सावित्र्युवाच कर्म निर्मूलयन्त्येव केन वा साधवो जनाः
Sāvitrī said: By what means do the virtuous truly uproot karma?
कर्मणां बीजरूपः कः को वा कर्म्मफलप्रदः
What is the seed-form of actions, and who indeed bestows the fruit of actions?
को वा कर्मफलं भुङ्क्ते को वा निर्लिप्त एव च
Who experiences the fruit of actions, and who remains untouched?
किं विज्ञानं मनो बुद्धिः के वा प्राणाः शरीरिणाम्
What is knowledge, mind, and intellect, and who are the life-forces in embodied beings?
भोक्ता भोजयिता को वा को भोगः का च निष्कृतिः
Who is the enjoyer, who causes enjoyment, what is enjoyment, and what is expiation?
यम उवाच अवैदिकं तु यत्कर्म तदेवाशुभमेव च
Yama said: That action which is not in accordance with the Vedas is indeed unwholesome.
अहैतुकी विष्णुसेवा सङ्कल्परहिता सताम्
Selfless service to Viṣṇu, performed by the virtuous without desire or motive,
हरिभक्तो नरो यश्च स च मुक्तः श्रुतौ श्रुतम्
A man devoted to Hari is liberated; this is declared in the scriptures.
मुक्तिश्च द्विविधा साध्वि श्रुत्युक्ता सर्वसम्मता 2.25.
O virtuous one, liberation is of two kinds, as stated in the scriptures and accepted by all.
हरिभक्तिस्वरूपां च मुक्तिं वाञ्छन्ति वैष्णवाः
Vaiṣṇavas desire liberation in the form of devotion to Hari.
कर्म्मणो बीजरूपश्च सन्ततं तत्फलप्रदः
Action is of the nature of a seed, and it continually yields its corresponding fruit.
सोऽपि तद्धेतुरूपश्च कर्म्म तेन भवेत्सति
That too becomes the cause, and thus, through action, existence comes to be.
आत्मनः प्रतिबिम्बं च देही जीवः स एव च
The embodied soul is the very reflection of the self, and is itself the living being.
पृथिवी वायुराकाशो जलं तेजस्तथैव च
Earth, air, space, water, and likewise fire—
कर्त्ता भोक्ता च देही च स्वात्मा भोजयिता सदा
The embodied self is always the doer, the enjoyer, the self, and the one who causes enjoyment.
सदसद्भेदबीजं च ज्ञानं नानाविधं भवेत्
Knowledge, which is of many kinds, becomes the seed of the distinction between real and unreal.
इन्द्रियाणां वै प्रवरमीश्वराणां समूहकम्
Of the senses, the foremost is considered the aggregate of the lords.
अनिरूप्यमदृश्यं च ज्ञानभेदं मनः स्मृतम् 2.25.
That which cannot be defined or seen, the diversity of knowledge, is known as the mind.
अङ्गिनामङ्ग रूपं च प्रेरकं सर्वकर्मणाम्
The form of the limb among limbs, the instigator of all actions—
सूर्य्यो वायुश्च पृथिवी वाण्याद्या देवताः स्मृताः
The sun, the wind, the earth, speech, and others are known as deities.
परमात्मा परं ब्रह्म निर्गुणः प्रकृतेः परः
The supreme self, the highest Brahman, is without qualities and beyond nature.
इत्येवं कथितं सर्वं मया पृष्टं यथागमम्
Thus, everything you asked has been explained by me according to the tradition.
सावित्र्युवाच प्रश्नं यद्यत्करोमि त्वां तद्भवान्वक्तुमर्हति
Savitri said: Whatever question I ask you, you are worthy to answer it.
कां कां योनिं याति जीवः कर्मणा केन वा यम
To which womb does the soul go, by what action, or by what cause, O Yama?
केन वा कर्मणा मुक्तिः केन भक्तिर्भवेद्धरेः
By what action is there liberation, and by what is there devotion to Hari?
केन वा दीर्घजीवी च केनाल्पायुश्च कर्म्मणा
By what action does one become long-lived, and by what action does one have a short life?
अङ्गहीनश्च काणश्च बधिरः केन कर्म्मणा
By what action does one become without limbs, or blind, or deaf?
क्षिप्तोऽतिलुब्धकश्चैव केन वा नरघातकः 2.25.
By what action does one become mad, excessively greedy, or a killer of men?
केन वा ब्राह्मणत्वं च तपस्वित्वं च केन वा
By what is one a brāhmaṇa, and by what is one an ascetic?
गोलोकं केन वा ब्रह्मन्सर्वोत्कृष्टं निरामयम्
By what, O Brāhmaṇa, is Goloka the highest and free from all affliction?