याम्यं सौरिपुरं नगेद्वभवनं गन्धर्वशैलागमौ क्रौञ्चं क्रूरपुरं विचित्रभवनं बह्वापदं दुः खदम् । नानाक्रन्दपुरं सुतप्तभवनं रौद्रं पयोवर्षणं शीताढ्यं बहुभीतिषोडशपुराण्येतान्यदृष्टनि ते ॥ २,५.
Yāmya, Sauri, Nagendra's abode, Gandharva mountain, Krauñca, the cruel city, the wondrous abode, the place of many calamities, the city of suffering, the city of many cries, the intensely heated abode, the fierce, the place of rain, the cold, the city of many fears—these sixteen ancient cities, unseen by you.
तत्र याम्य पुरं गच्छन्पुत्रपुत्रेति च ब्रुवन् । हाहेति क्रन्दते नित्यं स्वकृतं दुष्कृतं स्मरन् ॥ २,५.
There, as he goes to the city of Yama, crying 'son, son,' he always wails 'alas!' remembering his own evil deeds.
अष्टादशोदिने तार्क्ष्य तत्पुर प्राप्नुयादसौ । पुष्पभद्रा नदी यत्र न्यग्रोधः प्रियदर्शनः ॥ २,५.
On the eighteenth day, O Tārkṣya, he reaches that city where the river Puṣpabhadrā flows and a pleasing banyan tree stands.
विश्रामेच्छां करोत्यत्र कारयन्ति न ते भटाः । क्षितौ दत्तं सुतैस्तस्य स्नेहाद्वा कृपया तथा ॥ २,५.
There, if he desires rest, the guards do not permit it; whatever was given on earth by his sons, out of affection or compassion, is provided to him.
मासिकं पिण्डमश्नाति ततः सौरिपुरं व्रजेत् । व्रजन्नेवं प्रलपते मुद्गराहतिपीडितः ॥ २,५.
He eats the monthly offering there, and then proceeds to the city of Sūri; as he goes, afflicted by blows from clubs, he laments thus:
जलाशयो नैव कृतो मया तदा मनुष्यतृप्त्यै पशुपक्षितृप्तय । गोतृप्तिहेतोर्न च गोचरः कृतः शरीर हे निस्तर यत्त्वया कृतम् ॥ २,५.
I did not create a reservoir for the satisfaction of humans, nor for the satisfaction of cattle, birds, or animals; nor did I establish pasture for the sake of cows. O body, cross over as you have acted.
तत्र नाम्ना तु राजासौ जङ्गमः कामरूपधृक् । भयात्तद्दर्शनाज्जाताद्भुङ्क्ते पिण्डं स शङ्कितः ॥ २,५.
There, a king by name, moving about and assuming forms at will, appears; out of fear from seeing him, the traveler eats the offering with suspicion.
त्रिपक्षे जलसंयुक्तं क्षितौ दत्तं ततो व्रजेत् । व्रजन्नेवं प्रलपते खड्गाघातप्रपीडितः ॥ २,५.
After three fortnights, having received water and offerings given on earth, he proceeds further; as he goes, tormented by sword-blows, he laments thus:
न नित्यदानं न गवाह्निकं कृतं पुस्तं च दत्तं न हि वेदशास्त्रयोः । पुराणदृष्टो न हि सेवितोऽध्वा शरीर हे निस्तर यत्त्वया कृतम् ॥ २,५.
I did not give daily gifts, nor perform the daily service to cows, nor did I donate sacred texts or study the Vedas and scriptures; I did not serve the path seen in the Purāṇas. O body, cross over as you have acted.
नगेन्द्रनगरं गत्वा भुक्त्वा चान्नं तथाविधम् । मासि द्वितीये यद्दत्तं बान्धवैस्तु ततो व्रजेत् ॥ २,५.
Having reached the city of Nagendra and eaten such food, in the second month, he proceeds further, sustained by what his relatives have given.
व्रजन्नेवं प्रलपते कृपाणत्सरुताडितः । पराधानमभूत्सर्वंमम मूर्खशिरोमणेः ॥ २,५.
As he goes, struck by sharp blades, he laments: 'All has become dependent on others for me, the crown of fools.'
महता पुण्ययोगेन मानुष्यं लब्धवानहम् । तृतीये मासि सम्प्राप्ते गन्धर्वनगरे शुभम् ॥ २,५.
By the accumulation of great merit, I obtained human birth; when the third month arrives, I reach the auspicious city of the Gandharvas.
तृतीयमासिकं पिण्डं तत्र भुक्त्वा ब्रजत्यसौ । व्रजन्नेवं विलपते तदग्रेणाहतः पथि ॥ २,५.
There, having eaten the third monthly offering, he proceeds onward; as he goes, struck ahead on the path, he laments thus:
मया न दत्तं न हुतं हुताशने तपो न तप्तं हिमशैलगह्वरे । न सेवितं गाङ्गमहो महाजलं शरीर हे निस्तर यत्त्वया कृतम् ॥ २,५.
I did not give nor offer oblations into the fire, nor did I perform austerities in the caves of snowy mountains; I did not serve the Ganges or great waters. O body, cross over as you have acted.
तुर्ये शैलागमं मासि प्राप्नुयात्तत्र वर्षणम् । तस्योपरि भवेत्पक्षिन्पाषाणानां निरन्तरम् ॥ २,५.
In the fourth month, he reaches the mountain region, where there is constant rain of stones and birds from above.
चतुर्थमासिकं श्राद्धं भुक्त्वा तत्र प्रसर्पति । स पतन्नेव विलपन्पाषाणाद्यतिपीडितः ॥ २,५.
Having eaten the fourth monthly śrāddha there, he proceeds onward, lamenting as he falls, greatly afflicted by stones.
न ज्ञानमार्गो न च योगमार्गो न कर्ममार्गो न च भक्तिमार्गः । न साधुसङ्गात्किमपि श्रुतं मया शरीर हे निस्तर यत्त्वया कृतम् ॥ २,५.
I did not follow the path of knowledge, nor the path of yoga, nor the path of action, nor the path of devotion; I did not hear anything from the company of the good. O body, cross over as you have acted.
ततः क्रूरपुर मासि पञ्चमे याति काश्यप । भुवि दत्तं पिण्डजलं भुक्त्वा क्रूरपुरं व्रजेत् ॥ २,५.
Then, in the fifth month, O Kāśyapa, he goes to the city of Krūra; having eaten the offerings of food and water given on earth, he proceeds to Krūrapura.
व्रजन्नेवं विलपते पट्टिशैः पातितः पथि । हा मातर्हापितर्भ्रातः सुता हा हा मम स्त्रियः ॥ २,५.
As he goes, struck down on the path by spears, he laments: 'Alas, mother! Alas, father! Brother! Son! Alas, alas, my wives!'
युष्माभिर्नोपदिष्टोऽहमवस्थां प्राप्त ईदृशीम् । एवं लालप्यमानं ते यमदूता वदन्तिहि ॥ २,५.
You did not instruct me, and I have come to such a state; as he wails in this way, the messengers of Yama say to him:
क्व माता क्व पिता मूढ क्व जाया क्व सुतः सुहृत् । स्वकर्मोपार्जिते भुङ्क्ष्वं मूर्ख याताश्चिरं पथि ॥ २,५.
Where is my mother, where is my father, fool? Where is my wife, where is my son, my friend? You must eat what you have earned by your own actions, fool, for your companions have long gone on their own way.
जानासि शम्बलमलं बलमध्वगानां नोऽशम्बलः प्रयतते परलोकगत्यै । गन्तव्यमस्ति तव निश्चितमेव तेन मार्गेण येन न भवेत्क्रयविक्रयोऽपि ॥ २,५.
You know that a staff is essential for travelers, but one without a staff does not strive for the journey to the next world. You must certainly go by that path, where there is neither buying nor selling.
ऊनषाण्मासिके क्रौञ्चे भुक्त्वा पिण्डन्तु सोदकम् । घटीमात्रन्तु विश्रम्य विचित्रनगरं व्रजेत् ॥ २,५.
After six months, having eaten the rice-ball with water offered for you, and having rested for just a short while, one proceeds to the City of Wonders.
व्रजन्नेवं विलपते शूलाग्रेण विदारितः ॥ २,५.
As he goes, he laments in this way, pierced by the tip of a spear.
कुत्र यामि न हि गामि जीवितं हा मृतस्य मरणं पुनर्न वै । इत्थमेव विलपन् प्रयात्यसौ यातनार्हधृतविग्रहः पति ॥ २,५.
Where shall I go? I cannot go. Life is gone—alas! For the dead, there is no dying again. Thus lamenting, he proceeds, bearing a body fit for torment.
विचित्रनगरे तत्र विचित्रो नाम पारिथिवः । तत्र षण्मासपिण्डेन तृप्तः सन् व्रजते पुरः ॥ २,५.
In that City of Wonders, there is a king named Vicitra. There, satisfied with the rice-ball offered for six months, he moves forward.
व्रजन्नेवं विलपते प्रासाग्रेण प्रपीडितः ॥ २,५.
As he goes, he laments in this way, oppressed by the point of a lance.
माता भ्राता पिता पुत्रः कोऽपि मे वर्तते न वा । यो मामुद्धरते पापं पतन्तं दुः खसागरे ॥ २,५.
Mother, brother, father, son—none of them are with me, or perhaps someone is. Who will lift me up as I fall, sinful, into the ocean of suffering?
व्रजतस्तत्र मार्गे तु तत्र वैतरणी शुभा । शतयोजनविस्तीर्णा पूयशोणितसंकुला ॥ २,५.
As he travels on that path, there appears the auspicious river Vaitarani, a hundred yojanas wide, filled with pus and blood.
आयाति तत्र दृश्यन्ते नाविका धीवरादयः । ते वदन्ति प्रदत्ता गौर्यदि वैतरणी त्वया । नावमेनां समारोह सुकेनोत्तर वै नदीम् ॥ २,५.
There, boatmen and fishermen are seen. They say, 'If you have given a cow as a gift for Vaitarani, then board this boat and cross the river happily.'