शुद्धिमाञ्ज्ञानसंपन्नस्तपस्वी वाग्विदां वरः । सर्वकर्मसुसंवीतो वेदाध्ययनतत्परः
He is pure, endowed with knowledge, austere, foremost among speakers, accomplished in all duties, and devoted to the study of the Vedas.
सर्वशास्त्रप्रवेदी च देवब्राह्मणपूजकः । याज्ञिकः सर्वयज्ञानां दाता त्यागी प्रियंवदः
He is learned in all scriptures, worships gods and Brahmins, performs sacrifices, gives gifts, is generous, and speaks kindly.
विष्णुध्यानपरो नित्यं शांतोदांतः सुहृत्सदा । पितृमातृपरो नित्यं सर्वस्वजनवत्सलः
He is always devoted to meditation on Viṣṇu, calm, self-controlled, ever friendly, devoted to his parents, and affectionate to all his relatives.
कुलस्य तारको विद्वान्स्वकुलं परिपोषकः । एवंगुणैस्तु संयुक्तः सुपुत्रः सुखदायकः
A wise son who uplifts the family and nourishes his lineage—endowed with such qualities, a good son brings happiness.
अन्ये संबंधयुक्ताश्च शोकसंतापकारकाः । उदासीनेन किं कार्यं फलहीनेन तेऽनघ
Other relatives, though connected, bring grief and sorrow; what use is there for an indifferent one, who is fruitless, O sinless one?
आयांति यांति ते सर्वे दुःखं दत्वा सुदारुणम् । पुत्ररूपेण ते सर्वे संसारे द्विजसत्तम
They all come and go, giving intense suffering; all these, in the form of sons, exist for you in this world, O best of the twice-born.
पूर्वजन्मकृतं कर्म यत्त्वया परिपालितम् । तत्सर्वं हि प्रवक्ष्यामि श्रूयतामद्भुतं पुनः
The actions performed by you in previous births—I shall now tell you all of them; listen again to this wondrous account.
भवाञ्छूद्रो महाप्राज्ञ पूर्वजन्मनि नान्यथा । कृषिकर्त्ता ज्ञानहीनो महालोभेन संयुतः
O most wise one, you were a Śūdra in your previous birth, not otherwise—a farmer, lacking in knowledge, and possessed of great greed.
एकभार्यः सदा द्वेषी बहुपुत्रो ह्यदत्तवान् । धर्मं नैव विजानासि सत्यं च परिनिष्ठितम्
You had one wife, were always hostile, had many sons, and gave nothing. You did not understand righteousness, nor were you established in truth.
दानं नैव त्वया दत्तं शास्त्रं नैव परिश्रुतम् । कृतं नैव त्वया तीर्थं न च यात्रा महामते
You did not give charity, nor did you study scripture; you did not undertake pilgrimages, nor did you travel, O wise one.
एवं कृतस्त्वया विप्र कृषिमार्गः पुनःपुनः । पशूनां पालनं पूर्वंग च्छंश्चैव द्विजोत्तम
Thus, O Brahmin, you repeatedly followed the path of agriculture, and previously tended cattle and goats, O best of the twice-born.
महिषीणां तथाश्वीनां पालनं च पुनःपुनः । एवं पूर्वं कृतं कर्म त्वयैव च द्विजोत्तम
You also repeatedly tended buffaloes and horses; such were the actions you performed before, O best of the twice-born.
विपुलं तु धनं तद्वल्लोभेन परिसंचितम् । तस्य व्ययस्तु पुण्येन न कृतस्तु त्वया कदा
That great wealth, accumulated out of greed, was never spent by you for merit.
पात्रे दानं न दत्तं हि दृष्ट्वा वा दुर्बलं च तत् । कृषिं कृत्वा न दत्तं तु भवता धनमेव हि
You did not give charity to a worthy recipient, nor did you give after seeing someone in need; having earned wealth through agriculture, you kept it for yourself.
गोमयं हि त्विदं सर्वं पशूनां संचयं च वै । विक्रयित्वा धनं विप्र संचितं विपुलं त्वया
All this, including cow dung and the collection of cattle, O Brahmin, you sold and amassed great wealth.
तक्रं घृतं तथा क्षीरं विक्रीतं सततं दधि । दुष्कालश्चिंतितो विप्र मोहितो विष्णुमायया
You constantly sold buttermilk, ghee, milk, and curds; you worried about hard times, O Brahmin, deluded by Viṣṇu's māyā.
कृत्वा महार्घमेवैतद्धनं ब्राह्मणसत्तम । निर्दयेन त्वया दानं न दत्तं तु तदा किल
Having made this wealth exceedingly valuable, O best of Brahmins, you gave no charity at all, being pitiless at that time.
देवानां पूजनं विप्र भवता न कृतं सदा । पर्वाणि प्राप्य विप्रेभ्यो द्रव्यं नैव समर्पितम्
You never performed worship of the gods, O Brahmin; even on festival days, you did not offer gifts to other Brahmins.
श्राद्धकालं च संप्राप्य श्रद्धया न कृतं त्वया । भार्या वदति ते साध्वी दिनमध्ये समागते
When the time for ancestral rites arrived, you did not perform them with faith; your virtuous wife would remind you at midday.
श्वशुरश्राद्धकालश्च श्वश्र्वाश्चैव महामते । तच्छ्रुत्वा तद्वचस्तेषां गृहं त्यक्त्वा पलायसे
When it was time for your father-in-law’s and mother-in-law’s śrāddha, O wise one, upon hearing their words, you would abandon the house and flee.
धर्ममार्गो न दृष्टो हि श्रुतो नैव कदा त्वया । लोभो मातापिता भ्राता लोभः स्वजनबांधवाः
You have never seen or heard the path of righteousness; greed has become your mother, father, brother, and all your kin.
पालितो लोभ एवैकस्त्यक्त्वा धर्मं सदैव हि । तस्माद्दुःखी भवाञ्जातो दारिद्रेणाति पीडितः
You have always upheld only greed, abandoning righteousness; therefore, you have become miserable, tormented by poverty.
दिनेदिने महातृष्णा हृदये ते प्रवर्त्तते । यदायदा गृहे द्रव्यं वृद्धिमायाति ते सदा
Day by day, great craving arises in your heart; whenever wealth in your house increases, so does your desire.
तृष्णया दह्यमानस्तु तदा त्वं वह्निरूपया । रात्रौ वा त्वं प्रसुप्तस्तु लोभं चिंतयसेऽधिकम्
Burned by desire, which is like fire, you think even more about greed, whether at night while asleep or awake.
दिनं प्राप्य महामोहैर्व्यापितो हि सदैव हि । सहस्रं लक्षतः कोटिः कदावार्बुदमेव च
Each day you are always occupied with great delusions: 'When will I have a thousand, a hundred thousand, a crore, or even ten crores?'
भविष्यति कदा खर्वो निखर्वश्चाथ मे गृहे । एवं सहस्रलक्षं च कोटिरर्बुदमेव च
'When will I have a kharva or a nikharva in my house? Thus, a thousand, a hundred thousand, a crore, or even ten crores.'
खर्वो निखर्वः संजातस्तृष्णा नैव प्रगच्छति । एवं कालं परित्यज्य वृद्धिमायाति सर्वदा
Even when a kharva or nikharva is obtained, your craving does not subside; thus, abandoning time, your desire always grows.
नैव दत्तं हुतं विप्र भुक्तं नैव कदा त्वया । निश्चितं भूमिमध्ये तत्क्षिप्तं पुत्रानजानते
You have never given, sacrificed, or enjoyed, O Brahmin; the wealth you buried in the earth, your sons do not know of.
अन्यमेवमुपायं तु द्रव्यागमनकारणात् । कुरुषे सर्वदा विप्र लोकान्पृच्छसि बुद्धिमान्
For the sake of acquiring more wealth, you always seek out other means, O Brahmin, and question people everywhere, being clever.
खनित्रमंजनं वादं धातुवादमतःपरम् । पृच्छमानो भ्रमस्येकस्तृष्णया परिमोहितः
You inquire about mining, alchemy, and the science of metals; deluded by craving, you wander alone.