वर्णाश्रमविरुद्धं च कर्म कुर्वन्ति ये नराः । कर्मणा मनसा वाचा निरयेषु पतन्ति ते ॥ २,६.
Those men who act against the duties of class and stage of life, by deed, thought, or word, fall into hell.
अधः शिरोभिदृश्यन्ते नारकैर्दिवि देवताः । देवाश्चाधोमुखान्सर्वानधः पश्यन्ति नारकान् ॥ २,६.
The gods in heaven see the hell-dwellers with their heads downward, and the gods themselves are seen by all the hell-dwellers, also with their heads downward.
स्थावराः क्रिमयोब्जाश्च पक्षिणः पशवो नराः । धार्मिकास्त्रिदशास्तद्धन्मोक्षिणश्च यथाक्रमम् ॥ २,६.
Immovable beings, insects, those born from eggs, birds, animals, humans, the righteous, the gods, and then the liberated—all these exist in due order.
सहस्रभागप्रथमा द्वितीयानुक्रमास्तथा । सर्वे ह्येते महाभागा यावन्मुक्तिसमाश्रयाः ॥ २,६.
The first have a thousandth part, and so on in succession; all these, O greatly fortunate one, continue until the attainment of liberation.
यावन्तो जन्तवः स्वर्गे तावन्तो नरकौकसः । पापकृद्याति नरकं प्रायाश्चित्तपराङ्मुखः ॥ २,६.
As many beings as there are in heaven, so many dwell in hell; the doer of evil, who turns away from atonement, goes to hell.
पापानामनुरूपाणि प्रायश्चित्तानि यद्यथा । तथा तथैव संस्मृत्य प्रोक्तानि परमर्षिभिः ॥ २,६.
For sins, the appropriate atonements are prescribed according to their nature; thus, remembering them, the supreme sages have declared them.
पापे गुरूणि गुरुणि स्वल्पान्यल्पे च तद्विदः । प्रायश्चित्तानि मैत्रेय जगुः स्वायंभुवादयः ॥ २,६.
For great sins, great atonements; for small ones, small—so have those who know, beginning with Svāyambhuva, declared, O Maitreya.
प्रायश्चित्तान्यशेषाणि तपःकर्मात्मकानि वै । यानि तेषामशेषाणां कृष्णानुस्मरणम्परम् ॥ २,६.
All atonements consist of acts of austerity; but for all of them, the supreme is the remembrance of Krishna.
कृते पापेऽनुतापो वै यस्य पुंसः प्रजायते । प्रायश्चित्तं तु तस्यैकं हरिसंस्मरणं परम् ॥ २,६.
When a man feels true remorse for a committed sin, his sole and highest atonement is the remembrance of Hari.
प्रातर्निशि तथा सन्ध्यामध्याह्नादिषु संस्मरन् । नारायणमवाप्नोति सद्यः पापक्षयन्नरः । विष्णुसंस्मरणात्क्षीणसमस्तक्लेशसञ्चयः । मुक्तिं प्रयाति स्वर्गाप्तिस्तस्य विघ्नोनुमीयते ॥ २,६.
Remembering Nārāyaṇa at dawn, night, twilight, midday, and other times, a man immediately attains him, destroying sin; through remembrance of Viṣṇu, when all accumulated suffering is exhausted, he attains liberation, and if he gains heaven, it is considered an obstacle.
वासुदेवे मनो यस्यजपहोमार्चनादिषु । तस्यान्तरायो मैत्रेय देवेन्द्रत्वादिकं फलम् ॥ २,६.
For one whose mind is fixed on Vāsudeva during recitation, sacrifice, worship, and the like, O Maitreya, any interruption is only the fruit of becoming lord of the gods and so forth.
क्व नाकपृष्ठगमनं पुनरावृत्तिलक्षणम् । क्व जपो वासुदेवेति मुक्तिबीजमनुत्तमम् ॥ २,६.
What comparison is there between ascending to heaven, which is marked by return, and the recitation of 'Vāsudeva,' the supreme seed of liberation?
तस्मादहर्निशं विष्णुं संस्मरन्पुरुषो मुने । न याति नरकं मर्त्यः संक्षीणाखिलपातकः ॥ २,६.
Therefore, O sage, a man who remembers Viṣṇu day and night does not go to hell, for all his sins are diminished.
मनः प्रीतिकरः स्वर्गो नरकस्तद्विपर्ययः । नरकस्वर्गसंज्ञे वै पापपुण्ये द्विजोत्तम ॥ २,६.
Heaven is that which brings joy to the mind; hell is the opposite. The terms 'hell' and 'heaven,' O best of twice-born, refer to sin and merit.
वस्त्वेकमेव दुःखाय सुखायेर्ष्यागमाय च । कोपाय च यतस्तस्माद्वस्तु वस्त्वात्मकं कुतः ॥ २,६.
A single thing is the cause of pain, of pleasure, of envy, and of anger; therefore, how can a thing be truly of the nature of a thing?
तदेव प्रीतये भूत्वा पुनर्दुःखाय जायते । तदेव कोपाय यतः प्रसादाय च जायते ॥ २,६.
That very thing, being a cause of pleasure, again becomes a cause of pain; that very thing is the cause of anger and also of favor.
तस्माद्दुःखात्मकं नास्ति न च किञ्चित्सुखात्मकम् । मनसः परिणामोयं सुखदुःखादिलक्षणः ॥ २,६.
Therefore, nothing is inherently of the nature of pain, nor is anything inherently of the nature of pleasure; this is a transformation of the mind, characterized by pleasure, pain, and the like.
ज्ञानमेव परं ब्रह्म ज्ञानं बन्धाय चेष्यते । ज्ञानात्मकमिदं विश्वं न ज्ञानाद्विद्यते परम् ॥ २,६.
Knowledge alone is the supreme Brahman; knowledge is also said to be bondage. This entire universe is of the nature of knowledge; nothing exists beyond knowledge.
विद्याविद्येति मैत्रेय ज्ञानमेवोपधारय ॥ २,६.
Understand, O Maitreya, that knowledge alone is called both knowledge and ignorance.
एवमेतन्मयाख्यातं भवतो मण्डलं भुवः । पातालानि च सर्वाणि तथैव नरका द्विज ॥ २,६.
Thus have I described to you the circle of the earth, all the netherworlds, and likewise the hells, O twice-born one.
समुद्राः पर्वताश्चैव द्वीपा वर्षाणि निम्नगाः । संक्षेपात्सर्वमाख्यातं किं भूयः श्रोतुमिच्छसि ॥ २,६.
The oceans, the mountains, the continents, the regions, and the rivers—everything has been described in summary; what more do you wish to hear?
कथितं भूतलं ब्रह्मन्ममैतदखिलं त्वया । भुवर्लोकादिकाँ ल्लोकाञ्छ्रोतुमिच्छाम्यहं मुने
O Brahman, you have explained to me this entire earth; now, O sage, I wish to hear about the worlds beginning with Bhuvarloka.
तथैव ग्रहसंस्थानं प्रमाणानि यथा तथा । समाचक्ष्व महाभाग तन्मह्यं परिपृच्छते
In the same way, please tell me, O most fortunate one, about the arrangement and measurements of the planets, as I inquire of you.
श्रीपराशर उवाच । रविचन्द्र मसोर्यावन्मयूखैरवभास्यते । ससमुद्र सरिच्छैला तावती पृथिवी स्मृता
Śrī Parāśara said: The extent of the earth, with its oceans, rivers, and mountains, is considered to be as far as it is illuminated by the rays of the sun, moon, and fire.
यावत्प्रमाणा पृथिवी विस्तारपरिमण्डलात् । नभस्तावन्प्रमाणं वै व्यासमण्डलतो द्विज
O twice-born one, the measure of the sky is said to be equal to the diameter of the earth, from one side to the other.
भूमेर्यो जनलक्षे तु सौरं मैत्रेय मण्डलम् । लक्षाद्दिवाकरस्यापि मण्डलं शशिनः स्थितम्
O Maitreya, the orbit of the sun is at a hundred thousand yojanas from the earth; at the same distance beyond the sun is the orbit of the moon.
पूर्णे शतसहस्रे तु योजनानां निशाकरात् । नक्षत्रमण्डलं कृत्स्नमुपरिष्टात्प्रकाशते
At a full one hundred thousand yojanas above the moon, the entire circle of the stars shines forth.
द्वे लक्षे चोत्तरे ब्रह्मन् बुधो नक्षत्रमण्डलात् । तावत्प्रमाणभागे तु बुधस्याप्युशनाः स्थितः
O Brahman, two hundred thousand yojanas above the circle of stars is the planet Mercury; at the same distance above Mercury is Venus.
अङ्गारकोपि शुक्रस्य तत्प्रमाणे व्यवस्थितः । लक्षद्वये तु भौमस्य स्थितो देवपुरोहितः
Mars is situated at the same distance above Venus; and two hundred thousand yojanas above Mars is the priest of the gods (Jupiter).
सौरिर्बृहस्पतेश्चोर्ध्वं द्विलक्षे समवस्थितः । सप्तर्षिमण्डलं तस्माल्लक्षमेकं द्विजोत्तम
Saturn is positioned two hundred thousand yojanas above Jupiter; and, O best of the twice-born, one hundred thousand yojanas above that is the circle of the Seven Sages (the Saptarṣis).