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.
अपक्वं भुक्तमाहारं स वायुः कुरुते द्विधा । संप्रविश्यान्नमध्ये च पक्वं कृत्वा पृथग्गुणम्
Food that is eaten but not yet digested is divided by the wind; entering into the food, it makes it properly cooked and distinct in quality.
अग्नेरूर्ध्वं जलं स्थाप्य तदन्नं च जलोपरि । जलस्याधः स्वयं प्राणः स्थित्वाग्निं धमते शनैः
Above the digestive fire is water, and that food rests upon the water; below the water, the vital air itself remains and gently fans the fire.
वायुना धम्यमानोग्निरत्युष्णं कुरुते जलम् । तदन्नमुष्णयोगेन समंतात्पच्यते पुनः
The fire, fanned by the wind, makes the water exceedingly hot; by the union of heat, that food is again cooked thoroughly on all sides.
द्विधा भवति तत्पक्वं पृथक्किट्टं पृथग्रसः । मलैर्द्वादशभिः किट्टं भिन्नं देहाद्बहिर्व्रजेत्
That cooked food becomes twofold: the waste is separated, and the essence is distinct; the twelve wastes are expelled from the body separately.
कर्णाक्षि नासिका जिह्वा दंतोष्ठ प्रजनं गुदा । मलान्स्रवेदथ स्वेदो विण्मूत्रं द्वादश स्मृताः
The ears, eyes, nose, tongue, teeth, lips, generative organ, and anus—these exude wastes; sweat, feces, and urine are remembered as the twelve.
हृत्पद्मे प्रतिबद्धाश्च सर्वनाड्यः समंततः । तासां मुखेषु तं सूक्ष्मं प्राणः स्थापयते रसम्
All the channels are bound together in the heart-lotus; at their openings, the vital air places the subtle essence.
रसेन तेन ता नाडीः प्राणः पूरयते पुनः । संतर्पयंति ता नाड्यः पूर्णा देहं समंततः
With that essence, the vital air again fills those channels; filled, those channels nourish the body throughout.
ततः स नाडीमध्यस्थः शारीरेणोष्मणा रसः । पच्यते पच्यमानश्च भवेत्पाकद्वयं पुनः
Then, the essence situated within the middle of the channels is cooked by the bodily heat, and as it is being cooked, there arises a twofold transformation.
त्वङ्मांसास्थि मज्जा मेदो रुधिरं च प्रजायते । रक्ताल्लोमानि मांसं च केशाः स्नायुश्च मांसतः
From it arise skin, flesh, bone, marrow, fat, and blood; from blood come hairs and flesh, and from flesh, hair and sinew.
स्नायोर्मज्जा तथास्थीनि वसा मज्जास्थिसंभवा । मज्जाकारेण वैकल्यं शुक्रं च प्रसवात्मकम्
From sinews come marrow and bones, from marrow and bones comes fat; from the form of marrow arises deficiency, and semen, which is the cause of procreation.