सूचीभिरग्निवर्णाभिर्भिन्नगात्रो निरंतरम् । यद्दुःखं जायते तस्य तद्गर्भेष्टगुणं भवेत्
The pain caused by needles glowing like fire, constantly piercing the body, is the nature of suffering in the womb.
गर्भवासात्परं वासं कष्टं नैवास्ति कुत्रचित् । देहिनां दुःखमतुलं सुघोरमपि संकटम्
There is no dwelling harsher than the womb; the suffering of embodied beings is incomparable, intense, and full of hardship.
इत्येतद्गर्भदुःखं हि प्राणिनां परिकीर्तितम् । चरस्थिराणां सर्वेषामात्मगर्भानुरूपतः
Thus, the suffering of the womb has been described for all living beings, both moving and stationary, according to their own wombs.
गर्भात्कोटिगुणापीडा योनियंत्रनिपीडनात् । संमूर्च्छितस्य जायेत जायमानस्य देहिनः
The torment of birth is multiplied a millionfold by the pain of the womb's restraint; it arises for the embodied soul as it is born and loses consciousness.
इक्षुवत्पीड्यमानस्य पापमुद्गरपेषणात् । गर्भान्निष्क्रममाणस्य प्रबलैः सूतिवायुभिः
Just as sugarcane is crushed and its impurities are ground out by the pestle, so too, when one is forced from the womb by the powerful winds of birth,
जायते सुमहद्दुःखं परित्राणं न विंदति । यंत्रेण पीड्यमानाः स्युर्निःसाराश्च यथेक्षवः
there arises immense suffering, and no relief is found; being pressed by the mechanism, they become drained, just like sugarcane.
तथा शरीरं योनिस्थं पात्यते यंत्रपीडनात् । अस्थिमद्वर्तुलाकारं स्नायुबंधनवेष्टितम्
In the same way, the body within the womb is cast down by the pressure of the mechanism, round in shape with bones, bound and wrapped by sinews,
रक्तमांसवसालिप्तं विण्मूत्रद्रव्यभाजनम् । केशलोमनखच्छन्नं रोगायतनमुत्तमम्
smeared with blood, flesh, and fat, a vessel for excrement and urine, covered with hair, body hair, and nails, and the foremost seat of diseases.
वदनैकमहाद्वारं गवाक्षाष्टकभूषितम् । ओष्ठद्वयकपाटं तु दंतजिह्वागलान्वितम्
It has a single great opening as the mouth, adorned with eight window-like apertures, with two lips as its doors, and furnished with teeth, tongue, and throat.
नाडीस्वेदप्रवाहं च कफपित्तपरिप्लुतम् । जराशोकसमाविष्टं कालवक्त्रानलेस्थितम्
It is filled with channels and streams of sweat, pervaded by phlegm and bile, seized by old age and sorrow, and situated in the fire of time's mouth.
कामक्रोधसमाक्रांतं श्वसनैश्चोपमर्दितम् । भोगतृष्णातुरं गूढं रागद्वेष वशानुगम्
Overwhelmed by desire and anger, afflicted by breaths, tormented by the thirst for enjoyment, hidden, and subject to the sway of passion and aversion.
सवर्णितांगप्रत्यंगं जरायु परिवेष्टितम् । संकटेनाविविक्तेन योनिमार्गेण निर्गतम्
With limbs and sub-limbs well described, enveloped by the membrane, emerging through the narrow, confined path of the womb.
विण्मूत्ररक्तसिक्तांगं षट्कौशिकसमुद्भवम् । अस्थिपंजरसंघातं ज्ञेयमस्मिन्कलेवरे
Its body is soaked with excrement, urine, and blood, produced from six sheaths, and is to be known as a mass of bone framework.
शतत्रयं शताधिकं पंचपेशी शतानि च । सार्धाभिस्तिसृभिश्छन्नं समंताद्रोमकोटिभिः
Three hundred and five muscles, covered on all sides by countless hair roots, together with three and a half layers.
शरीरं स्थूलसूक्ष्माभिर्दृश्यादृश्याभिरंततः । एताभिर्मांसनाडीभिः कोटिभिस्तत्समन्वितम्
The body, both gross and subtle, visible and invisible, is entirely pervaded by these millions of fleshly channels.
प्रस्वेदमशुचिं ताभिरंतरस्थं च तेन हि । द्वात्रिंशद्दशनाः प्रोक्ता विंशतिश्च नखाः स्मृताः
Sweat, impure, is contained within them; thus, thirty-two teeth are declared, and twenty nails are remembered.
पित्तस्य कुडवं ज्ञेयं कफस्यार्धाढकं तथा । वसायाश्च पलाः पंच तदर्धं फलकस्य च
A measure of bile is known as a kuḍava, and half an āḍhaka for phlegm; five palas of fat, and half that for marrow.
पंचार्बुद पला ज्ञेयाः पलानि दश मेदसः । पलत्रयं महारक्तं मज्जा रक्ताच्चतुर्गुणा
Five arbuda palas are to be known, and ten palas of fat; three palas of great blood, and marrow is four times the blood.
शुक्रार्धकुडवं ज्ञेयं तदर्धं देहिनां बलम् । मांसस्य चैकं पिंडेन पलसाहस्रमुच्यते
Half a kuḍava of semen is to be known, and half of that is the strength of embodied beings; the mass of flesh is said to be a thousand palas in one lump.
रक्तं पलशतं ज्ञेयं विण्मूत्रं चाप्रमाणतः । इति देहगृहे राजन्वासः स्यान्नित्यमात्मनः
A hundred palas of blood are to be known, and the quantity of excrement and urine is immeasurable; thus, O King, the body is always the dwelling of the self.
अशुद्धं च विशुद्धस्य कर्मबंधविनिर्मितम् । शुक्रशोणितसंयोगाद्देहः संजायते क्वचित्
Impure, yet belonging to the pure, constructed by the bonds of karma, the body is sometimes produced from the union of semen and blood.
नित्यं विण्मूत्रसंयुक्तस्तेनायमशुचिः स्मृतः । यथा वै विष्ठया पूर्णः शुचिः सांतर्बहिर्घटः
Always joined with excrement and urine, therefore it is called impure; just as a pot filled with filth is clean only on the outside.
शौचेन शोध्यमानोपि देहोयमशुचिर्भवेत् । यं प्राप्यातिपवित्राणि पंचगव्य हवींषि च
Even when this body is purified by cleanliness, it remains impure; yet, by attaining it, even the most sacred offerings and the five products of the cow become utterly impure.
अशुचित्वं प्रयांत्याशु देहोयमशुचिस्ततः । हृद्यान्यप्यन्नपानानि यं प्राप्य सुरभीणि च
Because of this body's impurity, even the most delightful foods and drinks, as well as fragrant substances, quickly lose their purity upon contact with it.
अशुचित्वं प्रयांत्याशु कोऽन्य स्यादशुचिस्ततः । हे जनाः किं न पश्यध्वं यन्निर्याति दिनेदिने
Because of this, what else could be more impure? O people, do you not see what leaves the body day after day?
देहानुगो मलः पूतिस्तदाधारः कथं शुचिः । देहः संशोध्यमानोपि पंचगव्यकुशांबुभिः
The filth that follows the body is its stench—how can its container be pure? Even when the body is cleansed with the five products of the cow and with sacred grass-water,
घृष्यमाण इवांगारो निर्मलत्वं न गच्छति । स्रोतांसि यस्य सततं प्रवहंति गिरेरिव
Just as charcoal, even when scrubbed, does not become spotless, so too the body's channels constantly flow like streams from a mountain.
कफमूत्राद्यमशुचिः स देहः शुध्यते कथम् । सर्वाशुचिनिधानस्य शरीरस्य न विद्यते
How can that body, which is impure with phlegm, urine, and the like, ever be purified? There is no part of the body, the repository of all impurities,
शुचिरेकप्रदेशोपि शुचिर्न स्यादृतेऽपि वा । दिवा वा यदि वा रात्रौ मृत्तोयैः शोध्यते करः
that is truly pure, even if a single spot appears clean. Whether by day or night, even if the hand is washed with clay and water,
तथापि शुचिभाङ्नस्यान्न विरज्यंति ते नराः । कायोयमग्र्यधूपाद्यैर्यत्नेनापि सुसंस्कृतः
still, people do not turn away from the enjoyment of what is associated with the body. Even if this body is carefully adorned with the finest incense and such,