अनुगृह्णंतु मां सर्वे विप्रा यूयं कृपालवः । तदा तैरनुगृहीतो यदा रामहयं भवान्
'Have mercy on me, all of you compassionate brahmins!' he said. Then, granted their favor, they declared, 'When you become Rāma’s horse—'
स्तंभयिष्यति वेगेन ततो रामकथाश्रुतिः । पश्चान्मुक्तिर्भवित्री ते शापादस्मात्सुदारुणात्
'—and are forcefully restrained, then, upon hearing the story of Rāma, you will later be freed from this most terrible curse.'
स प्रोक्तो मुनिभिर्देवो राक्षसत्वमितः प्रभो । स्तंभयामास रामाश्वं मोचयानघकीर्तनैः
Thus addressed by the sages, the god took on the form of a demon; he immobilized Rāma’s horse, but was released by the chanting of sin-destroying hymns.
शेष उवाच। इति प्रोक्तं तु मुनिना संश्रुत्य परवीरहा । विस्मयं मानयामास हृदि शौनकमब्रवीत्
Śeṣa said: Thus, having heard the sage’s words, the destroyer of enemies was filled with wonder and, honoring him in his heart, spoke to Śaunaka.
शत्रुघ्न उवाच। कर्मणो गहना वार्ता यया सात्वकनामधृत् । दिवं प्राप्तोऽपि महता कर्मणा राक्षसीकृतः
Śatrughna said: The ways of karma are deep indeed—how Sātvaka, even after attaining heaven through great deeds, was made a demon.
स्वामिन्वद महर्षे त्वं कर्मणां स्वगतिर्यथा । येन कर्मविपाकेन यादृशं नरकं भवेत्
Master, tell me, O great sage, how the course of actions leads to their results, and by what fruits of karma one attains which kind of hell.
शौनक उवाच। धन्योसि राघवश्रेष्ठ यत्ते मतिरियं शुभा । जानन्नपि हितार्थाय लोकानां त्वं ब्रवीषि भोः
Śaunaka said: Fortunate are you, best of the Raghus, whose mind is thus auspicious; though you know, you speak for the welfare of the world, O noble one.
कथयामि विचित्राणां कर्मणां विविधा गतीः । ताः शृणुष्व महाराज यच्छ्रुत्वा मोक्षमाप्नुयात्
I shall describe the various destinies of diverse actions; listen to them, O great king, by hearing which one may attain liberation.
परवित्तं परापत्यं कलत्रं पारकं च यः । बलात्कारेण गृह्णाति भोगबुद्ध्या च दुर्मतिः
Whoever, with evil intent, forcibly takes another's wealth, property, wife, or anything belonging to another for enjoyment—
कालपाशेन संबद्धो यमदूतैर्महाबलैः । तामिस्रे पात्यते तावद्यावद्वर्षसहस्रकम्
Bound by the noose of Time, seized by the mighty messengers of Yama, he is cast into Tāmīsra and remains there for a thousand years.
तत्र ताडनमुद्धूताः कुर्वंति यमकिंकराः । पापभोगेन संतप्तस्ततो योनिं तु शौकरीम्
There, the servants of Yama inflict severe beatings; tormented by the suffering of his misdeeds, he is then born in the womb of a sow.
तत्र भुक्त्वा महादुःखं मानुषत्वं गमिष्यति । रोगादिचिह्नितं तत्र दुर्यशो ज्ञापकं स्वकम्
Having endured great suffering there, he attains human birth, marked by disease and infamous signs that reveal his past.
भूतद्रोहं विधायैव केवलं स्वकुटुंबकम् । पुष्णाति पापनिरतः सोंऽधतामिस्रके पतेत्
One who, harming creatures, supports only his own family and is devoted to sin, falls into Andhatāmisra.
ये नरा इह जंतूनां वधं कुर्वंति वै मृषा । ते रौरवे निपात्यंते भिद्यंते रुरुभी रुषा
Those men who, here, kill living beings falsely are cast into Raurava, where they are torn apart in anger by Rurus.
यः स्वोदरार्थे भूतानां वधमाचरति स्फुटम् । महारौरवसंज्ञे तु पात्यते स यमाज्ञया
He who, for his own belly, openly slaughters creatures, is thrown by Yama's command into Mahāraurava.
यो वै निजं तु जनकं ब्राह्मणं द्वेष्टि पापकृत् । कालसूत्रे महादुष्टे योजनायुतविस्तृते
Whoever, being sinful, hates his own father or a brāhmaṇa is bound in the terrible Kālasūtra, stretching for ten thousand yojanas.
यावंति पशुरोमाणि गवां द्वेषं करोति यः । तावद्वर्षसहस्राणि पच्यते यमकिंकरैः
As many hairs as are on a cow, so many thousands of years is he cooked there by the servants of Yama, if he harbors hatred toward cows.
यो भूमौ भूपतिर्भूत्वा दंडायोग्यं तु दंडयेत् । करोति ब्राह्मणस्यापि देहदंडं च लोलुपः
A king who, being greedy, punishes someone deserving only a fine, or inflicts bodily punishment even on a brāhmaṇa—
स सूकरमुखैर्दुष्टैः पीड्यते यमकिंकरैः । पश्चाद्दुष्टासु योनीषु जायते पापमुक्तये
He is tormented by Yama's servants with faces like boars, and afterwards is born in evil wombs to be freed from sin.
ब्राह्मणानां गवां ये तु द्रव्यं वृत्तं तथाल्पकम् । वृत्तिं वा गृह्णते मोहाल्लुंपंति स्वबलान्नराः
Those men who, out of delusion, seize the wealth, livelihood, or even a little property of brāhmaṇas or cows by force—
ते परत्रांधकूपे च पात्यंते च महार्दिताः । योऽन्नं स्वयमुपाहृत्य मधुरं चात्तिलोलुपः
They are cast, greatly afflicted, into a dark pit in the next world. One who, greedy for taste, brings food for himself and eats sweet things—
न देवाय न सुहृदे ददाति रसनापरः । स पतत्येव नरके कृमिभोजनसंज्ञिते
And does not give to the gods or friends, being attached to his tongue, falls into the hell called Kṛmibhojana, where he is food for worms.
अनापदि नरो यस्तु हिरण्यादीन्यपाहरेत् । ब्रह्मस्वं वा महादुष्टे संदंशे नरके पतेत्
A man who, without distress, steals gold or other things, or the wealth of Brahmins, falls into the dreadful Saṃdaṃśa hell.
यः स्वदेहं प्रपुष्णाति नान्यं जानाति मूढधीः । स पात्यते तैलतप्ते कुंभीपाकेऽतिदारुणे
He who nourishes only his own body and knows no one else, being of deluded mind, is cast into the exceedingly terrible Kumbhīpāka, where oil is boiling.
यो नागम्यां स्त्रियं मोहाद्योषिद्भावाच्च कामयेत् । तं तया किंकराः सूर्म्या परिरंभं च कुर्वते
He who, out of delusion or lust, desires a woman who should not be approached, is embraced by the servants of Sūrmī together with her.
ये बलाद्वेदमर्यादां लुंपंति स्वबलोद्धताः । ते वैतरण्यां पतिता मांसशोणितभक्षकाः
Those who, driven by their own strength, forcibly violate the boundaries of the Veda, fall into the Vaitaraṇī river and consume flesh and blood.
वृषलद्यं यः स्त्रियं कृत्वा तया गार्हस्थ्यमाचरेत् । पूयोदे निपतत्येव महादुःखसमन्वितः
He who, after marrying a woman of a degraded caste, lives a household life with her, surely falls into a pus-filled hell, afflicted with great suffering.
ये दंभमाश्रयंते वै धूर्ता लोकस्य वंचने । वैशसे नरके मूढाः पतंति यमताडिताः
Those deceitful ones who resort to hypocrisy to cheat people, fall into the cruel hell, struck by Yama, bewildered.
ये सवर्णां स्त्रियं मूढा रेतः स्वं पाययंति च । रेतःकुल्यासु ते पापा रेतःपानेषु तत्पराः
Those foolish ones who make a woman of their own caste drink their semen, are sinful and become devoted to drinking semen in the streams of semen.
ये चौरा वह्निदा दुष्टा गरदा ग्रामलुंठकाः । सारमेयादने ते वै पात्यंते पातकान्विताः
Those who are thieves, arsonists, wicked poisoners, and village plunderers, fall into the hell of being eaten by dogs, afflicted by sin.