तस्मात्प्रजायते कायो नाशरूपं समृच्छति । अग्निः प्रजायते भूयो जरारूपो न संशयः
Therefore, the body comes to possess the nature of destruction; again, fire arises, taking the form of old age—of this there is no doubt.
प्राणिनां क्षयरूपेण ज्वरो भवति दारुणः । स्थावरा जंगमाः सर्वे ज्वरेण परिपीडिताः
A terrible fever arises among living beings in the form of decay; all, both stationary and moving, are afflicted by this fever.
नाशमायांति ते सर्वे बहुपीडा प्रपीडिताः । एतत्ते सर्वमाख्यातमन्यत्किं ते वदाम्यहम्
All of them perish, tormented by many afflictions; all this has been told to you—what else shall I say to you?
एवमुक्तो महाराजो मातलिं वाक्यमब्रवीत्
Thus addressed, the great king spoke these words to Mātali.
ययातिरुवाच- धर्मस्य रक्षकः कायो मातले चात्मना सह । नाकमेष न प्रयाति तन्मे त्वं कारणं वद
Yayāti said: The body is the protector of righteousness, O Mātali, along with the self; yet this body does not ascend to heaven—tell me the reason for this.
मातलिरुवाच- पंचानामपि भूतानां संगतिर्नास्ति भूपते । आत्मना सह वर्तंते संगत्या नैव पंच ते
Mātali said: There is no union among the five elements, O king; they exist with the self, but not in union as five.
सर्वेषां तत्र संघातः कायग्रामे प्रवर्तते । जरया पीडिताः सर्वेः स्वंस्वं स्थानं प्रयांति ते
There, the aggregate of all arises in the community of the body; all, afflicted by old age, go each to their own place.
यथा रसाधिका पृथ्वी महाराज प्रकल्पिता । रसैः क्लिन्ना ततः पृथ्वी मृदुत्वं याति भूपते
Just as the earth, O great king, is made moist by fluids; being soaked by fluids, the earth becomes soft, O king.
भिद्यते पिपीलिकाभिर्मूषिकाभिस्तथैव च । छिद्राण्येव प्रजायंते वल्मीकाश्च महोदराः
It is broken by ants and likewise by mice; holes are produced, and large-bellied anthills arise.
तद्वत्काये प्रजायंते गंडमाला विचार्चिकाः । कृमिभिर्भिद्यमानश्च काय एष नरोत्तम
In the same way, swellings and ulcers arise in the body; this body, O best of men, is broken apart by worms.
गुल्मास्तत्र प्रजायंते सद्यः पीडाकरास्तदा । एभिर्दोषैः समायुक्तः कायोयं नहुषात्मज । कथं प्राणसमायोगाद्दिवं याति नरेश्वर
There, tumors arise immediately, causing pain; thus, O son of Nahusha, this body is afflicted with these faults. How, then, by the union with life-breath, does it ascend to heaven, O king?
काये पार्थिवभागोऽयं समानार्थं प्रतिष्ठितः । न कायः स्वर्गमायाति यथा पृथ्वी तथास्थितः
In the body, the earthly element is established for a common purpose; the body does not go to heaven, just as the earth remains as it is.
एतत्ते सर्वमाख्यातं दोषौघैः पार्थिवस्य यः
All this has been explained to you—the multitude of faults belonging to the earthly body.
इति श्रीपद्मपुराणे भूमिखंडे वेनोपाख्याने मातापितृतीर्थ-। माहात्म्ये पंचषष्टितमोऽध्यायः
Thus ends the sixty-fifth chapter in the section on the glory of the Mother-Father Tirtha, in the narrative of Vena, in the Bhumi Khanda of the glorious Padma Purana.
ययातिरुवाच- पापात्पतति कायोयं धर्माच्च शृणु मातले । विशेषं न च पश्यामि पुण्यस्यापि महीतले
Yayati said: This body falls due to sin and also due to righteousness, O Matali; listen. I do not see any special distinction for merit even on the earth.
पुनः प्रजायते कायो यथा हि पतनं पुरा । कथमुत्पद्यते देहस्तन्मे विस्तरतो वद
The body is born again just as it fell before; how does the body arise? Tell me this in detail.
मातलिरुवाच- अथ नारकिणां पुंसामधर्मादेव केवलात् । क्षणमात्रेण भूतेभ्यः शरीरमुपजायते
Matali said: Then, for men who are hell-bound, from unrighteousness alone, a body is produced from the elements in but a moment.
तद्वद्धर्मेण चैकेन देवानामौपपादिकम् । सद्यः प्रजायते दिव्यं शरीरं भूतसारतः
Similarly, by a single act of righteousness, the gods are born with spontaneous bodies, immediately arising from the essence of the elements.
कर्मणा व्यतिमिश्रेण यच्छरीरं महात्मनाम् । तद्रूपपरिणामेन विज्ञेयं हि चतुर्विधम्
The bodies of great souls, arising from mixed karma, should be understood as fourfold, according to their transformation into various forms.
उद्भिज्जाः स्थावरा ज्ञेयास्तृणगुल्मादि रूपिणः । कृमिकीटपतंगाद्याः स्वेदजानामदेहिनः
Those born from sprouting are to be known as immobile beings, having the forms of grass, shrubs, and the like; worms, insects, and moths are bodyless beings born from moisture.
अंडजाः पक्षिणः सर्वे सर्पा नक्राश्च भूपते । जरायुजाश्च विज्ञेया मानुषाश्च चतुष्पदाः
All birds, snakes, and crocodiles, O king, are born from eggs; those born from wombs are to be known as humans and four-footed animals.
तत्र सिक्ता जलैर्भूमिर्रक्ते उष्मविपाचिता । वायुना धम्यमाना च क्षेत्रे बीजं प्रपद्यते
There, the earth, moistened by water, cooked by the heat of blood, and fanned by wind, receives the seed in the field.
यथा उप्तानि बीजानि संसिक्तान्यंभसा पुनः । उपगम्य मृदुत्वं च मूलभावं व्रजंति च
Just as seeds that are sown and again moistened with water, upon becoming soft, attain the state of roots.
तन्मूलादंकुरोत्पत्तिरंकुरात्पर्णसंभवः । पर्णान्नालं ततः कांडं कांडाच्च प्रभवः पुनः
From those roots, a sprout arises; from the sprout, leaves are produced; from the leaves, the stalk, and from the stalk, again, the shoot.
प्रभवाच्च भवेत्क्षीरं क्षीरात्तंदुलसंभवः । तंदुलाच्च ततः पक्वा भवंत्योषधयस्तथा
From the shoot comes milk; from the milk, rice is produced; from the rice, when cooked, medicinal herbs are likewise formed.
यवाद्याः शालिपर्यंताः श्रेष्ठाः सप्तदश स्मृताः । ओषध्यः फलसाराढ्याः शेषा क्षुद्रा प्रःकीर्तिताः
Barley and others up to rice are considered the best seventeen; the remaining herbs, rich in fruit-essence, are called minor.
एता लूना मर्दिताश्च मुनिभिः पूर्वसंस्कृताः । शूर्पोलूखलपात्राद्यैः स्थालिकोदकवह्निभिः
These, having been cut and crushed, are first prepared by sages with pestles, mortars, vessels, pots, water, and fire.
षड्विधा हि स्वभेदेन परिणामं व्रजंति ताः । अन्योन्यरससंयोगादनेकस्वादतां गताः
By their own sixfold distinctions, they undergo transformation; by the combination of their flavors with each other, they attain many kinds of taste.
भक्ष्यं भोज्यं पेयलेह्यं चोष्यं खाद्यं च भूपते । तासां भेदाः षडंगाश्च मधुराद्याश्च षड्गुणाः
O King, food is classified as chewable, eatable, drinkable, lickable, suckable, and masticable; these have six divisions and, beginning with sweetness, six qualities.
तदन्नं पिंडकवलैर्ग्रासैर्भुक्तं च देहिभिः । अन्नमूलाशये सर्वप्राणान्स्थापयति क्रमात्
That food, consumed in morsels, lumps, and mouthfuls by embodied beings, gradually sustains all living beings, being rooted in food.