यम उवाच- इह क्षीणायुषां पुंसां वासः पुण्यवतां भवेत् । अयं वै धर्मराजस्य लोको धर्मः प्रकीर्तितः
Yama said: 'Here is the abode for those whose lifespan is exhausted, for the virtuous. This is the world of Dharmarāja, renowned as the realm of righteousness.'
सौख्यभूमिरियं सर्वा धर्मराजोऽहमीश्वरः । पुण्यापुण्यानुसारेण जंतूनां सुखदुःखदः
This is the realm of happiness in every way; I, Dharmarāja, am the Lord here, giving happiness or sorrow to beings according to their merit or demerit.
पापिनां यमरूपोऽस्मि नृणां निरयदायकः । तथा पुण्यवतां सौख्य स्वर्गदो धर्म मूर्तिमान्
For sinners, I am Yama, the giver of hell to men; but for the virtuous, I am the embodiment of Dharma, the giver of happiness and heaven.
गच्छ विप्र त्वमद्यैव निलयं स्वं यथागतः । अद्यापि दशवर्षाणामायुस्ते परिवर्तते
Go, brāhmaṇa, today itself, return to your own abode as you came; even now, ten years of your lifespan remain.
क्षये तवायुषः प्राप्तिर्लोकस्यास्य भविष्यति । प्रष्टव्यं च त्वया ह्यन्यत्पृच्छस्व प्रब्रवीमि ते
When your lifespan comes to its end, the people of this world will attain you. You may ask me something else; inquire, and I shall tell you.
ब्राह्मण उवाच- यत्कृत्वा सुमहत्पुण्यं स्वर्गः स्याद्ब्रूहि तन्मम । सर्वस्य हि प्रमाणंत्वं धर्माधर्मविनिश्चये
The Brahmin said: Tell me what deed, when performed, brings great merit and leads to heaven. For you are the authority for all in the discernment of righteousness and unrighteousness.
यदि देव मया सम्यग्गंतव्यं निजमंदिरे । तद्ब्रूहि कर्मणा केन पतंति नरके नराः
O god, if I am to reach your own abode properly, then tell me: by what action do people fall into hell?
व्रजंति केन वै स्वर्गं तत्सर्वं कृपया वद । यम उवाच- कर्मणा मनसा वाचा ये धर्मविमुखा नराः
And by what do they go to heaven? Please tell me all this out of kindness. Yama said: Those people who turn away from righteousness by action, thought, or word—
विष्णुभक्तिविहीना ये ते वै निरयगामिनः । पश्यंति भेदबुद्ध्या ये ब्रह्माणं शंकरं हरिम्
Those who lack devotion to Vishnu, they are destined for hell. Those who see division between Brahma, Shankara, and Hari—
विरक्ता विष्णुविद्यासु नरा निरयगामिनः । कुलदेशोचितं कर्म यस्त्यक्त्वान्यत्समाचरेत्
Those who are indifferent to the knowledge of Vishnu, such people go to hell. Whoever abandons the actions appropriate to their family and country, and does otherwise—
कामाद्वा यदि वा मोहात्स याति नरकं नरः । अयाज्ययाजकश्चैव याज्यानां च विवर्जकः
Whether out of desire or out of delusion, that person goes to hell. One who performs sacrifices that should not be performed, or neglects those that should be performed—
विरतो विष्णुविद्यासु स भुंक्ते नरकान्बहून् । अदत्वा पितृदेवेभ्यो विप्रेभ्यो मर्त्यबंधुषु
One who turns away from the knowledge of Vishnu, he experiences many hells. A sinner who dies wealthy without giving to ancestors, gods, Brahmins, or mortal relatives—
सधनो म्रियते पापः स याति नरकान्बहून् । सर्वाण्यन्नानि सिद्धानि पाकभेदं करोति यः
He who dies with wealth, not having given to ancestors, gods, Brahmins, or mortal kin, goes to many hells. Whoever, with all food prepared, makes distinctions in cooking—
अवैश्वदेवं भुंजीत स याति नरकं चिरम् । बहुद्रोहेण भूतानां येऽजयंति धनं द्विज
Whoever eats without offering to the gods (Vaiśvadeva) goes to hell for a long time. Those who, by much harm to beings, acquire wealth, O twice-born—
धनवंतो निरयगा दांभिका दुःखभागिनः । नास्तिक्यादथ वा लोभान्मोहात्काले यथोदिते
The wealthy who are deceitful and bringers of suffering are destined for hell. Whether from atheism, greed, or delusion, at the appointed time—
भक्त्या न श्राद्धदा ये स्युः पच्यंते नरकेषु ते । दीयमानस्य वित्तस्य ब्राह्मणेभ्यस्तु पापकृत्
Those who do not perform the śrāddha offering with devotion are cooked in hell. If someone, when wealth is being given to Brahmins, acts to obstruct it—
विघ्नमाचरते योऽसौ नरो निरयगो भवेत् । सामान्य दक्षिणां लब्ध्वा गृह्णात्येको विमोहतः
He who creates obstacles when wealth is being given to Brahmins becomes a dweller in hell. If, out of delusion, one person takes the common fee alone—
नास्तिक्यभावनिरतो नरः स्यान्नरकालये । असहिष्णुतया तस्य गुणानां कारणं भवेत्
A person devoted to atheistic thinking dwells in hell. Because of his intolerance, this becomes the cause of his faults.
महत्पापं समुत्पन्नं कारणं नरकस्य तत् । निर्दोषां सुहृदां भार्यां त्यजन्कालेन याति यः
A great sin arises from this, and it is the cause of hell. Whoever abandons a blameless, friendly wife in due time—
न वहेत यशस्तेषां स नरो नरके पतेत् । अधर्मं धर्ममिति यो वदन्मोहवशं गतः
He does not uphold her honor; such a man falls into hell. One who, overcome by delusion, calls unrighteousness righteousness—
हैतुको नास्तिको यस्तु स नरो निरयालयः । मनसा योऽन्यभावेन वचसा चान्यथा वदेत्
Whoever is a reasoner and an atheist, that person is a dweller in hell. One who, with his mind, harbors one thing but speaks otherwise—
हृदयं कलुषं कुर्यात्स नरो नरके वसेत् । अवमन्य च ये यांति भगवत्कीर्तनं नराः
One who makes his heart impure, that person dwells in hell. And those people who show disrespect when attending the praise of the Blessed Lord—
ते यांति नरकं घोरं तेन पापेन कर्मणा । पश्यंतो भगवद्द्वारं नामशास्त्र परिच्छदम्
Those who, by that sinful deed, go to the terrible hell, even while seeing the gateway to the Lord and the paraphernalia of the scriptures by name.
अकृत्वा तत्प्रणामादि ते यांति नरकौकसः । विनापराधेन नराः कृत्वा पत्न्यधिवेदनम्
Without offering proper salutations there, those men go to hell; and those who, without any fault, speak harshly to their wives.
त्यजंति सुकलत्रं ये ते यांति नरके नराः । न शृणोति गुरोर्वाक्यं धर्मशास्त्रं च यो नरः
Those men who abandon a virtuous wife go to hell; and he who does not listen to the words of the teacher or to the scripture of righteousness.
परेषां चेतसः क्लेशकारी निरयगो भवेत् । पश्यतां बंधु बालानां प्रकर्षी मिष्टमश्नुते
Whoever causes distress to the minds of others becomes a dweller in hell; while in the presence of relatives and children, he enjoys abundant pleasures.
स याति नरकं घोरं केवलोदरपूरकः । तुला मकर मेषेषु प्रातः स्नानं न यश्चरेत्
He who is concerned only with filling his own belly goes to terrible hell; and he who does not bathe in the morning when the sun is in Libra, Capricorn, or Aries.
नद्यादिषु च नास्तिक्यस्तस्य स्यान्नरकालयः । वैष्णवं जनमालोक्य नाभ्युत्थानं करोति यः
And in rivers and such places, the one who is faithless—his abode is hell; and he who, seeing a devotee of Vishnu, does not rise in respect.
प्रणयादरतो विप्र स नरो नरकातिथिः । काष्ठैर्वा शंकुभिर्वापि शूलैरश्मभिरेव च
O Brahmin, the man who does not greet with affection and respect becomes a guest of hell; and those who block the paths with wood, stakes, spears, or stones.
ये मार्गांश्चैव रुंधंति ते वै निरयगामिनः । आद्यं पुरुषमीशानं सर्वलोकमहेश्वरम्
Those who obstruct the paths in this way surely go to hell; and those who do not contemplate the Supreme Person, the Lord of all worlds.