यस्यानास्था वेदवाक्ये मन्दं हसति संततम् । व्रतोपवासहीनश्च सद्वाक्यपरनिन्दकः
He who has no faith in the words of the Veda and constantly mocks them, who neglects vows and fasts, and who slanders good people—
धूम्रान्धे च वसेत्सोऽपि शताब्दं धूम्रभक्षकः । जलजन्तुर्भवेत्सोऽपि शतजन्मक्रमेण च
—even if he dwells among the blind and eats smoke for a hundred years, he is born as a water-creature for a hundred births in succession.
ततो नानाप्रकारश्च मत्स्यजातिस्ततः शुचिः । यः करोत्युपहासं च देवब्राह्मणयोर्धने
After that, he is born in various kinds of fish, and then as a pure being; one who mocks the wealth of gods or brahmins—
पातयित्वा स पुरुषान्दशपूर्वान्दशापरान् । सोऽयं याति च धूम्रान्धं धूम्रध्वान्तसमन्वितम्
—after casting down ten men before and ten after, he goes to the world of the smoke-blind, enveloped in smoky darkness.
धूम्रक्लिष्टो धूम्रभोजी वसेत्तत्र चतुर्गुणम् । ततो मूषकजातिश्च सप्तजन्मसु भारते
Afflicted by smoke, eating smoke, he dwells there for four times the usual span; then he is born as a mouse for seven births in Bharata.
ततो नानाविधाः पक्षिजातयः कृमिजातिभिः । ततो नानाविधा वृक्षा पशवश्च ततो नरः
Then he is born in various kinds of birds, and among worm species; after that, in various kinds of trees, then as animals, and then as a human.
विप्रो दैवज्ञजीवी च वैद्यजीवी चिकित्सकः । लाक्षालोहादिव्यापारी रसादिविक्रयी च यः
A brahmin who lives by astrology, by medicine, by healing, by the trade of lac or metals, or by selling essences—
स याति नागवेष्टं च नागैर्वेष्टितमेव च । वसेत्स लोममानाब्दं तत्रैव नागपाशितः
—he goes to the realm of serpents, bound by serpents; there he remains for as many years as the number of his body hairs, bound by serpent nooses.
ततो नानाविधाः पक्षिजातयश्च ततो नरः । ततो भवेत्स गणको वैद्यश्च सप्तजन्मसु
After that, he is born in various kinds of birds, and then as a human; then, for seven births, he becomes an astrologer or a physician.
गोपश्च कर्मकारश्च रङ्गकारस्ततः शुचिः । प्रसिद्धानि च कुण्डानि कथितानि पतिव्रते
Then he is born as a cowherd, a craftsman, and then as a painter; O devoted wife, the famous pits have been described.
अन्यानि चाप्रसिद्धानि क्षुद्राणि सन्ति तत्र वै । सन्ति पातकिनस्तेषु स्वकर्मफलभोगिनः । भ्रमन्ति नानायोनिं च किं भूयः श्रोतुमिच्छसि
There are also other unknown, minor pits there; sinners dwell in them, experiencing the results of their actions, wandering through various wombs. What more do you wish to hear?
देवपूजनात् सर्वारिष्टनिवृत्तिवर्णनम् सावित्र्युवाच धर्मराज महाभाग वेदवेदाङ्गपारग । नानापुराणेतिहासे यत्सारं तत्प्रदर्शय
On the removal of all calamities by worship of the gods—
सर्वेषु सारभूतं यत्सर्वेष्टं सर्वसम्मतम् । कर्मच्छेदबीजरूपं प्रशस्तं सुखदं नृणाम्
O Dharmaraja, greatly fortunate, master of the Vedas and their branches, please show me the essence of what is found in the various Puranas and histories.
सर्वप्रदं च सर्वेषां सर्वमङ्गलकारणम् । भयं दुःखं न पश्यन्ति येन वै सर्वमानवाः
That which is the very essence among all, most desired by all, approved by all, which is praised, brings happiness to people, and destroys the seed of karma—
कुण्डानि ते न पश्यन्ति तेषु नैव पतन्ति च । न भवेद्येन जन्मादि तत्कर्म वद साम्प्रतम्
That which grants everything to all, is the cause of all auspiciousness, by which all people see neither fear nor suffering—
किमाकाराणि कुण्डानि तानि वा निर्मितानि च । के च केनैव रूपेण तत्र तिष्ठन्ति पापिनः
By which they do not see the pits, nor do they fall into them, nor is there birth and so on—tell me now of that action.
स्वदेहे भस्मसाद्भूते याति लोकान्तरं नरः । केन देहेन वा भोगं करोति च शुभाशुभम्
When his own body has become ashes, a man goes to another world; with what body then does he experience the results of good and bad actions?
सुचिरं क्लेशभोगेन कथं देहो न नश्यति । देहो वा किंविधो ब्रह्मंस्तन्मे व्याख्यातुमर्हसि
How does the body not perish, even after enduring long suffering and enjoyment? What kind of body is it, O Brahman? Please explain this to me.
श्रीनारायण उवाच सावित्रीवचनं श्रुत्वा धर्मराजो हरिं स्मरन् । कथां कथितुमारेभे कर्मबन्धनिकृन्तनीम्
Śrī Nārāyaṇa said: Hearing Sāvitrī’s words, the Lord of Dharma, remembering Hari, began to narrate the story that cuts the bonds of karma.
धर्मराज उवाच वत्से चतुर्षु वेदेषु धर्मेषु संहितासु च । पुराणेष्वितिहासेषु पाञ्चरात्रादिकेषु च
The Lord of Dharma said: Child, in the four Vedas, in the dharma texts, in the Saṃhitās, in the Purāṇas, in the histories, and in the Pāñcarātra and similar scriptures,
अन्येषु धर्मशास्त्रेषु वेदाङ्गेषु च सुव्रते । सर्वेष्टं सारभूतं च पञ्चदेवानुसेवनम्
And in other dharma treatises, in the Vedāṅgas, O virtuous one, the essence of all is the worship of the five deities.
जन्ममृत्युजराव्याधिशोकसन्तापनाशनम् । सर्वमङ्गलरूपं च परमानन्दकारणम्
It destroys birth, death, old age, disease, sorrow, and suffering; it is wholly auspicious and the cause of supreme bliss.
कारणं सर्वसिद्धीनां नरकार्णवतारणम् । भक्तिवृक्षाङ्कुरकरं कर्मवृक्षनिकृन्तनम्
It is the cause of all attainments, the ferry across the river of hell, the sprouting of the tree of devotion, and the cutting down of the tree of karma.
विमोक्षसोपानमिदमविनाशपदं स्मृतम् । सालोक्यसार्ष्टिसारूप्यसामीप्यादिप्रदं शुभम्
This is the stairway to liberation, remembered as the imperishable state; it bestows sālokya, sārṣṭi, sārūpya, sāmīpya, and other auspicious attainments.
कुण्डानि यमदूतैश्च रक्षितानि सदा शुभे । न हि पश्यन्ति स्वप्ने च पञ्चदेवार्चका नराः
The pits guarded by the messengers of Yama are always protected, O auspicious one; but men who worship the five deities do not see them, even in dreams.
देवीभक्तिविहीना ये ते पश्यन्ति ममालयम् । यान्ति ये हरितीर्थं वा श्रयन्ति हरिवासरम्
Those who lack devotion to the Goddess see my abode; but those who go to Hari’s holy places or observe Hari’s sacred days,
प्रणमन्ति हरिं नित्यं हर्यर्चां कल्पयन्ति च । न यान्ति तेऽपि घोरां च मम संयमिनीं पुरीम्
Those who bow to Hari daily and arrange worship for Hari, they too do not go to my dreadful city of restraint.
त्रिसन्धिपूता विप्राश्च शुद्धाचारसमन्विताः । निवृत्तिं नैव लप्स्यन्ति देवीसेवां विना नराः
Even purified brāhmaṇas, cleansed at the three junctions of the day and endowed with pure conduct, do not attain cessation without service to the Goddess.
स्वधर्मनिरताचाराः स्वधर्मनिरतास्तथा । गच्छन्तो मृत्युलोकं च दुर्दृशा मम किङ्कराः
Those who are devoted to their own dharma and those who act according to their own dharma, going to the world of death, are seen by my fierce attendants.
भीताः शिवोपासकेभ्यो वैनतेयादिवोरगाः । स्वदूतं पाशहस्तं च गच्छन्तं वारयाम्यहम्
The serpents, like Garuḍa and others, are afraid of the worshippers of Śiva; I restrain my own messenger, holding a noose, from approaching them.