किं वा केन कृतं कर्म येन प्राप्ता च वैकृतिः । कथमेवं विधाः सर्वे दुःखिनोऽतीव भीषणाः
'What deed or act was done, by which this distortion was attained? How is it that all of you are so miserable and exceedingly terrifying?'
प्रेता ऊचुः - क्षुत्पिपासार्दिता नित्यं नानादुःखचयाकुलाः । कृतबुद्धे हृदि क्रूरा नष्टसंज्ञा विचेतसः
The pretas said: 'Afflicted always by hunger and thirst, overwhelmed by various heaps of suffering, with cruel intent in the heart, bereft of consciousness and confused.'
न जानीमो दिशः क्वापि मूढा मानवघातिनः । तदेतद्दुःखमाख्यातमेतदेवासुखं पुनः
'We do not know any direction, bewildered, destroyers of men; this is the suffering described, and this again is our misery.'
प्रभातमिव संभाति भास्करोदयदर्शनात् । श्रुत्वा नारायणेत्युच्चैर्भाषितं तव कोमलम्
'Like the dawn that arises at the sight of the sun, hearing your gentle utterance of 'Nārāyaṇa' aloud.'
दृष्ट्वा च दर्शनं विप्र शुद्धभावं गता वयम् । दर्शनेनैव ते विप्र नामश्रवणतो हरेः
'And seeing your presence, O brāhmaṇa, we have attained pure feeling; by your very sight, O brāhmaṇa, and by hearing the name of Hari.'
भवांतरमनुप्राप्ता वयं प्राप्ता दयालवः । विनाशयत्यपयशो बुद्धिं विशदयत्यपि
'We have attained another existence, and have become recipients of compassion; misfortune destroys the mind, but compassion purifies it.'
प्रतिष्ठापयति प्रायो नृणां वैष्णवदर्शनम् । अहं पर्युषितो नाम सूचकोऽयं द्वितीयकः
Generally, the sight of a Vaiṣṇava establishes merit for people; I am called Paryuṣita, the indicator—this is the second one.
शीघ्रगो रोधकश्चान्यः पंचमोयं च लेखकः । षष्ठोयमिति वाग्दुष्टः सप्तमोयं विदैवतः
Another is Śīghraga, the one who obstructs; the fifth is Lekhaka, the scribe; the sixth is Vāgduṣṭa, one of corrupt speech; the seventh is Vidaivata, hostile to the gods.
नित्यंयाजनकश्चायमष्टमः कष्टदायकः । मुनिशर्मोवाच- प्रेतानां कर्मजातानां नामानि भवतां कुतः
The eighth is Nityam Yājanaka, always causing ritual, and Kaṣṭadāyaka, the bringer of suffering. Muniśarma said: From where do you pretas get these names according to your deeds?
किं तत्कारणमुद्दिश्य येन यूयं सनामकाः । प्रेता ऊचुः - मया स्वादु सदा भुक्तं दत्तं पर्युषितं द्विजे
What is the reason, for what cause, that you all have such names? The pretas said: I always ate tasty food and gave stale food to the twice-born.
आज्ये सति निराज्यं च तेन पर्य्युषितोऽस्म्यहम् । मिथ्यामिथ्यापरच्छिद्र मर्म्मान्वेषी स्वभावतः
When there was ghee, I withheld it; thus I am Paryuṣita. By nature, I sought out the faults and secrets of others, whether true or false.
सूचयामास तेनासौ सूचकोऽशुचिरातुरः । शीघ्रं नश्यति विप्रेण याचितः क्षुभितेन वै
Because of this, I became Sūcaka, impure and afflicted. When a brāhmaṇa, angered, asks quickly, he perishes.
एतत्कारणमुद्दिश्य शीघ्रगो द्विजसत्तम । गृहोपरि सदा स्वादुभुक्तमेतेन पापिना
For this reason, O best of twice-born, he is called Śīghraga. This sinner always ate tasty food above the house.
एकाकिना कुमनसा तेनासौ रोधकः स्मृतः । मौनेनापि स्थितो नित्यं पादेन लिखते महीम्
Alone and with a wicked mind, he is remembered as Rodhaka, the obstructer. Even while always silent, he writes on the ground with his foot.
अस्माकमपि पापिष्ठो लेखको लोकसंगतः । गुणिनोयं गुणान्द्वेष्टि निर्गुणे च गुणज्ञताम्
Among us, the most sinful is Lekhaka, mingling with people. Though virtuous, he hates virtues, and in the unvirtuous, he recognizes virtue.
असंज्ञे ज्ञानयोगी च वाग्दुष्टोसौ ततः स्मृतः । नास्तिक्यभावादनिशं पितृदैवत मानवान्
Lacking awareness, though a knower of yoga, he is called Vāgduṣṭa, of corrupt speech. Due to atheistic views, he never honors ancestors or gods.
न मन्यते च सत्कर्म पापस्तेन विदैवतः । सदा याचनको मिथ्या मिथ्यादौर्गत्यदर्शकः
He does not consider good deeds; thus, he is Vidaivata, hostile to the gods. Always begging falsely, he shows signs of misfortune.
सभूतोद्वेजको लुब्धस्तेन याचनकस्त्वयम् । एभिः पूर्वकृतैः पापैर्भुक्त्वा नरकयातनाम्
He disturbs gatherings, is greedy; thus, he is called Yācanaka, the beggar. Having suffered the torments of hell for these past sins,
प्रेतास्ते दर्शनादद्य पुनर्जाताः स्म सुस्थिताः । एतत्ते सर्वमाख्यातमात्मवृत्तांतसंभवम्
these pretas, by being seen today, have been reborn in a good state. All this has been told to you, the account of our own deeds.
प्रश्नं च यदि ते श्रद्धा पृच्छान्यत्कथयामि ते । ब्राह्मण उवाच- ये जीवा भुवि तिष्ठंति सर्वआहारमूलकाः
If you have faith and wish to ask more, I will tell you. The brāhmaṇa said: All living beings on earth subsist on various foods.
युष्माकमपि आहारं श्रोतुमिच्छामि तत्त्वतः । प्रेता ऊचुः - शृणुष्वाहारमस्माकं सर्वसत्वविगर्हितम्
I wish to hear the truth about your food as well. The pretas said: Hear about our food, which is despised by all beings.
यं श्रुत्वा निंदसे ब्रह्मन्भूयोभूयश्च नित्यशः । श्लेष्ममूत्रपुरीषेण योषिदंगमलेन च
Hearing of it, O brāhmaṇa, you will reproach us again and again. It consists of phlegm, urine, excrement, and the filth of women's bodies.
गृहाणित्यक्तशौचानि तानि भुंजंति तत्र वै । स्त्रीदग्धानि प्रकीर्णानि प्रकीर्णायस्कराणि च
They consume what is left behind, unclean, in houses, and what is eaten there. That which is burnt by women, scattered, and the leavings of the scattered.
कुत्सितानि मलेनापि प्रेता वै तत्र भुंजते । माधवं यत्र नार्चंति स्त्रीजितानि गृहाणि च
The pretas eat disgusting things, even filth, in those places. Where Mādhava is not worshipped, and the houses are ruled by women.
दया क्षांतिविहीनानि प्रेतास्तत्रैव भुंजते । यत्राभद्रा गृहे वाचः शौचहीनाश्च योषितः
Those who lack compassion and patience, the spirits consume their offerings there; where words in the household are inauspicious and women are without purity.
कलहो यत्र सततं प्रेतास्ते तत्र भुंजते । न यत्र जामयो गेहे पूज्यंते न वराः स्त्रियः
Where constant quarrelling occurs, the spirits consume offerings there; where daughters-in-law are not honored in the home, nor are noble women respected.
यत्र दुर्जनसंसर्गस्तत्र भोक्ष्यामहे वयम् । न यत्र हरिसेवा वा न कथा यत्र वैष्णवी
Where there is association with wicked people, there we spirits partake; where there is neither service to Hari nor narration of Vaishnava stories.
न यत्र वैष्णवी प्रीतिः प्रेता वै तत्र भुंजते । येषामेवं गृहे प्रीता भुंजते तेऽपि सत्वरम्
Where there is no Vaishnava affection, there indeed the spirits consume; but in whose home such affection exists, they too quickly partake.
प्रेता भवंति पापेन निजवंशविनाशकाः । तस्य मे जायते ब्रह्मन्वदतो भोजनं निजम्
By sin, spirits arise, destroying their own lineage; O Brahman, from such a one, my own food is produced as he speaks.
अस्मात्पापतरं चान्यत्किंचिद्वक्तुं न शक्यते । निर्विण्णः प्रेतभावेन पृच्छामि त्वां दृढव्रतम्
Nothing else can be spoken of as more sinful than this; distressed by the state of being a spirit, I ask you, steadfast in vows.