छिद्यमानोऽसिपत्रैश्च भिद्यमानस्तु मुद्गरैः । चूर्ण्यमानः शिलापृष्ठे तप्तांगारेषु भर्जितः
He is being cut by swords, struck by mallets, crushed on stone slabs, and roasted on burning coals.
इति दूतवचः श्रुत्वा भ्रातृदुःखेन दुःखितः । पुलकांकित सर्वांगो दीनोऽसौ विनयान्वितः
Hearing these words of the messenger, afflicted by his brother's suffering, his whole body bristling, he became dejected and humble.
उवाच तं देवदूतं मधुरं निपुणं वचः । मैत्री सप्तपदी साधो सतां भवति सत्फला
He spoke to that divine messenger sweet and skillful words: 'O good one, the friendship of the virtuous, even for seven steps, bears true fruit.'
मित्रभावं विचिंत्य त्वं मामुपाकर्तुमर्हसि । ततो हि श्रोतुमिच्छामि सर्वज्ञस्त्वं मतो मम
Considering our bond of friendship, you ought to help me; therefore I wish to hear from you, for I regard you as all-knowing.
यमलोकं न पश्यंति कर्मणा केन मानवाः । गच्छंति निरयं येन तन्मे त्वं कृपया वद
By what action do people not see the world of Yama, and by what do they go to hell? Out of compassion, please tell me this.
देवदूत उवाच- सम्यक्पृष्टं त्वया वैश्य नष्टपापोऽसि सांप्रतम् । विशुद्धे हृदये पुंसां बुद्धिः श्रेयसि जायते
The divine messenger said: You have asked rightly, O merchant; you are now free from sin. When the heart is pure, wisdom for the highest good arises in people.
यद्यप्यवसरोनास्ति मम सेवापरस्य वै । तथापि च तव स्नेहात्प्रवक्ष्यामि यथामति
Though I am always engaged in service and have no leisure, still, out of affection for you, I will tell you according to my ability.
कर्मणा मनसा वाचा सर्वावस्थासु सर्वदा । परपीडां न कुर्वंति न ते यांति यमालयम्
Those who, by deed, mind, or speech, never cause harm to others in any situation, at any time—they do not go to the abode of Yama.
न वेदैर्न च दानैश्च न तपोभिर्न चाध्वरैः । कथंचित्स्वर्गतिं यांति पुरुषाः प्राणिहिंसकाः
Not by Vedic study, nor by gifts, nor by austerities, nor by sacrifices, do those who harm living beings ever attain heaven.
अहिंसा परमो धर्मो ह्यहिंसैव परं तपः । अहिंसा परमं दानमित्याहुर्मुनयः सदा
Nonviolence is the highest dharma; nonviolence is the supreme austerity; nonviolence is the greatest gift—so the sages always declare.
मशकान्सरीसृपान्दंशान्यूकाद्यान्मानवांस्तथा । आत्मौपम्येन पश्यंति मानवा ये दयालवः
Those who are compassionate see mosquitoes, reptiles, biting insects, and even humans as like themselves.
तप्तांगारमयस्कीलं मादंप्रेतरंगिणीम् । दुर्गतिं नैव गच्छंति कृतांतस्य च ते नराः
They do not go to the burning coals, the iron spikes, the maddening women of the dead, or to misfortune—such people escape the realm of Death.
भूतानि येऽत्र हिंसंति जलस्थलचराणि च । जीवनार्थं च ते यांति कालसूत्रं च दुर्गतिम्
Those beings here who harm creatures dwelling in water and on land, for the sake of sustaining their own life, go to the thread of time and to a miserable fate.
श्वमांसभोजनास्तत्र पूयशोणितपायिनः । मज्जंतश्च वसापंके दष्टाः कीटैरधोमुखैः
There, those who eat dog meat, those who drink pus and blood, those who sink in the mire of fat, bitten by downward-facing insects.
परस्परं च खादंतो ध्वांते चान्योन्य घातिनः । वसंति कल्पानेकांस्ते रुदंतो दारुणं रवम्
Devouring each other, killing one another in darkness, they dwell for countless aeons, crying out with dreadful wails.
कृमियोनि शतं गत्वा स्थावराः स्युश्चिरं तु ते । ततोच्छंति ते क्रूरास्तिर्यग्योनि शतेषु च
After passing through a hundred births in worm forms, they become immobile for a long time; then those cruel ones rise up into a hundred animal births.
पश्चाद्भवंति जातांधाः काणाः कुब्जाश्च पंगवः । दरिद्राश्चांगहीनाश्च मानुषाः प्राणिहिंसकाः
Afterwards, they are born blind, one-eyed, hunchbacked, and crippled; poor, lacking limbs, and as humans who harm living beings.
तस्माद्वैश्य परत्रेह कर्मणा मनसा गिरा । लोकद्वयसुखप्रेप्सुर्धर्मज्ञो न तदाचरेत्
Therefore, O Vaiśya, in this world and the next, one who desires happiness in both realms, who knows dharma, should not perform such acts by deed, mind, or speech.
लोकद्वयेन विंदंति सुखानि प्राणिहिंसकाः । येन हिंसन्ति भूतानि न ते बिभ्यति कुत्रचित्
Those who harm living beings find pleasures in both worlds; wherever they harm creatures, they do not fear anywhere.
प्रविशंति यथा नद्यः समुद्रमृजुवक्रगाः । सर्वे धर्मा अहिंसायां प्रविशंति तथा दृढम्
Just as rivers, whether straight or crooked, enter the ocean, so all dharmas firmly enter non-violence.
स स्नातः सर्वतीर्थेषु सर्वयज्ञेषु दीक्षितः । अभयं येन भूतेभ्यो दत्तमत्र विंशांवर
He who has bathed in all sacred waters, who is initiated in all sacrifices, who has given fearlessness to beings, O Viṃśāṃvara, is thus.
ये नियोगांश्च शास्त्रोक्तान्धर्माधर्म विमिश्रितान् । पालयंतीह ये वैश्य न ते यांति यमालयम्
Those Vaiśyas who uphold the prescribed duties, mixed with dharma and adharma, as stated in scripture, do not go to the abode of Yama.
ब्रह्मचारी गृहस्थश्च वानप्रस्थो यतिस्तथा । स्वधर्मनिरताः सर्वे नाकपृष्ठे वसंति ते
The celibate, the householder, the forest-dweller, and the ascetic—those devoted to their own dharma—all dwell on the summit of heaven.
यथोक्तचारिणः सर्वे वर्णाश्रमसमन्विताः । नरा जितेंद्रिया यांति ब्रह्मलोकं तु शाश्वतम्
All men who act as instructed, endowed with the four varnas and asramas, who have conquered their senses, attain the eternal world of Brahma.
इष्टापूर्तरता ये च पंचयज्ञरताश्च ये । दयान्विताश्च ये नित्यं नेक्षंते ते यमालयम्
Those who delight in acts of worship and charity, those devoted to the five sacrifices, those always endowed with compassion, do not see the abode of Yama.
इंद्रियार्थनिवृत्ता ये समर्था वेदवादिनः । अग्निपूजारता नित्यं ते विप्राः स्वर्गगामिनः
Those who refrain from sense pleasures, who are skilled in Vedic teachings, who are always devoted to worshipping fire—those Brahmins go to heaven.
अदीनवदनाः शूराः शत्रुभिः परिवेष्टिताः । आहवेषु विपन्ना ये तेषां मार्गो दिवाकरः
Those with fearless faces, heroic, surrounded by enemies, who perish in battle—their path is the sun.
अनाथ स्त्री द्विजार्थे च शरणागतपालने । प्राणांस्त्यजंति ये वैश्य न च्यवंति दिवस्तु ते
Those Vaiśyas who give up their lives for the sake of the helpless, women, and twice-born, and for protecting those who seek refuge, do not fall from heaven.
पंग्वंधबालवृद्धांश्च रोग्यनाथदरिद्रितान् । ये पुष्णंति सदा वैश्य ते मोदंति सदा दिवि
Those Vaiśyas who always nourish the crippled, blind, children, elders, the sick, the helpless, and the poor, always rejoice in heaven.
गां दृष्ट्वा पंकनिर्मग्नां रोगमग्नं द्विजं तथा । उद्धरंति नरा ये च तेषां लोकोऽश्वमेधिनाम्
Those men who, seeing a cow sunk in mud or a twice-born afflicted by disease, rescue them—their world is that of those who perform the horse sacrifice.