अनारतमदोन्मत्तलोकविह्वललोचनः । वाक्यामृतेन विबुधान्स्वपार्षदगणानपि
His eyes, ever restless from the intoxication of love, enchant the world; with the nectar of his words, he nourishes even his own divine attendants.
आप्यायमानः स विभुर्वैजयन्तीं स्रजं दधत् । अम्लानाभिनवैः स्वच्छैस्तुलसीदलसञ्चयैः
That all-pervading Lord, adorned with the Vaijayanti garland made of ever-fresh, spotless clusters of tulasi leaves, is thus gladdened.
माद्यन्मधुकरव्रातघोषश्रीसंयुतां सदा । नीलवासा देवदेव एककुण्डलभूषितः
Ever accompanied by the sweet sound of swarming, intoxicated bees, the Lord of gods is clad in blue garments and adorned with a single earring.
हलस्य ककुदि न्यस्तसुपीवरभुजोऽव्ययः । महेन्द्रः काञ्चनीं यद्वद्वरत्रां च मतङ्गमः । उदारलीलो देवेशो वर्णितः सात्त्वतर्षभैः
With strong arms resting on the hilt of his plough, imperishable, like Indra with his golden thunderbolt and the elephant with his goad, the Lord of gods, noble in his play, is praised by the best of the Sattvatas.
नरकस्वरूपवर्णनम् श्रीनारायण उवाच तस्यानुभावं भगवान् ब्रह्मपुत्रः सनातनः । सभायां ब्रह्मदेवस्य गायमान उपासते
Description of the form of Naraka. Shri Narayana said: That eternal Lord, the son of Brahma, is worshipped in the assembly of Brahma by those who sing of his greatness.
उत्पत्तिस्थितिलयहेतवोऽस्य कल्पाः सत्त्वाद्याः प्रकृतिगुणा यदीक्षयाऽऽसन् । यद्रूपं ध्रुवमकृतं यदेकमात्मन्- नानाधात्कथमुह वेद तस्य वर्त्म
The causes of creation, preservation, and dissolution—these cycles, and the qualities of nature such as sattva—arose by his will; his form is unchanging, uncreated, and one with himself—how can anyone here know the path of him who is the support of all diversity?
मूर्तिं नः पुरुकृपया बभार सत्त्वं संशुद्धं सदसदिदं विभाति यत्र । यल्लीलां मृगपतिराददेऽनवद्या- मादातुं स्वजनमनांस्युदारवीर्यः
Out of great compassion, He assumed a form for us, embodying pure existence, in which both the manifest and unmanifest shine forth; the Lord of beasts took on this flawless play, with noble strength, to win the hearts of His own people.
यन्नाम श्रुतमनुकीर्तयेदकस्मा- दार्तो वा यदि पतितः प्रलम्भनाद्वा । हन्त्यंहः सपदि नृणामशेषमन्यं कं शेषाद्भगवत आश्रयेत्युमुक्षुः
Whoever hears or recites His name, whether by chance, in distress, having fallen, or from deception—immediately, all their sins are destroyed; what other refuge remains for those seeking liberation, apart from the Lord?
मूर्धन्यर्पितमणुवत्सहस्रमूर्ध्नो भूगोलं सगिरिसरित्समुद्रसत्त्वम् । आनन्त्यादनमितविक्रमस्य भूम्नः को वीर्याण्यधिगणयेत्सहस्रजिह्वः
He, with a thousand heads, supports the earth—along with its mountains, rivers, oceans, and beings—upon His own head, as if it were a mere atom; who, even with a thousand tongues, could count the mighty deeds of the limitless and unconquered Lord?
एवंप्रभावो भगवाननन्तो दुरन्तवीर्योरुगुणानुभावः । मूले रसायाः स्थित आत्मतन्त्रो यो लीलया क्ष्मां स्थितये बिभर्ति
Such is the power of the infinite Lord, whose strength is insurmountable, whose virtues are vast and wondrous; established at the root of the waters, self-dependent, He upholds the earth by His play.
एता ह्येवेह तु नृभिर्गतयो मुनिसत्तम । गन्तव्या बहुशो यद्वद्यथाकर्मविनिर्मिताः
O best of sages, these are indeed the paths in this world that people must take, again and again, each according to the actions they have performed.
यथोपदेशं च कामान्सदा कामयमानकैः । एतावतीर्हि राजेन्द्र मनुष्यमृगपक्षिषु
And as people continually desire various pleasures according to instruction, so, O king, these are the extents of human, animal, and bird existence.
विपाकगतयः प्रोक्ता धर्मस्य वशगास्तथा । उच्चावचा विसदृशा यथाप्रश्नं निबोधत
These are called the ripened destinies, governed by righteousness, and are of many kinds—high and low, dissimilar; now listen as I explain them according to your question.
नारद उवाच वैचित्र्यमेतल्लोकस्य कथं भगवता कृतम् । समानत्वे कर्मणां च तन्नो ब्रूहि यथातथम्
Nārada said: How has the Lord created such diversity in this world, even when actions are the same? Please tell us the truth of this matter.
श्रीनारायण उवाच कर्तुः श्रद्धावशादेव गतयोऽपि पृथग्विधाः । त्रिगुणत्वात्सदा तासां फलं विसदृशं त्विह
Śrī Nārāyaṇa said: Even the destinies of the doer are of various kinds, depending on the strength of their faith; because of the three qualities, their results are always different here.
सात्त्विक्या श्रद्धया कर्तुः सुखित्वं जायते सदा । दुःखित्वं च तथा कर्तू राजस्या श्रद्धया भवेत्
By faith of the sattvic kind, the doer always attains happiness; by faith of the rajasic kind, the doer experiences suffering.
दुःखित्वं चैव मूढत्वं तामस्या श्रद्धयोदितम् । तारतम्यात्तु श्रद्धानां फलवैचित्र्यमीरितम्
By tamasic faith, suffering and delusion arise; thus, because of the gradations of faith, the variety of results is declared.
अनाद्यविद्याविहितकर्मणां परिणामजाः । सहस्रशः प्रवृत्तास्तु गतयो द्विजपुङ्गव
O best of twice-born, countless destinies arise from actions performed under the influence of beginningless ignorance, as their outcome.
तद्भेदान्वर्णयिष्यामि प्राचुर्येण द्विजोत्तम । त्रिजगत्या अन्तराले दक्षिणस्यां दिशीह वै
Now, O best of twice-born, I will describe their distinctions in detail; in the space between the three worlds, in the southern direction, indeed—
भूमेरधस्तादुपरि त्वतलस्य च नारद । अग्निष्वात्ताः पितृगणा वर्तन्ते पितरश्च ह
Below the earth and above the realm of Atala, O Nārada, dwell the Agniṣvātta ancestors and the forefathers.
वसन्ति यस्यां स्वीयानां गोत्राणां परमाशिषः । सत्याः समाधिना शीघ्रं त्वाशासानाः परेण वै
In that region reside those who, with true intent, swiftly grant supreme blessings to their own lineages, through deep meditation.
पितृराजोऽपि भगवान् सम्परेतेषु जन्तुषु । विषयं प्रापितेष्वेषु स्वकीयैः पुरुषैरिह
There, the Lord of the ancestors, when beings have departed and their own people have brought them to that realm, presides over them.
सगणो भगवत्प्रोक्ताज्ञापरो दमधारकः । यथाकर्म यथादोषं विदधाति विचारदृक्
Accompanied by his attendants, devoted to the commands spoken by the Lord, upholding self-control, he judges according to each one's actions and faults, with discernment.
स्वान्गणान्धर्मतत्त्वज्ञान्सर्वानाज्ञाप्रवर्तकान् । सदा प्रेरयति प्राज्ञो यथादेशनियोजितान्
He continually directs his own attendants, who know the essence of righteousness and execute his commands, always assigning them according to his instructions.
नरकानेकविंशत्या संख्यया वर्णयन्ति हि । अष्टाविंशमितान्केचित्ताननुक्रमतो ब्रुवे
They describe the hells as being twenty-eight in number; some say twenty-nine. I will now enumerate them in order.
तामिस्र अन्धतामिस्रो रौरवोऽपि तृतीयकः । महारौरवनामा च कुम्भीपाकोऽपरो मतः
Tāmisra, Andhatāmisra, and Raurava are the first three; then comes Mahāraurava, and another called Kumbhīpāka.
कालसूत्रं तथा चासिपत्रारण्यमुदाहृतम् । सूकरस्य मुखं चान्धकूपोऽथ कृमिभोजनः
Kālasūtra and the forest of sword-leaves are mentioned next; the mouth of a boar, a dark well, and the hell of worm-food.
संदंशस्तप्तमूर्तिश्च वज्रकण्टक एव च । शाल्मली चाथ देवर्षे नाम्ना वैरतणी तथा
Saṃdaṃśa, the hell of heated forms, and Vajrakaṇṭaka are next; then Śālmalī, and, O divine sage, another called Vairataṇī.
पूयोदः प्राणरोधश्च तथा विशसनं मतम् । लालाभक्षः सारमेयादनमुक्तमतः परम्
Pūyoda, Prāṇarodha, and Viśasana are known as such; then Lālābhakṣa and Sārameyādana, and beyond these, others.
अवीचिरप्ययः पानं क्षारकर्दम एव च । रक्षोगणाख्यसम्भोजः शूलप्रोतोऽप्यतः परम्
Avīci, Ayaḥpāna, and Kṣārakardama are next; then Rakṣogaṇabhakṣa and Śūlaprota, and beyond these, others.