Hear now the solemn account of the consequences that befall those who act unrighteously, as revealed in the Varaha Purana. There are those who, disregarding virtue and righteousness, give away leftover food and indulge in sinful behavior. Among them is a woman of ill conduct, who, with a broken character, deceives her own husband. Such a woman, through the weight of her actions, is destined to be reborn first as a female dog, and then as a female pig, suffering greatly and never attaining happiness. In these forms, she endures misery, and is deprived of food, drink, and all that sustains life. Therefore, it is taught that one should act righteously for one’s own welfare. Yet, near the divine presence, there may dwell one who is evil-minded. Such a wicked soul, who performs all manner of unrighteous deeds, must be destroyed. Afterward, he is cast into the birth of a robber, his mind bent on evil. He becomes sinful, the doer of every wicked act, and is reborn as an elephant, a horse, a jackal, a boar, or even a crane, wandering through these forms for ten thousand years. Only then, when the residue of his karma is exhausted, does he obtain human birth again. Yet, even then, before reaching adulthood, he perishes, his life cut short as the fruits of his past actions are spent. In the destruction and birth of beings, both sin and merit play their part. From the beginning, the ripening of karma unfolds as truly ordained by the Self-born, the Supreme Lord. Thus concludes the chapter describing the results of punishments for hellish deeds in the endless cycle of worldly existence. Now, as Citragupta enumerates, there are many other groups of sins. Those who lack virtue and self-control, who walk the path of darkness, who harbor hatred toward the king or their teacher—all these are condemned. Those who delight in violence, who are cruel, who slander others, and who corrupt undertakings, those who set forests ablaze or act as butchers, all accumulate grave karma. When their karmas are exhausted and they are reborn as humans, their suffering continues. Some perish even in the womb, while others die as children—by falling from trees, by weapons, by the force of wind, or by fire. Such is the grievous fate of those who have killed their mother, father, friend, relative, or kin. They themselves undergo loss of life, just as they once inflicted it. There are also those who cut the roots of trees, who use poison, who commit arson, who slander, who stir up quarrels, and who make false accusations. Those who bring distress and act fiercely are cast into hell, where they are cooked in torment. When their time in hell is done and they are reborn as humans, they suffer the cutting off of ears and noses, and endure repeated bodily and mental agony. The most wicked among men suffer from severe abdominal diseases. Some are born maimed in one limb, one-eyed, with deformed nails, and afflicted by various diseases. Others, suffering from leprosy that causes flesh to fall away, or from white leprosy, are born thus according to their deeds. There are those who endure pain in the womb, pain in the eyes, asthma, heart pain, and pain in the private parts. They are afflicted by many harsh and terrible diseases, each a result of their past actions. The messengers of Yama, the lord of justice, are charged to punish, in due order, those who speak falsely. Among false speech, there are four kinds: whether revealing a secret or not, by slander, by reviling, by words that destroy affection, harsh speech, and speech marked by broken conduct. All these forms of unrighteous speech are subject to punishment, as ordained by the law of karma. Thus, the Varaha Purana reveals the workings of karma and the inevitable results of sinful actions, urging all to walk the path of righteousness and truth.