स्वकर्मणा सर्वसिद्धिममरत्वं लभेद् ध्रुवम् । लभेत्स्वकर्मणा विष्णोः सालोक्यादिचतुष्टयम्
By one's own actions, one certainly attains all accomplishments and immortality; by one's own actions, one attains the four types of proximity to Vishnu, such as residing in his world.
सुरत्वं च मनुत्वं च राजेन्द्रत्वं लभेन्नरः । कर्मणा च शिवत्वं च गणेशत्वं तथैव च
A person attains the state of a god, a human, or a king through action; likewise, through action, one attains the state of Shiva or Ganesha.
कर्मणा च मुनीन्द्रत्वं तपस्वित्वं स्वकर्मणा । स्वकर्मणा क्षत्रियत्वं वैश्यत्वं च स्वकर्मणा
Through action, one attains the status of a great sage or an ascetic by one's own deeds; by one's own actions, one becomes a Kshatriya or a Vaishya.
कर्मणैव च म्लेच्छत्वं लभते नात्र संशयः । स्वकर्मणा जङ्गमत्वं शैलत्वं च स्वकर्मणा
Indeed, by action alone, one attains the state of a mleccha—there is no doubt of this; by one's own actions, one becomes a moving being or, by one's own actions, a mountain.
कर्मणा राक्षसत्वं च किन्नरत्वं स्वकर्मणा । कर्मणैवाधिपत्यं च वृक्षत्वं च स्वकर्मणा
Through action, one attains the state of a rakshasa, or by one's own actions, that of a kinnara; by action alone, one attains lordship or, by one's own actions, the state of a tree.
कर्मणैव पशुत्वं च वनजीवी स्वकर्मणा । कर्मणा क्षुद्रजन्तुत्वं कृमित्वं च स्वकर्मणा
By action alone, one becomes an animal, or by one's own actions, a forest-dweller; by action, one becomes a small creature or, by one's own actions, a worm.
दैतेयत्वं दानवत्वमसुरत्वं स्वकर्मणा । इत्येतदुक्त्वा सावित्रीं विरराम स वै यमः
By one's own actions, one becomes a Daitya, a Danava, or an Asura; having thus spoken, Yama ceased addressing Savitri.
इति श्रीमद्देवीभागवते महापुराणेऽष्टादशसाहस्र्यां संहितायां नवमस्कन्धे सावित्र्युपाख्याने यमसावित्रीसंवादवर्णनं नाम सप्तविंशोऽध्यायः
Thus ends the twenty-seventh chapter, entitled 'The Dialogue between Yama and Savitri,' in the narrative of Savitri, in the ninth book of the great Purana Srimad Devi Bhagavata, comprising eighteen thousand verses.
सावित्र्युपाख्याने यमसावित्रीसंवादवर्णनम् श्रीनारायण उवाच यमस्य वचनं श्रुत्वा सावित्री च पतिव्रता । तुष्टाव परया भक्त्या तमुवाच मनस्विनी
In the narrative of Savitri, the description of the dialogue between Yama and Savitri: Sri Narayana said—Hearing the words of Yama, Savitri, devoted to her husband, praised him with supreme devotion and spoke to him, her mind composed.
सावित्र्युवाच किं कर्म तद्भवेत्केन को वा तद्धेतुरेव च । को वा देही च देहः कः को वात्र कर्मकारकः
Savitri said: What is action? By whom is it performed? What is its cause? Who is the embodied one, and what is the body? Who, in this matter, is the doer of action?
किं वा ज्ञानं च बुद्धिः का को वा प्राणः शरीरिणाम् । कानीन्द्रियाणि किं तेषां लक्षणं देवताश्च काः
What is knowledge, and what is intellect? Who is the vital force among embodied beings? What are the senses? What are their characteristics, and who are their presiding deities?
भोक्ता भोजयिता को वा को वा भोगश्च निष्कृतिः । को जीवः परमात्मा कस्तन्मे व्याख्यातुमर्हसि
Who is the enjoyer and who is the giver of enjoyment? What is enjoyment and what is liberation? Who is the jiva, who is the supreme self? Please explain this to me.
धर्म उवाच वेदप्रणिहितो धर्मः कर्म यन्मङ्गलं परम् । अवैदिकं तु यत्कर्म तदेवाशुभमेव च
Dharma said: Dharma is that which is established by the Vedas; action that is supremely auspicious. But whatever action is not in accordance with the Vedas, that alone is inauspicious.
अहैतुकी देवसेवा संकल्परहिता सती । कर्मनिर्मूलरूपा च सा एव परभक्तिदा
Selfless service to the gods, performed without desire and free from personal motives, and which is the very root of action—this alone bestows supreme devotion.
को वा कर्मफलं भुङ्क्ते को वा निर्लिप्त एव च । ब्रह्मभक्तो यो नरश्च स च मुक्तः श्रुतः श्रुतौ
Who enjoys the fruit of action, and who remains untouched? The man who is devoted to Brahman is declared in the scriptures to be liberated.
जन्ममृत्युजराव्याधिशोकभीतिविवर्जितः । भक्तिश्च द्विविधा साध्वि श्रुत्युक्ता सर्वसम्मता
He is free from birth, death, old age, disease, sorrow, and fear. O virtuous one, devotion is twofold, as stated in the scriptures and accepted by all.
निर्वाणपददात्री च हरिरूपप्रदा नृणाम् । हरिरूपस्वरूपां च भक्तिं वाञ्छन्ति वैष्णवाः
It bestows the state of liberation and grants the form of Hari to men; the Vaishnavas desire devotion whose nature is the very form of Hari.
अन्ये निर्वाणमिच्छन्ति योगिनो ब्रह्मवित्तमाः । कर्मणो बीजरूपश्च सततं तत्फलप्रदः
Others, the best among yogis and knowers of Brahman, desire liberation; the seed-form of action always yields its own fruit.
कर्मरूपश्च भगवान्परात्मा प्रकृतिः परा । सोऽपि तद्धेतुरूपश्च देहो नश्वर एव च
The Lord, who is of the nature of action, is the Supreme Self and the supreme Prakriti; he is also the cause of that, and the body is indeed perishable.
पृथिवी वायुराकाशो जलं तेजस्तथैव च । एतानि सूत्ररूपाणि सृष्टिरूपविधौ सतः
Earth, air, space, water, and fire—these five, in their subtle forms, exist as the threads in the process of creation.
कर्मकर्ता च देही च आत्मा भोजयिता सदा । भोगो विभवभेदश्च नित्कृतिर्मुक्तिरेव च
The doer of actions, the embodied soul, the Self who always experiences, enjoyment, the diversity of wealth, merit, and liberation—all these exist.
सदसद्भेदबीजं च ज्ञानं नानाविधं भवेत् । विषयाणां विभागानां भेदि बीजं च कीर्तितम्
Knowledge, which is the seed of the distinction between existence and non-existence, is of many kinds; it is said to be the seed of the divisions among objects.
बुद्धिर्विवेचना सा च ज्ञानबीजं श्रुतौ श्रुतम् । वायुभेदाश्च प्राणाश्च बलरूपाश्च देहिनाम्
Intellect is discernment, and is called the seed of knowledge in the scriptures; the various forms of air, the vital breaths, and the powers in embodied beings.
इन्द्रियाणां च प्रवरमीश्वरांशमनूहकम् । प्रेरकं कर्मणां चैव दुर्निवार्यं च देहिनाम्
Among the senses, the foremost is considered a portion of the Lord, the unseen mover of actions, and for embodied beings, it is irresistible.
अनिरूप्यमदृश्यं च ज्ञानभेदो मनः स्मृतम् । लोचनं श्रवणं घ्राणं त्वक्च रसनमिन्द्रियम्
Mind is said to be the variety of knowledge, which cannot be precisely defined or seen; sight, hearing, smell, touch, and taste are the senses.
अङ्गिनामङ्गरूपं च प्रेरकं सर्वकर्मणाम् । रिपुरूपं मित्ररूपं सुखरूपं च दुःखदम्
The limbs of beings are of the nature of limbs, the instigators of all actions; they take the form of enemy, friend, pleasure, and giver of pain.
सूर्यो वायुश्च पृथिवी ब्रह्माद्या देवताः स्मृताः । प्राणदेहादिभृद्यो हि स जीवः परिकीर्तितः
The sun, air, earth, and deities beginning with Brahma are remembered; the one who supports life, body, and so on is called the jīva.
परमं व्यापकं ब्रह्म निर्गुणः प्रकृतेः परः । कारणं कारणानां च परमात्मा स उच्यते
The supreme, all-pervading Brahman, without qualities and beyond Prakriti, the cause of causes, is called the Supreme Self.
इत्येवं कथितं सर्वं त्वया पृष्टं यथागमम् । ज्ञानिनां ज्ञानरूपं च गच्छ वत्से यथासुखम्
Thus, all that you have asked has been explained according to the scriptures; the form of knowledge for the wise has been given—go, child, as you please.
सावित्र्युवाच त्यक्त्वा क्व यामि कान्तं वा त्वां वा ज्ञानार्णवं ध्रुवम् । यद्यत्करोमि प्रश्नं च तद्भवान्वक्तुमर्हति
Savitri said: Where shall I go, having abandoned you, my beloved, or you, the unfailing ocean of knowledge? Whatever question I ask, you are worthy to answer.