दानवानां च सिद्धानां तपसां च परं पदम् । योगानां चैव वेदानां कीर्तनं सेवनं विभो
For the Dānavas, the Siddhas, and those who perform austerities, it is the supreme goal; for yogas and Vedas, O Lord, it is praise and service.
मुक्तित्वममरत्वं च सर्वसिद्धित्वमेव च । श्रीशक्तिसेवकस्यैव कलां नार्हन्ति षोडशीम्
Liberation, immortality, and all accomplishments—even the sixteenth part of these cannot be attained without service to Śrī Śakti.
भजामि केन विधिना वद वेदविदांवर । शुभकर्मविपाकं च श्रुतं नॄणां मनोहरम्
By what method should I worship? Tell me, O best among knowers of the Veda. I have heard of the delightful results of virtuous actions among people.
कर्माशुभविपाकं च तन्मे व्याख्यातुमर्हसि । इत्युक्त्वा च सती ब्रह्मन् भक्तिनम्रात्मकन्धरा
And also the results of unvirtuous actions—please explain that to me. Having spoken thus, O Brahman, she stood with devotion, her head bowed in reverence.
तुष्टाव धर्मराजं च वेदोक्तेन स्तवेन च । सावित्र्युवाच तपसा धर्ममाराध्य पुष्करे भास्करः पुरा
She praised the Lord of Dharma with a hymn from the Vedas. Sāvitrī said: By austerity, worshipping Dharma at Puṣkara, the Sun once obtained Dharma as a son.
धर्मं सूर्यः सुतं प्राप धर्मराजं नमाम्यहम् । समता सर्वभूतेषु यस्य सर्वस्य साक्षिणः
I bow to Dharmarāja, the son whom Sūrya obtained. He is equal toward all beings, the witness of everything.
अतो यन्नाम शमनमिति तं प्रणमाम्यहम् । येनान्तश्च कृतो विश्वे सर्वेषां जीविनां परम्
Therefore, I bow to him whose name is Śamana (the pacifier). By whom the end is brought to all living beings in the universe.
कामानुरूपं कालेन तं कृतान्तं नमाम्यहम् । बिभर्ति दण्डं दण्डाय पापिनां शुद्धिहेतवे
I bow to that Kṛtānta (the end-maker), who, in accordance with desires and at the proper time, brings about the end for all. He holds the staff for punishment, for the purification of sinners.
नमामि तं दण्डधरं यः शास्ता सर्वजीविनाम् । विश्वं च कलयत्येव यः सर्वेषु च सन्ततम्
I bow to that wielder of the staff, who is the ruler of all living beings. He continually perceives the entire universe in all.
अतीव दुर्निवार्यं च तं कालं प्रणमाम्यहम् । तपस्वी ब्रह्मनिष्ठो यः संयमी सञ्जितेन्द्रियः
I bow to that Kāla (Time), who is extremely difficult to withstand. He is austere, established in Brahman, self-restrained, and has conquered his senses.
जीवानां कर्मफलदस्तं यमं प्रणमाम्यहम् । स्वात्मारामश्च सर्वज्ञो मित्रं पुण्यकृतां भवेत्
I bow to Yama, the giver of the fruits of actions to living beings. He delights in his own self, is all-knowing, and is a friend to the doers of merit.
पापिनां क्लेशदो यस्तं पुण्यमित्रं नमाम्यहम् । यज्जन्म ब्रह्मणोंऽशेन ज्वलन्तं ब्रह्मतेजसा
I bow to him, the friend of the virtuous, who brings suffering to sinners. His birth is from a portion of Brahmā, blazing with the brilliance of Brahman.
यो ध्यायति परं ब्रह्म तमीशं प्रणमाम्यहम् । इत्युक्त्वा सा च सावित्री प्रणनाम यमं मुने
I bow to that Lord who meditates on the Supreme Brahman. Having spoken thus, Sāvitrī bowed to Yama, O sage.
यमस्तां शक्तिभजनं कर्मपाकमुवाच ह । इदं यमाष्टकं नित्यं प्रातरुत्थाय यः पठेत्
Yama then spoke to her about the worship of his power and the results of actions. Whoever recites this Yamāṣṭaka daily upon rising in the morning—
यमात्तस्य भयं नास्ति सर्वपापात्प्रमुच्यते । महापापी यदि पठेन्नित्यं भक्तिसमन्वितः । यमः करोति संशुद्धं कायव्यूहेन निश्चितम्
—has no fear from Yama and is freed from all sins. Even a great sinner, if he recites it daily with devotion, Yama certainly purifies him, along with his bodily constitution.
इति श्रीमद्देवीभागवते महापुराणेऽष्टादशसाहस्र्यां संहितायां नवमस्कन्धे यमाष्टकवर्णनं नामेकत्रिशोऽध्यायः
Thus, in the Śrīmad Devī Bhāgavata Mahāpurāṇa, in the Eighteen-Thousand-Verse Collection, in the Ninth Book, the thirty-first chapter named 'Description of the Yamāṣṭaka' is concluded.
सावित्र्युपाख्याने कुण्डसंख्यानिरूपणम् श्रीनारायण उवाच मायाबीजं महामन्त्रं प्रदत्त्वा विधिपूर्वकम् । कर्माशुभविपाकं च तामुवाच रवेः सुतः
In the story of Sāvitrī: the determination of the number of Kuṇḍas. Śrī Nārāyaṇa said: Having given the great mantra, the seed of Māyā, according to the proper method, the son of the Sun spoke to her about the results of actions, both virtuous and unvirtuous.
धर्मराज उवाच शुभकर्मविपाकान्न नरकं याति मानवः । कर्माशुभविपाकं च कथयामि निशामय
Dharmarāja said: From the results of virtuous actions, a person does not go to hell. Now I will tell you about the results of unvirtuous actions—listen.
नानापुराणभेदेन नामभेदेन भामिनि । नानाप्रकारं स्वर्गं च याति जीवः स्वकर्मभिः
O beautiful one, by the differences among various Purāṇas and by differences in names, the soul attains various kinds of heavens according to its own actions.
शुभकर्मविपाकान्न नरकं याति कर्मभिः । कुकर्मणा च नरकं याति नानाविधं नरः
By the results of virtuous actions, one does not go to hell; but by evil deeds, a person goes to various kinds of hell.
नरकाणां च कुण्डानि सन्ति नानाविधानि च । नानाशास्त्रप्रमाणेन कर्मभेदेन यानि च
There are pits of hell, of various kinds, determined by different scriptures and by the diversity of actions.
विस्तृतानि च गर्तानि क्लेशदानि च दुःखिनाम् । भयङ्कराणि घोराणि हे वत्से कुत्सितानि च
There are deep chasms, causing suffering to the miserable, terrifying, dreadful, and vile, O dear one.
षडशीति च कुण्डानि एवमन्यानि सन्ति च । निबोध तेषां नामानि प्रसिद्धानि श्रुतौ सति
There are eighty-six pits, and others as well; listen to their names, renowned in the scriptures.
वह्निकुण्डं तप्तकुण्डं क्षारकुण्डं भयानकम् । विट्कुण्डं मूत्रकुण्डं च श्लेष्मकुण्डं च दुःसहम्
The fiery pit, the heated pit, the caustic pit, the dreadful one; the pit of excrement, the pit of urine, and the intolerable pit of phlegm.
गरकुण्डं दूषिकुण्डं वसाकुण्डं तथैव च । शुक्रकुण्डमसुक्कुण्डमश्रुकुण्डं च कुत्सितम्
The pit of poison, the pit of filth, the pit of fat likewise; the pit of semen, the pit of pus, and the loathsome pit of tears.
कुण्डं गात्रमलानां च कर्णविट्कुण्डमेव च । मज्जाकुण्डं मांसकुण्डं नक्रकुण्डं च दुस्तरम्
The pit of bodily grime, the pit of earwax, the pit of marrow, the pit of flesh, and the insurmountable pit of crocodiles.
लोमकुण्डं केशकुण्डमस्थिकुण्डं च दुस्तरम् । ताम्रकुण्डं लोहकुण्डं प्रतप्तं क्लेशदं महत्
The pit of hair, the pit of head-hair, the pit of bones, hard to cross; the copper pit, the iron pit, blazing and greatly tormenting.
चर्मकुण्डं तप्तसुराकुण्डं च परिकीर्तितम् । तीक्ष्णकण्टककुण्डं च विषोदं विषकुण्डकम्
The pit of skin, the pit of heated liquor is also mentioned; the pit of sharp thorns, the pit filled with poison, and the poisonous pit.
प्रतप्तकुण्डं तैलस्य कुन्तकुण्डं च दुर्वहम् । कृमिकुण्डं पूयकुण्डं सर्पकुण्डं दुरन्तकम्
The pit of boiling oil, the pit of spikes, unbearable; the pit of worms, the pit of pus, the pit of serpents, exceedingly dreadful.
मशकुण्डं दंशकुण्डं भीमं गरलकुण्डकम् । कुण्डं च वज्रदंष्ट्राणां वृश्चिकानां च सुव्रते
The pit of flies, the pit of biting insects, the terrible pit of venom; the pit of those with diamond-like fangs, and the pit of scorpions, O virtuous one.