ततो नानाप्रकारस्य धर्मस्य श्रवणं हि यत्
After that comes the hearing of various kinds of dharma.
तद्दास्यामि द्विजाग्र्याय पृच्छ विप्र यदिच्छसि
I will give that to the foremost twice-born; ask, O Brahmin, whatever you desire.
मनसैव प्रशस्यामुं प्रश्नमेनमथाकरोत्
With his mind he praised him, and then made this inquiry.
कथं संजायते जंतुः कथं चापि प्रलीयते
How does a living being arise, and how does it also dissolve?
छंदोगीतममुं प्रश्नं शक्त्या वक्ष्यामि ते द्विज
I will answer this question for you, O Brahmin, in the form of a metrical song, to the best of my ability.
जनने त्रिविधं कर्म हेतुर्जंतोर्भवेत्किल
In birth, threefold action is indeed the cause for a living being.
तत्र यः सात्त्विको नाम स स्वर्गं प्रतिपद्यते
Among these, the one called 'sattvic' attains heaven.
तथा यस्तामसो नाम नरकं प्रतिपद्यते
Likewise, the one called 'tamasic' attains hell.
महतां दर्शनस्पर्शैरुपभोगसहासनैः 1.2.49.
Through the sight, touch, enjoyment, and laughter of the great ones,
सोऽपि दुःखदरिद्राद्यैर्वेष्टितो विकलेंद्रियः
He too is surrounded by suffering, poverty, and impaired senses.
अथ यो मिश्रकर्मा स्यात्तिर्यक्त्वं प्रतिपद्यते
But the one whose actions are mixed attains the state of animals.
यस्य पुण्यं पृथुतरं पापमल्पं हि जायते
He whose merit is greater and sin is less is born thus.
पापं पृथुतरं यस्य पुण्यमल्पतरं भवेत्
He whose sin is greater and merit is less becomes so.
तत्र मानुषसंभूतिं शृणु यादृगसौ भवेत्
Now hear about human birth, and what its nature is.
सर्वदोषविनिर्मुक्तो जीवः संसरते स्फुटम्
The soul, freed from all faults, clearly transmigrates.
जीवः प्रविष्टो गर्भं तु कलले प्रतितिष्ठति
The soul enters the womb and abides in the embryo.
द्वितीयं तु तथा मासं घनीभूतः स तिष्ठति
In the second month likewise, it remains compacted.
अस्थीनि च तथा मासि जायंते च चतुर्थके
And in the fourth month, the bones likewise begin to form.
सप्तमे च तथा मासि प्रबोधश्चास्य जायते 1.2.49.
And in the seventh month, consciousness arises in it.
अष्टमे नवमे मासि भृशमुद्विजते ततः
In the eighth and ninth months, it becomes greatly distressed.
मध्ये क्लीबस्तु वामे स्त्री दक्षिणे पुरुषस्तथा
In the middle, it is neuter; on the left, female; on the right, male.
यस्यां तिष्ठत्यसौ योनौ तां च वेत्ति न संशयः
Wherever it remains in the womb, that is surely known, without doubt.
अंधे तमसि किं दृश्यो गंधान्मोहं दृढं लभेत्
In blind darkness, what can be seen? It attains a strong delusion of smells.
व्यायामे लभते मातुः क्लेशं व्याधेश्च वेदनाम्
Through movement, it experiences the mother's distress and the pain of disease.
सौकुमार्याद्रुजं तीव्रां जनयंति च तस्य ते
Because of its tenderness, those pains cause it intense suffering.
संतप्यते भृशं गर्भे कर्मभिश्च पुरातनैः
It is greatly tormented in the womb by its former deeds.
जन्म चेदहमाप्स्यामि मानुष्ये जीवितं तथा
If I attain birth, and likewise human life—
एवं तु चिंतयानस्य सीमंतोन्नयनादनु
Thus reflecting, at the time of the parting of the hairline—
ततः स्वकाले संपूर्णे सूतिमारुतचालितः ।।1.2.49.
Then, when the proper time is complete, moved by the wind of birth—
अधोमुखः संकटेन योनिद्वारेण निःसरेत्
Head downward, through a narrow passage, it emerges from the womb.