सूत उवाच- एवमुक्ते तु वचने धर्मराजेन स द्विजः । उवाच धर्मराजं तं निर्विण्णो गमनाय वै
Sūta said: When these words were spoken by Dharmarāja, that twice-born one, disheartened at the prospect of returning, addressed Dharmarāja.
ब्राह्मण उवाच- कस्मादहमिहानीतः कस्मात्प्रेरयसे पुनः । गंतुं नैवोत्सहे तत्र मर्त्यलोकं पुनः प्रभो
The Brāhmaṇa said: Why have I been brought here? Why do you send me back again? O Lord, I am not able to return to the mortal world.
यम उवाच- इह क्षीणायुषां पुंसां वासः पुण्यवतां भवेत् । अयं वै धर्मराजस्य लोको धर्मः प्रकीर्तितः
Yama said: Here is the abode for those whose lifespan has ended, if they are virtuous; this world of Dharmarāja is called the realm of righteousness.
सौख्यभूमिरियं सर्वा धर्मराजोऽहमीश्वरः । पुण्यापुण्यानुसारेण जंतूनां सुखदुःखदः
This entire realm is a place of happiness; I, Dharmarāja, am the lord here, giving happiness or suffering to beings according to their merit or demerit.
पापिनां यमरूपोऽस्मि नृणां निरयदायकः । तथा पुण्यवतां सौख्य स्वर्गदो धर्म मूर्तिमान्
For the sinful, I am Yama, the giver of hell to men; likewise, 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, to your own dwelling as you came; even now, ten years of your lifespan remain.
क्षये तवायुषः प्राप्तिर्लोकस्यास्य भविष्यति । प्रष्टव्यं च त्वया ह्यन्यत्पृच्छस्व प्रब्रवीमि ते
When your lifespan is exhausted, you will attain this world; you may ask me anything else—ask, and I will tell you.
ब्राह्मण उवाच- यत्कृत्वा सुमहत्पुण्यं स्वर्गः स्याद्ब्रूहि तन्मम । सर्वस्य हि प्रमाणंत्वं धर्माधर्मविनिश्चये
The Brāhmaṇa said: Tell me what great meritorious act leads to heaven; for you are the authority in deciding righteousness and unrighteousness for all.
यदि देव मया सम्यग्गंतव्यं निजमंदिरे । तद्ब्रूहि कर्मणा केन पतंति नरके नराः
If, O god, I must properly return to my own house, then tell me by what action men fall into hell.
व्रजंति केन वै स्वर्गं तत्सर्वं कृपया वद । यम उवाच- कर्मणा मनसा वाचा ये धर्मविमुखा नराः
By what do they go to heaven? Tell me all this out of kindness. Yama said: Those men who turn away from righteousness by deed, mind, or speech—
विष्णुभक्तिविहीना ये ते वै निरयगामिनः । पश्यंति भेदबुद्ध्या ये ब्रह्माणं शंकरं हरिम्
Those who lack devotion to Viṣṇu, they indeed go to hell; those who see Brahmā, Śaṅkara, and Hari as separate,
विरक्ता विष्णुविद्यासु नरा निरयगामिनः । कुलदेशोचितं कर्म यस्त्यक्त्वान्यत्समाचरेत्
Those men who are averse to the knowledge of Viṣṇu go to hell; one who abandons the actions appropriate to his lineage or country and does something else,
कामाद्वा यदि वा मोहात्स याति नरकं नरः । अयाज्ययाजकश्चैव याज्यानां च विवर्जकः
Whether out of desire or delusion, that man goes to hell; one who performs sacrifices for the unworthy, or avoids those worthy of sacrifice,
विरतो विष्णुविद्यासु स भुंक्ते नरकान्बहून् । अदत्वा पितृदेवेभ्यो विप्रेभ्यो मर्त्यबंधुषु
He who turns away from the knowledge of Viṣṇu experiences many hells; and one who does not give to ancestors, gods, Brāhmaṇas, or mortal relatives—
सधनो म्रियते पापः स याति नरकान्बहून् । सर्वाण्यन्नानि सिद्धानि पाकभेदं करोति यः
The sinner who dies while preparing food, and who alters the proper method of cooking all kinds of food, goes to many hells.
अवैश्वदेवं भुंजीत स याति नरकं चिरम् । बहुद्रोहेण भूतानां येऽजयंति धनं द्विज
He who eats without offering to the Viśvadevas goes to hell for a long time; and those who, with much harm to living beings, acquire wealth, O twice-born one—
धनवंतो निरयगा दांभिका दुःखभागिनः । नास्तिक्यादथ वा लोभान्मोहात्काले यथोदिते
—those wealthy ones who are deceitful, who suffer misery, whether from atheism, greed, or delusion at the appointed time, go to hell.
भक्त्या न श्राद्धदा ये स्युः पच्यंते नरकेषु ते । दीयमानस्य वित्तस्य ब्राह्मणेभ्यस्तु पापकृत्
Those who do not give the śrāddha offering with devotion are cooked in hell; and the sinner who obstructs the giving of wealth to Brāhmaṇas—
विघ्नमाचरते योऽसौ नरो निरयगो भवेत् । सामान्य दक्षिणां लब्ध्वा गृह्णात्येको विमोहतः
—he who causes obstacles becomes a dweller in hell; and one who, out of delusion, takes the common gift alone—
नास्तिक्यभावनिरतो नरः स्यान्नरकालये । असहिष्णुतया तस्य गुणानां कारणं भवेत्
—a man devoted to atheistic thinking dwells in hell; and due to his intolerance, this becomes the cause of his faults.
महत्पापं समुत्पन्नं कारणं नरकस्य तत् । निर्दोषां सुहृदां भार्यां त्यजन्कालेन याति यः
A great sin arises, which is the cause of hell, for one who abandons a blameless, friendly wife at the appointed time.
न वहेत यशस्तेषां स नरो नरके पतेत् । अधर्मं धर्ममिति यो वदन्मोहवशं गतः
He does not gain fame among them; such a man falls into hell, who, overcome by delusion, declares unrighteousness to be righteousness.
हैतुको नास्तिको यस्तु स नरो निरयालयः । मनसा योऽन्यभावेन वचसा चान्यथा वदेत्
But the man who is a rationalist and atheist becomes a dweller in hell; and he who thinks one thing in his mind and speaks otherwise—
हृदयं कलुषं कुर्यात्स नरो नरके वसेत् । अवमन्य च ये यांति भगवत्कीर्तनं नराः
—he who makes his heart impure, that man dwells in hell; and those men who show contempt for the singing of the Lord's praises—
ते यांति नरकं घोरं तेन पापेन कर्मणा । पश्यंतो भगवद्द्वारं नामशास्त्र परिच्छदम्
—they go to a terrible hell because of that sinful act; and seeing the Lord's temple or the collection of scriptures—
अकृत्वा तत्प्रणामादि ते यांति नरकौकसः । विनापराधेन नराः कृत्वा पत्न्यधिवेदनम्
—if they do not offer reverence and the like, they become dwellers in hell; and those men who, without any fault, accuse their wives—
त्यजंति सुकलत्रं ये ते यांति नरके नराः । न शृणोति गुरोर्वाक्यं धर्मशास्त्रं च यो नरः
—those who abandon a good wife go to hell; and the man who does not listen to the words of his teacher or to the scriptures of dharma—
परेषां चेतसः क्लेशकारी निरयगो भवेत् । पश्यतां बंधु बालानां प्रकर्षी मिष्टमश्नुते
—he who causes distress to the minds of others becomes a dweller in hell; and one who, in the presence of relatives and children, eats the best food—
स याति नरकं घोरं केवलोदरपूरकः । तुला मकर मेषेषु प्रातः स्नानं न यश्चरेत्
—he who only fills his own belly goes to terrible hell; and one who does not bathe in the morning during the months of Tulā, Makara, or Meṣa—
नद्यादिषु च नास्तिक्यस्तस्य स्यान्नरकालयः । वैष्णवं जनमालोक्य नाभ्युत्थानं करोति यः
—or in rivers and the like, being an atheist, his abode is hell; and seeing a Vaiṣṇava person, if one does not rise in respect—