Markandeya Purana

तस्यामपत्यमुत्पाद्य काष्ठान्तः कीटको भवेत् । शूकरः कृमिको मद्गुश्चण्डालश्च प्रजायते ॥ १५.

After producing offspring with her, he becomes a worm inside wood; he is born as a boar, a worm, a waterfowl, or a Chandala.

अकृतज्ञोऽधमः पुंसां विमुक्तो नरकान्नरः । कृतघ्रः कृमिकः कीटः पतङ्गो वृश्चिकस्तथा ॥ १५.

A man who is ungrateful and ignorant, after being released from hell, is born as a worm, insect, moth, or scorpion.

मत्स्यस्तु वायसः कूर्मः पुक्कसो जायते ततः । अशस्त्रं पुरुषं हत्वा नरः सञ्जायते खरः ॥ १५.

One who kills a fish, crow, or tortoise is born as an outcaste; a man who kills another without weapons is born as a donkey.

कृमिः स्त्रीवधकर्ता च बालहन्ता च जायते । भोजनं चोरयित्वा तु मक्षिका जायते नरः ॥ १५.

A killer of women or children is born as a worm; a man who steals food is born as a fly.

तत्राप्यस्ति विशेषो वै भोजनस्य शृणुष्व तत् । ह्त्वान्नन्तु स मार्जारो जायते नरकाच्च्युतः ॥ १५.

There is also a distinction regarding food—listen to this: one who steals cooked rice is born as a cat after falling from hell.

तिलपिण्याकसंमिश्रमन्नं हृत्वा तु मूषिकः । घृतं हृत्वा च नकुलः काको मद्गुरजामिषम् ॥ १५.

One who steals food mixed with sesame cake is born as a mouse; one who steals ghee becomes a mongoose; a crow is born from stealing waterfowl meat.

मत्स्यमांसापहृत्काकः श्येनो मार्गामिषापहृत् । वीचीकाकस्त्वपहृते लवणे दधनि कृमिः ॥ १५.

A crow who steals fish or meat, an osprey who steals meat from the road, and a sandpiper who steals salt or curd, are born as worms.

चोरयित्वा पयश्चापि बलाका सम्प्रजायते । यस्तु चोरयते तैलं तैलपायी स जायते ॥ १५.

One who steals milk is born as a crane; one who steals oil is born as an oil-drinker.

मधु हृत्वा नरो दंशः पूपं हृत्वा पिपीलिकः । चोरयित्वा तु निष्पावान् जायते गृहगोलकः ॥ १५.

A man who steals honey is born as a biting insect; one who steals cakes becomes an ant; one who steals split pulses is born as a house lizard.

आसवं चोरयित्वा तु तित्तिरित्वमवाप्नुयात् । अयो हृत्वा तु पापात्मा वायसः सम्प्रजायते ॥ १५.

One who steals liquor becomes a partridge; but a wicked soul who steals iron is born as a crow.

हृते कांस्ये च हारीतः कपोतो रुप्यभाजने । हृत्वा तु काञ्चनं भाण्डं कृमियोनौ प्रजायते ॥ १५.

He who steals bronze becomes a green bird; one who steals a silver vessel is born as a pigeon; but one who steals a golden vessel is born among worms.

पत्रोर्णं चोरयित्वा तु क्रकरत्वञ्च गच्छति । कोषकारश्च कौषेये हृते वस्त्रेऽभिजायते ॥ १५.

By stealing a leaf-cup, one attains the state of a woodpecker; and a weaver, by stealing silk cloth, is born again in that form.

दुकूले शार्ङ्गकः पापो हृते चैवांशुके शुकः । तथैवाजाविकं हृत्वा वस्त्रं क्षौमं च जायते ॥ १५.

A sinner who steals fine linen becomes a heron; and by stealing muslin, he becomes a parrot; likewise, by stealing goat's wool or linen, he is born as flax.

कार्पासिके हृते क्रौञ्चो वाल्कहर्ता बकस्तथा । मयूरो वर्णकान् हृत्वा शाकपत्रं च जायते ॥ १५.

He who steals cotton cloth becomes a curlew; the stealer of bark cloth becomes a crane; and one who steals colored garments is born as a peacock, and as a vegetable leaf.

जीवज्जीवकतां याति रक्तवस्त्रापहृन्नरः । छुच्छुन्दरिः शुभान् गन्धान् वासो हृत्वा शशो भवेत् ॥ १५.

A man who steals a living garment becomes a jivajivaka bird; one who steals a red garment becomes a mongoose; and one who steals fragrant clothes becomes a hare.

षण्ढः फलापहरणात्काष्ठस्य घुणकीटकः । पुष्पापहृद्दरिद्रश्च पङ्गुर्यानापहृन्नरः ॥ १५.

By stealing fruit, one becomes a eunuch; by stealing wood, a wood-boring insect; by stealing flowers, one becomes poor; and by stealing vehicles, a lame man.

शाकहर्ता च हारीतस्तोयहर्ता च चातकः । भूहर्ता नरकान् गत्वा रौरवादीन् सुदारुणान् ॥ १५.

He who steals vegetables becomes a green bird; he who steals water becomes a cātaka bird; but one who steals land, after passing through terrible hells like Raurava, is born in dreadful forms.

तृणगुल्मलतावल्लित्वक्सारतरुतां क्रमात् । प्राप्य क्षीणाल्पपापस्तु नरो भवति वै ततः ॥ १५.

He gradually attains the forms of grass, bush, creeper, vine, bark, and saline trees; and when his sin is diminished and small, he is born as a human again.

कृमिः कीटः पतङ्गोऽथ पक्षी तोय चरो मृगः । गोत्वं प्राप्य च चण्डालपुक्कसादि जुगुप्सितम् ॥ १५.

He becomes a worm, an insect, a moth, a bird, an aquatic animal, a beast; then, after being born as a cow, he attains the despised state of an outcaste, such as a Caṇḍāla or Pukkasa.

पङ्ग्वन्धो वधिरः कुष्ठी यक्ष्मणा च प्रपीडितः । मुखरोगाक्षिरोगैश्च गुदरोगैश्च बाध्यते ॥ १५.

He is afflicted as a cripple, blind, deaf, leper, tormented by consumption, and suffers from diseases of the mouth, eyes, and anus.

अपस्मारी च भवति शूद्रत्वं च स गच्छति । एष एव क्रमो दृष्टो गोसुवर्णापहारिणाम् ॥ १५.

He becomes epileptic and is born as a Śūdra; this is the observed sequence for those who steal cows or gold.

विद्यापहारिणश्चोग्रा निष्क्रयभ्रंशिनो गुरोः । जायामन्यस्य पुरुषः पारख्यां प्रतिपादयन् ॥ १५.

Those who steal knowledge, commit grave fraud, or take another man's wife, or give her to another, are also included.

प्राप्नोति षण्ढतां मूढो यातनाभ्यः परिच्युतः । यः करोति नरो होममसमिद्धे विभावसौ ॥ १५.

The deluded one who does these becomes a eunuch, cast out from the torments; and the man who performs a sacrifice with unkindled fire is likewise affected.

सोऽजिर्णव्याधिदुः खार्तो मन्दाग्निः संप्रजायते । परनिन्दा कृतघ्रत्वं परमर्मावघट्टनम् ॥ १५.

He is born afflicted with indigestion, disease, and suffering, with poor digestion; slander, ingratitude, and harming another's vital points also follow.

नैष्ठुर्यं निर्घृणत्वञ्च परदारोपसेवनम् । परस्वहरणाशौचं देवतानाञ्च कुत्सनम् ॥ १५.

Harshness, cruelty, adultery, theft, impurity, and reviling the gods are also included.

निकृत्या कञ्चनं नृणां कार्पण्यं च नृणां वधः । यानि च प्रतिषिद्धानि तत्प्रवृत्तिश्च सन्तता ॥ १५.

Deceitfully taking gold from men, killing men out of miserliness, and engaging in forbidden acts repeatedly are also to be noted.

उपलक्ष्याणि जानीयान्मुक्तानां नरकादनु । दया भूतेषु संवादः परलोकप्रतिक्रिया ॥ १५.

One should recognize these as marks of those released from hell; compassion towards beings, truthfulness, and preparation for the next world are their remedies.

सत्यं भूतहितार्थोक्तिर्वेदप्रामाण्यदर्शनम् । गुरुदेवर्षिसिद्धर्षिपूजनं साधुसङ्गमः ॥ १५.

Truthfulness, speech for the welfare of beings, recognition of the authority of the Vedas, honoring teachers, gods, sages, and accomplished seers, and association with the virtuous—these are declared.

सत्क्रियाभायसनं मैत्रीमिति बुध्यते पण्डितः । अन्यानि चैव सद्धर्मङ्क्रियाभूतानि यानि च ॥ १५.

The wise understand that practicing noble conduct, cultivating friendship, and all other actions that are truly righteous are the marks of virtue.