attachment born of offspring, with the great and all-pervading knowledge and knowable of Sāṃkhya.
राजसान् अशुभान् गन्धांस् तामसांश् च तथाविधान् पुण्यांश् च सात्त्विकान् गन्धान् स्पर्शजान् देहसंश्रितान्
They cut off the impure rajasika scents, and likewise the tamasika ones, and the pure sattvika scents, all arising from touch and residing in the body.