Garuda Purana

चतुरशीतिलक्षाणि चतुर्भेदाश्च जन्तवः । अण्डजाः स्वेदजाश्चैव उद्भिज्जाश्च जारायुजाः ॥ २,१२.

There are eighty-four hundred thousand living beings of four kinds: those born from eggs, from sweat, from seeds, and from wombs.

एकविंशतिलक्षाणि अण्डजाः परिकीर्तिताः । स्वेदजाश्च तथा प्रोक्ता उद्भिज्जाश्च क्रमेण तु ॥ २,१२.

Twenty-one hundred thousand are said to be born from eggs; similarly, those born from sweat and from seeds are described in order.

जरायुजास्तथा प्रोक्ता मनुष्याद्यास्तथा परे । सर्वेषामेव जन्तूनां मानुषत्वं हि दुर्लभम् ॥ २,१२.

Those born from wombs are likewise described, such as humans and others; among all beings, human birth is indeed difficult to attain.

पञ्चेन्द्रियनिधानत्वं महापुण्यैरवाप्यते । ब्राह्मणाः क्षत्त्रिया वैश्याः शूद्रास्तत्परजातयः ॥ २,१२.

The possession of the five senses is attained through great merit; Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, Shudras, and their sub-castes are so distinguished.

रजकश्चर्मकारश्च नटो बुरुड एव च । कैवर्तमेदभिल्लाश्च सप्तैते ह्यन्त्यजाः स्मृताः ॥ २,१२.

The washerman, the leather-worker, the actor, the buruḍa, the boatman, the Meda, and the Bhilla—these seven are known as the lowest castes.

म्लेच्छतुम्बविभेदेन जातिभेदास्त्वनेकशः । जन्तूनामेव सर्वेषां जातिभेदाः सहस्रशः ॥ २,१२.

Due to differences among foreigners and others, there are many distinctions of caste; among all creatures, there are thousands of differences in birth.

जन्तूनामेव सर्वेषां भेदाश्चैव सहस्रशः । आहारो मैथुनं निद्रा भयं क्रोधस्तथैव च ॥ २,१२.

Among all creatures, there are also thousands of differences; food, sexual union, sleep, fear, and anger are common to all.

सर्वेषा मेव जन्तूनां विवेको दुर्लभः परः । एकपादादिरूपेण देहभेदास्त्वनेकशः ॥ २,१२.

For all creatures, true discernment is exceedingly rare; bodily forms are manifold, such as those with one foot and so on.

कृष्णसारो मृगो यत्र धर्मदशः स उच्यते । ब्रह्माद्या देवताः सर्वास्तत्र तिष्ठन्ति सर्वशः ॥ २,१२.

Where the black antelope dwells, that is called the place of righteousness; all the deities, beginning with Brahma, reside there completely.

भूतानां प्राणिनः श्रेष्ठाः प्राणिनां मतिजीविनः । मतिमत्सु नराः श्रेष्ठा नरेषु ब्राह्मणाः स्मृताः ॥ २,१२.

Among beings, those with life are the highest; among the living, those endowed with intellect; among the intelligent, humans are the highest; among humans, Brahmins are said to be the highest.

मानुष्यं यः समासाद्य स्वर्गमेक्षैकसाधकम् । तयोर्न साधयेदेकं तेनात्मा वञ्चितो ध्रुवम् ॥ २,१२.

Whoever, having attained human birth, which alone is the means to heaven, does not strive for either, surely deceives himself.

इच्छति शती सहस्रं सहस्री लक्षमीहते कर्तुम् । लक्षाधिपती राज्यं राजापि सकलां धरां लब्धुम् ॥ २,१२.

One who has a hundred desires wishes for a thousand; one with a thousand strives for a hundred thousand; the lord of a hundred thousand desires a kingdom; even a king wishes to possess the whole earth.

चक्रधरोऽपि सुरत्वं सुरभावे सकलसुरपतिर्भवितुम् । सुरपतिरूर्ध्वगतित्वं तथापि ननिवर्तते तृष्णा ॥ २,१२.

Even the wielder of the discus desires to become a god; as a god, to become the lord of all gods; as the lord of gods, to ascend higher—yet, desire never ceases.

तृष्णया चाभिभूतस्तु नरकं प्रतिपद्यते । तृष्णामुक्तास्तु ये केचित्स्वर्गवासं लभन्ति ते ॥ २,१२.

Overpowered by desire, one attains hell; but those who are freed from desire attain residence in heaven.

आत्माधीनः पुमांल्लोके सुखी भवति निश्चितम् । शब्दः स्पर्शश्च रूपं च रसो गन्धश्च तद्गुणाः ॥ २,१२.

A person who is self-controlled is certainly happy in this world; sound, touch, form, taste, and smell are their qualities.

तथा च विषयाधीनो दुः खी भवति निश्चितम् ॥ २,१२.

Likewise, one who is controlled by the senses is certainly unhappy.

कुरङ्गमताङ्गपतङ्गभृङ्गमीना हताः पञ्चभिरेव पञ्च । एकः प्रमादी स कथं न हन्यते यः सेवते पञ्चभिरेव पञ्च ॥ २,१२.

The deer, the elephant, the moth, the bee, and the fish are destroyed by just one of the five; how then is a reckless man not destroyed, who indulges in all five?

पितृमातृमयो बाल्ये यौवने दयितामयः । पुत्रपौत्रमयश्चान्ते मूढो नात्ममयः क्वचित् ॥ २,१२.

In childhood, one is attached to parents; in youth, to a beloved; in the end, to children and grandchildren; the deluded is never attached to the self.

लोहदारुमयैः पाशैः पुमान्बद्धो विमुच्यते । पुत्रदारमयैः पाशैर्नैव बद्धो विमुच्यते ॥ २,१२.

A man bound by chains of iron or wood can be freed; but bound by the ties of children and wife, he is never freed.

एकः करोति पापानि फलं भुङ्क्ते महाजनः । भोक्तारो विप्रयुज्यन्ते कर्ता दोषेण लिप्यते ॥ २,१२.

One person commits sins, but the result is enjoyed by many; the enjoyers are separated, but the doer is tainted by the fault.

कोऽपि मृत्युं न जयति बालो वृद्धो युवापि वा । सुखदुः खादिको वापि पुनरायाति याति च ॥ २,१२.

No one conquers death—whether child, old man, or youth; whether happy or unhappy, one comes and goes again.

सर्वेषां पश्यतामेव मृतः सर्वं परित्यजेत् । एकः प्रजायते जन्तुरेक एव प्रलीयते ॥ २,१२.

While all are watching, a person dies and leaves everything behind; one is born alone, and alone one dissolves.

एकोऽपि भुङ्क्ते सुकृतमेक एव च दुष्कृतम् । मृतं शरीरमुत्सृज्य काष्ठलोष्टसमङ्क्षितौ ॥ २,१२.

Alone one enjoys the fruits of good deeds, and alone the fruits of evil; after death, the body is abandoned, lying like wood or clay.

बान्धवा विमुखा यान्ति धर्मस्तमनुगच्छति । गृहेष्वर्था निवर्तन्ते श्मशानान्मित्रबान्धवाः ॥ २,१२.

Relatives turn away and depart, but righteousness follows him; wealth remains in the house, and friends and family go only as far as the cremation ground.

शरीरं वह्निरादत्ते सुकृतं दुष्कृतं व्रजेत् । शरीरं वह्निना दग्धं पुण्यं पापं सह स्थितम् ॥ २,१२.

Fire consumes the body, but good and evil deeds go with the soul; when the body is burned by fire, merit and sin remain together.

शुभं वा यदि वा पापं भुङ्क्ते सर्वत्र मानवः । यदनस्तमिते सूर्ये न दत्तं धनमर्थिनाम् ॥ २,१२.

A person partakes everywhere of what is good or evil, if, before the sun sets, he does not give wealth to those in need.

न जाने तस्य तद्वित्तं प्रातः कस्य भविष्यति । रारटीति धनं तस्य को मे भर्ता भविष्यति ॥ २,१२.

I do not know whose wealth that will be in the morning; the one who says, 'This is my wealth, who will be my master?'

न दत्तं द्विजमुख्येभ्यः परोपकृतये तथा । पूर्वजन्मकृतात्पुण्याद्यल्लब्धं बहु चाल्पकम् ॥ २,१२.

If wealth is not given to the foremost twice-born or for the benefit of others, then whatever is gained, much or little, comes from merit earned in a previous birth.

तदीदृशं परिज्ञाय धर्मार्थे दीयते धनम् । धनेन धार्यते धर्मः श्रद्धापूतेन चेतसा ॥ २,१२.

Understanding this, one should give wealth for the sake of righteousness and prosperity; righteousness is upheld by wealth, with a mind purified by faith.