प्रेता ऊचुः। शृणुष्वाहारमस्माकं सर्वसत्वविगर्हितम्। यच्छ्रुत्वा निंदसे विप्र भूयोभूयश्च नित्यशः
The Pretas said: Hear our food, despised by all creatures; upon hearing it, O Brahmin, you will reproach us again and again, always.
श्लेष्ममूत्रपुरीषेण योषिदङ्गमलेन च। गृहाणि त्यक्तशौचानि प्रेता भुंजंति तत्र वै
Pretas eat in houses abandoned by cleanliness, with phlegm, urine, excrement, and women's bodily filth.
स्त्रीभिर्दग्धानि कीर्णानि प्रकीर्णोच्छिष्टकानि च। मलेनापि जुगुप्स्यानि प्रेता भुंजंति तत्र वै
Pretas eat what is burned by women, scattered, and mixed with leftovers, even what is disgusting with filth.
चित्तलज्जाविहीनानि होमहीनानि यानि च। व्रतैश्चैव विहीनानि प्रेता भुंजंति तत्र वै
Pretas eat what lacks purity of mind and modesty, what is devoid of offerings, and what is without vows.
गुरवो नैव पूज्यंते स्त्रीजितानि गृहाणि च। क्रोधलोभगृहीतानि प्रेता भुंजंति तत्र वै
Pretas eat in houses where elders are not honored, where women have conquered, and where anger and greed prevail.
त्रपा मे जायते तात कथ्यमाने स्वभोजने। अस्मात्परतरं चान्यन्न वक्तुमपि शक्यते
Shame arises in me, dear one, as I speak of my own food; it is not possible to speak of anything worse than this.
निवृत्तिं प्रेतभावस्य पृच्छामस्त्वां दृढव्रत। यथा न भवति प्रेतस्तन्मे वद तपोधन
We ask you, steadfast in vows, about the cessation of the preta state; tell us, O possessor of austerity, how one does not become a preta.
ब्राह्मण उवाच। एकरात्र द्विरात्रादि कृच्छ्रचांद्रायणदिभिः। व्रतैरन्यैः कृतैर्नित्यं न प्रेतो जायते नरः
The Brahmin said: By performing vows such as ekarātra, dvirātra, kṛcchra, cāndrāyaṇa, and others regularly, a man does not become a preta.
त्रीनग्नीन्पञ्च चैकं वा योऽहन्यहनि सेवते। स वै भूतदयापन्नो न प्रेतो जायते नरः
He who daily serves three fires, five, or even one, and is endowed with compassion for beings, does not become a preta.
तुल्यो मानेऽपमाने च तुल्यः कांचनलोष्टयोः। तुल्यः शत्रौ च मित्रे च न प्रेतो जायते नरः
He who is equal in honor and dishonor, equal regarding gold and clay, equal towards enemy and friend, does not become a preta.
देवताऽतिथिपूजासु गुरुपूजासु नित्यशः। रतो वै पितृपूजासु न प्रेतो जायते नरः
He who is always devoted to worship of deities, guests, and teachers, and delights in honoring ancestors, does not become a preta.
शुक्लांगारकसंयुक्ता चतुर्थी जायते यदा। श्रद्धया श्राद्धकृत्तस्यां न प्रेतो जायते नरः
When the fourth lunar day falls with both white and red marks, one who performs śrāddha with faith on that day does not become a preta.
जितक्रोधविमर्शोयस्तृष्णासंगविवर्जितः। क्षमावान्दानशीलश्च न प्रेतो जायते नरः
A man who has conquered anger and deliberates, who is free from thirst and attachment, who possesses forgiveness and is inclined to giving, does not become a preta.
गोब्राह्मणांश्च तीर्थानि पर्वतांश्च नदीस्तथा। देवांश्चैव तु यो वन्द्यान्न प्रेतो जायते नरः
He who reveres cows, Brahmins, sacred places, mountains, rivers, and the worthy gods, does not become a preta.
प्रेता ऊचुः। श्रुताश्च विविधा धर्माः पृच्छामो दुःखिता मुने। येन वै जायते प्रेतस्तन्नो वद महामते
The pretas said: We have heard various teachings of dharma; O sage, we ask you, afflicted with sorrow, by what cause does one become a preta? Tell us, O wise one.
ब्राह्मण उवाच। शूद्रान्नेन तु भुक्तेन ब्राह्मणेन विशेषतः। म्रियते ह्युदरस्थेन स वै प्रेतो भवेन्नरः
The Brahmin said: When a Brahmin, especially, eats food given by Shudras, and dies with that food in his belly, he indeed becomes a preta.
मातरं पितरं भ्रातॄन्भगिनीं सुतमेव च। अदृष्टदोषांस्त्यजति स प्रेतो जायते नरः
A man who abandons his mother, father, brothers, sister, or son, without perceiving any fault in them, becomes a preta.
अयाज्ययाजनाच्चैव याज्यस्य च विवर्जनात्। रतो वै शूद्रसेवासु स प्रेतो जायते नरः
By performing forbidden sacrifices, or neglecting prescribed sacrifices, and by delighting in service to Shudras, a man becomes a preta.
न्यासापहर्ता मित्रध्रुक्शूद्रपाकरतः सदा। विस्रंभघाती कूटस्थः स प्रेतो जायते नरः1.32.
One who steals deposits, betrays friends, always delights in Shudra food, destroys trust, or is deceitful, becomes a preta.
ब्रह्महा गोघ्नकः स्तेनः सुरापो गुरुतल्पगः। भूमिकन्यापहर्त्ता च स प्रेतो जायते नरः
A killer of a Brahmin, a killer of a cow, a thief, a drinker of liquor, one who violates the teacher's bed, or one who abducts land or a maiden, becomes a preta.
सामान्यां दक्षिणां लब्ध्वा एक एव निगूहति। नास्तिकीभावनिरतः स वै प्रेतोभिजायते
He who, having received common gifts, keeps them secretly for himself, or who is devoted to atheistic thinking, indeed becomes a preta.
एवं ब्रुवाणे विप्रेन्द्र आकाशे दुंदुभिस्वनः। पुष्पवृष्टिः पपातोर्व्यां देवैर्मुक्ता सहस्रशः
As the chief of Brahmins spoke thus, a drum sounded in the sky, and a rain of flowers fell upon the earth, released by the gods in thousands.
प्रेतानां तु विमानानि आगतानि समंततः। अस्य विप्रस्य संभाषात्पुण्यसंकीर्तनेन च
The vimanas of the pretas arrived everywhere, due to the discourse of this Brahmin and the praise of virtue.
तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन सतां संभाषणं कुरु। यदि ते श्रेयसा कार्यं गंगासुत अतंद्रितः
Therefore, with all effort, converse with the virtuous, O son of Ganga, if you desire the highest good, without fatigue.
तिलकं सर्वधर्मस्य पञ्चप्रेतकथामिमाम्। पठेल्लक्षं योऽस्य कुले न प्रेतो जायते नरः
Whoever recites this account of the five pretas, the essence of all dharma, one hundred thousand times in his family, does not become a preta.
शृणोति वाप्यभीक्ष्णं वा श्रद्धया परयान्वितः। भक्त्या समन्वितो वापि न प्रेतो जायते नरः
Or whoever hears it repeatedly, with utmost faith or devotion, does not become a preta.
भीष्म उवाच। अंतरिक्षे किमर्थं तु पुष्करं परिकीर्त्यते। मुनिभिर्धर्मशीलैश्च लभ्यते तत्कथं त्विह
Bhishma said: For what reason is Pushkara praised in the sky? How is it attained here by sages devoted to dharma?
येन तल्लभ्यते लब्धं लब्धं चैव फलप्रदम्। तन्मे सर्वं समाचक्ष्व कौतुकादेव पृच्छतः
By what means is it attained, and once attained, how does it yield fruit? Tell me all this, for I ask out of curiosity.
पुलस्त्य उवाच। ऋषिकोटिस्समायाता दक्षिणापथवासिनी। स्नानार्थं पुष्करे राजन्पुष्करं च वियद्गतम्
Pulastya said: A multitude of sages from the southern region came to Pushkara for bathing, O king, and Pushkara is situated in the sky.
मत्वाते मुनयः सर्वे प्राणायामपरायणाः। ध्यायमानाः परं ब्रह्म स्थिता द्वादशवत्सरान्
Thinking thus, all the sages, devoted to pranayama, meditated on the supreme Brahman, remaining for twelve years.