क्रमाच्चतुर्षु वेदेषु चौक्तं मतचतुष्टयम् । सर्वेषां सारभूतं च कथयामि पितः शृणु
In order, the four Vedas declare four opinions; I will tell you, O father, the essence for all—listen.
नाभुक्तं क्षीयते कर्म कल्पकोटिशतैरपि । अवश्यमेव भोक्तव्यं कृतं कर्म शुभाशुभम्
Unexperienced karma does not perish even after hundreds of thousands of cycles; whatever karma is done, good or bad, must surely be experienced.
तीर्थानां च सुराणां च सहायेन नृणामपि । किंचिद्भवति साहाय्यं कायव्यूहेन सर्वतः
For holy places, gods, and even people, some assistance comes from the arrangement of the body in every way.
प्रायश्चितानि चीर्णानि निश्चितममत्पराङमुखम् । न निष्पुनन्ति हे तात सुराकुम्भमिवाऽऽपगाः
Even if expiations are performed with a mind turned away from me, O dear one, they do not purify, just as rivers do not cleanse a jar of liquor.
प्रायश्चित्तेन पुण्येन न हि शुध्यन्ति मानवा । सर्वारम्भेण वैश्येन्द्र दानेन योगतोऽपि वा
By expiation or merit, humans are not purified; not by any undertaking, O lord of merchants, nor by charity or even by yoga.
शुभाशुभं च यत्कर्म विना भोगान्न च क्षयः । भोगेन शुद्धिमाप्नोति ततो मुक्तिर्भवेन्नृणाम्
Good or bad karma does not diminish without enjoyment; by experiencing it, purification is attained, and then liberation comes to humans.
न नष्टं दुष्कृतं कर्म सुकृतेन च कर्मणा । न नष्टं सुकृतं कर्म कृतेन दुष्कृतेन च
Evil karma is not destroyed by good actions, nor is good karma destroyed by evil actions.
यज्ञेन तपसा वाऽपि व्रतेनानशनेन च । तीर्थस्नानेन दानेन जपेन नियमेन च
By sacrifice, austerity, vow, fasting, bathing at holy places, charity, recitation, or discipline,
भुवः प्रदक्षिणेनैव पुराणश्रवणेन च । उपदेणेन पुण्येन पूजया गुरुदेवयोः
By circumambulating the earth, by hearing the ancient scriptures, by virtuous instruction, and by worship of the revered teacher and deity.
स्वधर्माचरणेनैवातिथीनां पूजनेन च । ब्रह्मणां पूजनेनैव भोजनेन विशेषतः
By practicing one's own duty, by honoring guests, by worshipping the Brahmins, and especially by offering food.
यद्धत्तमपि विप्राय तत्प्राप्तं पूर्णरूपतः । बीजरूपं च तद्दानं क्षेत्ररूपं च ब्रह्मणः ४५ एकेन कर्मणा तात स्वर्गं प्राप्नोति मानवः । कर्मणा न हि मोक्षं च तदेव मम सेवया
Whatever is given even to a Brahmin is received in full measure; that gift is like a seed, and the Brahmin is like a field. By a single act, O dear one, a person attains heaven; but by action alone, not liberation—that comes only by serving Me.
स्वर्गं च सुकृतेनैव नरकं दुष्कृतेन च । व्याधिर्जन्म च योनौ च कुत्सिते च ततः शुचिः
Heaven is attained by good deeds, hell by evil deeds; disease, birth, and a base womb follow from that, and then a pure one.
गोघ्नो यो ब्राह्मणानां च कामतश्चोपपातकी । दन्दशूकत्वमाप्नोति गोलोमसमवर्षकम्
One who kills a cow or Brahmin, or commits grave offenses out of desire, attains the state of a worm in dung and the condition of a cow with hair-shedding.
सर्पेण भक्षितस्तेन च्वालया गरलस्य च । तृषितो व्यथितश्चैव निराहारः कृशोदरः
He is eaten by a serpent, suffers from the poison of a dog, is tormented by thirst and pain, without food, with a wasted belly.
ततः कुण्डात्समुत्थाय गौर्भवेल्लोमवर्षकम् । ततः कुष्ठी च चाण्डालो वर्षलक्षंततो नरः
Then, rising from the pit, he becomes a cow with hair-shedding; then a leper and an outcaste for a hundred thousand years, then a human.
तदा भवेद्ब्राह्मणश्च कुष्ठयुक्तो हि कर्मणा । भोजयित्वा विप्रलक्षं निर्व्याधिश्च भवेच्छुचिः
Then he becomes a Brahmin afflicted with leprosy due to his actions; after feeding a hundred thousand Brahmins, he becomes free from disease and pure.
अकामतस्तदर्धं च क्षत्रियस्यापि कामतः । अकामतस्तदर्धं च तदर्धं च विशस्तथा
If done without desire, half of that applies to a Kshatriya; if done with desire, half of that applies to a Vaishya likewise.
तदर्ध शूद्रगोघ्नश्च भुङ्क्ते पापं न संशयः । प्रायश्चित्तेन शुद्धश्च भुङ्क्ते शेषं च कर्मणः
A Shudra who kills a cow receives a quarter of the sin, without doubt; by atonement he is purified and experiences the remainder of his actions.
अनुकल्पे चतुर्थं च पापं भुङ्क्ते न संशयः । चतुर्गुणं च गोघ्नानां ब्राह्मणानां च पातकम्
In similar cases, he receives a fourth of the sin, without doubt; the sin for killing cows and Brahmins is fourfold.
भुङ्क्ते पापं च ब्रह्मन्नो ब्राह्मणाश्चेतरोऽपि वा । क्रमेणानेन बोध्यं च कामतोऽकामतोऽपि वा
He receives the sin, whether a Brahmin or another, for killing a Brahmin; this should be understood in order, whether done with or without desire.
प्रायश्चित्तं जन्म कर्म व्याधिरेव प संशयः । गोघ्नो भवति गौश्चापि यावद्वर्ष च निश्चितम्
Atonement, birth, action, and disease—these are certain; one who kills a cow becomes a cow for as many years as determined.
चतुर्गुणं च तेषां च ब्रह्मघ्नो विट्कृमिर्भवेत् । ततो भवति म्लेच्छश्च तावद्वर्षचतुर्गुणम्
For them, the sin of killing a Brahmin is fourfold; he becomes a worm in excrement, then a mleccha for four times as many years.
ततश्चान्धो भवेद्विप्रः पूर्वेषां च चतुर्गुणम् । ब्रह्मणानां चतुर्लक्षं भोजयित्वा शुचिर्भवेत्
Then the Brahmin becomes blind for four times as many years as before; after feeding four hundred thousand Brahmins, he becomes pure.
चक्षुष्मांश्च यशस्वी च भवेत्सोऽप्यतिपातकात् । स्त्रीघ्नचतुर्णां वर्णानां वेदे सोऽप्यतिपातकी
He becomes one with sight and fame, even after a grave offense; among the four castes, one who kills a woman is also a great sinner according to the Veda.
कालसूत्रं च प्राप्नोति स्त्रीलोमसमवर्षकम् । भक्षितः कृमिणा तत्र निराहारो व्यथायुतः
He attains the thread of time and the condition of a woman with hair-shedding; there, eaten by worms, he is without food and full of pain.
ततो भवति लोके च तावद्वर्ष च पातकी । ततः पापी भवेत्सोऽपि यक्ष्मग्रस्तश्च कर्मणा
Then, in the world, he becomes a sinner for as many years; after that, he becomes wicked and afflicted with consumption due to his actions.
वर्षाणां शतकं चैव विप्रलक्षं च भोजयेत् । ततः शुद्धो ब्राह्मणश्च विद्वांस्तपसि संयतः
He should feed for one hundred years, and also the Vipralaksha; then the Brahmin becomes purified, learned, and restrained in austerity.
किंचिद्भुङक्ते पापशेषं स्वर्णदानाच्छुचिर्भवेत् । गर्भघ्नश्च महापापी संप्राप्नोति शुनीमुखम्
If he eats a little, the residue of sin remains; by giving gold, he becomes pure. The killer of a fetus, being a great sinner, attains the mouth of a dog.
वर्षाणां सतकं चैव घोटकश्च भवेद्ध्रुवम् । वर्षाणां शतकं चैव सूक्ष्मशस्त्रेण पीडीतः
For one hundred years, he certainly becomes a horse; and for one hundred years, he is tormented by a subtle weapon.
ततः पापी भवेद्वैश्यो द्रव्ययुक्तो हि कमंणा । पञ्चाशद्वर्षपर्यन्तं स्वर्णदानाद्भवेच्छुचिः
Then, being sinful, he becomes a Vaishya, possessing wealth according to desire; for fifty years, by giving gold, he becomes pure.