अनित्यतात्र भावानां कृतकाम्यस्य देहिनः । अन्योन्य मर्मभेदाच्च अन्योन्य करपीडनात्
Impermanence of things, desire in embodied beings, mutual injury, and mutual oppression—all cause suffering.
लुब्धाश्च पापभेदेन अन्योन्यस्य च भक्षणम् । इत्येवमादिभिर्दुःखैर्यस्माद्भीतं चराचरम्
The greedy, through sinful acts, devour one another; thus, from such sources of suffering, all moving and unmoving beings are fearful.
निरयादि मनुष्यांतं तस्मात्सर्वं त्यजेद्बुधः । स्कंधात्स्कंधेन यन्भारं विश्रामं मन्यते यथा
From hell up to humanity, therefore the wise should renounce everything; just as one finds rest by shifting a burden from one shoulder to another.
तद्वत्सर्वमिदं लोके दुःखं दुःखेन शाम्यति । अन्योन्यातिशयोपेताः सर्वदा भोगसंप्लवाः
In the same way, all suffering in this world is calmed by other suffering; pleasures are always mingled with excess and rivalry.
धर्मक्षयाच्च देवानां दिवि दुःखमवस्थितम् । नानायोनिसहस्रेषु संभवः पुण्यसंक्षयात्
When merit is exhausted, even the gods experience suffering in heaven; birth occurs in countless forms when virtue is depleted.
रोगाश्च विविधाकारा देवलोकेऽपि संस्मृताः । यज्ञस्य हि शिरश्छिन्नमश्विभ्यां संधितं पुनः
Diseases of various kinds are remembered even in the realm of the gods; for the head of the sacrifice, once severed, was restored by the Ashvins.
तेन दोषेण यज्ञस्य शिरोरोगः सदैव हि । मार्तंडभानोः कुष्ठं च वरुणस्य जलोदरम्
Because of that fault, the sacrifice suffers from a chronic head disease; the sun is afflicted with leprosy, and Varuṇa with dropsy.
पूष्णोदशनवैकल्यं भुजस्तंभः शचीपतेः । सुमहान्क्षयरोगश्च सोमस्य परिकीर्तितः
Pūṣan lost his teeth, Indra's arms became stiff, and Soma is said to have contracted a severe wasting disease.
ज्वरश्च सुमहानासीद्दक्षस्यापि प्रजापतेः । कल्पेकल्पे च देवानां महतामपि संक्षयः
A great fever also befell Dakṣa, the lord of creatures; and in every age, even the greatest of the gods experience decline.
परार्धद्वयकालांते ब्रह्मणश्चाप्यनित्यता । दक्षस्य दुहितां पौत्रीं ब्रह्मा कामितवान्पुनः
At the end of two parārdhas, even Brahmā is subject to impermanence; Brahmā again desired Dakṣa's granddaughter.
क्रोधेन च जयां देवीं योगज्ञां शप्तवान्प्रभुः । कामक्रोधौ स्थितौ यत्र तत्र दोषास्तदात्मकाः
Out of anger, the lord cursed the goddess Jayā, who was skilled in yoga; wherever desire and anger exist, faults of that nature arise.
दुःखानि च समस्तानि संस्थितानि न संशयः । विशीर्णजन्ममरणं सर्वाशित्वं हविर्भुजः
All forms of suffering are established there, without a doubt; the cycle of birth and death is shattered, and the eaters of oblations consume everything.
स्त्रीवधः कामसक्तिश्च सारथ्यं पांडवे बले । रुद्रेण त्रिपुरं दग्धं दक्षयज्ञो विनाशितः
The killing of women, attachment to desire, Arjuna's charioteering in battle, the burning of Tripura by Rudra, and the destruction of Dakṣa's sacrifice—
स्कंदस्य जन्म वै शुक्रात्क्रीडादीनां सहस्रशः । एवं त्रयोपि रागाद्यैर्दोषैर्देवाः समन्विताः
The birth of Skanda from Śukra, and thousands of such acts of play—thus, even the three (chief gods) are affected by faults such as passion.
एभ्यः परः प्रभुः शांतः परिपूर्णः स मुक्तिदः । एवमेतज्जगत्सर्वमन्योन्यातिशये स्थितम्
Beyond these is the supreme Lord, peaceful and complete, the giver of liberation; thus, this entire world exists in mutual predominance.
दुःखैराकुलितं ज्ञात्वा निर्वेदं परमं व्रजेत् । निर्वेदाच्च विरागः स्याद्विरागाज्ज्ञानसंभवः
Recognizing that the world is afflicted with suffering, one should attain supreme dispassion; from dispassion comes detachment, and from detachment arises knowledge.
ज्ञानेन तत्परं ज्ञानं शिवं मुक्तिमवाप्नुयात् । समस्तदुःखनिर्मुक्त स्वस्थात्मा स सुखी तदा
Through knowledge, one attains that supreme knowledge—auspicious and liberating; then, freed from all suffering, the self abides in its own nature and is happy.
सर्वज्ञः परिपूर्णश्च मुक्त इत्यभिधीयते । मातलिरुवाच- एतत्ते सर्वमाख्यातं यत्त्वया परिपृच्छितम्
Such a one, all-knowing and complete, is called liberated. Mātali said: All this has been told to you, as you have asked.
धर्माधर्मविवेको हि सर्वज्ञानसमुद्भवः । इंद्रलोके प्रगंतव्यं देवराजस्य शासनात्
The discernment between righteousness and unrighteousness is the source of all knowledge; by the command of the king of the gods, we must proceed to Indra's world.
ययातिरुवाच- अस्मद्भाग्यप्रसंगेन भवतो दर्शनं मम । संजातं शक्रसंवाह एतच्छ्रेयो ममातुलम्
Yayāti said: By the merit of my destiny, I have come to see you; this meeting with Śakra's charioteer is an incomparable blessing for me.
मानवा मर्त्यलोके च पापं कुर्वंति दारुणम् । तेषां कर्मविपाकं च मातले वद सांप्रतम्
People in the world of mortals commit terrible sins; Mātali, tell me now the results of their actions.
मातलिरुवाच- श्रूयतामभिधास्यामि पापाचारस्य लक्षणम् । श्रुते सति महज्ज्ञानमत्रलोके प्रजायते
Mātali said: Listen, I will describe the characteristics of sinful conduct; when this is heard, great knowledge arises in this world.
वेदनिंदां प्रकुर्वंति ब्रह्माचारस्य कुत्सनम् । महापातकमेवापि ज्ञातव्यं ज्ञानपंडितैः
They revile the Vedas and disparage the conduct of Brahmins; this, too, should be known by the wise as a great sin.
साधूनामपि सर्वेषां यः पीडां हि समाचरेत् । महापातकमेवापि प्रायश्चित्ते न हि व्रजेत्
Whoever causes suffering to even the most virtuous—this, too, is a great sin, and no atonement is prescribed for it.
कुलाचारं परित्यज्य अन्याचारं व्रजंति च । एतच्च पातकं घोरं कथितं कृत्यवेदिभिः
Abandoning the customs of one's lineage and adopting other practices—this is declared by those who know the rites to be a terrible sin.
मातापित्रोश्च यो निंदां ताडनं भगिनीषु च । पितृस्वसृनिंदनं च तदेव पातकं ध्रुवम्
Whoever insults or strikes their mother or father, or their sisters, or insults their paternal aunt—this is certainly a sin.
संप्राप्ते श्राद्धकालेपि पंचक्रोशांतरेस्थितम् । जामातरं परित्यज्य तथा च दुहितुः सुतम्
Even when the time for the śrāddha arrives, if one, remaining within five krośas, abandons the son-in-law or the daughter's son,
स्वसारं चैव स्वस्रीयं परित्यज्य प्रवर्तते । कामात्क्रोधाद्भयाद्वापि अन्यं भोजयते यदा
And similarly abandons one's sister or maternal cousin, and out of desire, anger, or fear, feeds someone else,
पितरो नैव भुंजंति देवाश्चैव न भुंजते । एतच्च पातकं तस्य पितृघातसमं कृतम्
The ancestors do not partake, nor do the gods eat; this sin is considered equal to killing one's ancestors.
दानकालेपि संप्राप्ते आगते ब्राह्मणे किल । भूरिदानं परित्यज्य कतिभ्यो हि प्रदीयते
Even when the time for giving arrives and a brāhmaṇa has come, if one neglects abundant giving and gives only to a few,