अनुदितम् उदितं जगत्प्रबन्धं भवभयतो व्यसनैर् विलोक्य सम्यक् । अलम् अनुदितवासनो हि जीवो भवति विमुक्त इतीह सत्यम् अस्तु
Having thoroughly observed the rise and fall of the world-process, with its miseries born of the fear of existence, let it be established here as truth: the living being with unarisen tendencies is indeed liberated.
यथैष जन्तुर् म्रियते जायते च यथा पुनः । तन् मे कथय देवेशि पुनर् बोधविवृद्धये
Just as this creature dies and is born again, tell me, O goddess of the gods, for the further growth of my understanding.
नाडीप्रवाहे विधुरे यदा वातविसंस्थताम् । जन्तुः प्राप्नोति हि तदा शाम्यतीवास्य चेतनम्
When, in the flow of the channels, the creature attains a state of disorder due to wind, then its consciousness appears to subside.
शुद्धं हि चेतनं नित्यं नोदेति न च शाम्यति । स्थावरे जङ्गमे व्योम्नि शैले ऽग्नौ पवने स्थितम्
Pure consciousness is eternal; it neither arises nor subsides, abiding in the immobile, the moving, the sky, the mountain, the fire, and the wind.
केवलं वातसंरोधाद् यदा स्पन्दः प्रशाम्यति । मृत इत्य् उच्यते देहस् तदा स जडनामकः
When all movement ceases solely due to the restraint of the vital air, the body is said to be dead, and at that time it is called inert.
तस्मिन् देहे शवीभूते वाते खानिलतां गते । चेतनं वासनायुक्तं खात्म तत्रैव तिष्ठति
When the body has become a corpse and the vital air has merged into space, the consciousness endowed with impressions, the sky-like self, remains right there.
जीव इत्य् उच्यते तस्य नामाणोर् वासनावतः । तत्रैवास्ते स च शवागारे गगनके तथा
That which possesses impressions and is subtle is called the 'jīva'; it remains there itself, whether in the cremation ground or in the sky.
ततो ऽसौ प्रेतशब्देन प्रोच्यते व्यवहारिभिः । चेतनो वासनामिश्रस् सामोदानिलवत् स्थितः
Therefore, in common usage, it is referred to by the term 'preta'; this consciousness, mixed with impressions, abides like fragrant air.
इदं सर्वं परित्यज्य यदास्ते दर्शनान्तरे । स स्वप्न इव सङ्कल्प इव नानाकृतिस् तदा
When it abandons all this and exists in another vision, then it takes on various forms, like a dream or a thought.
तस्मिन्न् एव प्रदेशे ऽन्तः पूर्ववत् स्मृतिभाग् भवेत् । तदैव मृतिमूर्छान्ते पश्यत्य् अन्यच् छरीरकम्
In that very place, within, it becomes endowed with memory as before; at the end of death or fainting, it perceives another body.
आत्मन्य् अस्थिघटापुष्टम् अन्यस्य व्योम केवलम् । आधारे भूतले सार्कम् आकाशजनवासनम्
In itself, it sees the framework of bones filled out; in another, only space; on the supporting earth, with the sun, and the dwelling of sky-born beings.
भवन्ति यद्विधाः प्रेतास् तेषां भेदम् इमं शृणु । सामान्यपापिनो मध्यपापिनस् स्थूलपापिनः
Now hear the distinctions among pretas, as they are of various kinds: ordinary sinners, moderate sinners, and gross sinners.
सामान्यधर्मा मध्यस्थधर्मा चोत्तमधर्मवान् । एतेषां कस्यचिद् भेदो द्वौ त्रयो ऽप्य् अथ कस्यचित्
There are those of ordinary virtue, those of middling virtue, and those of excellent virtue; for some, there is a distinction among these, while for others, two or even all three may be present.
कश्चिन् महापातकवान् वत्सरान् मृतिमूर्छनाम् । विमूढो ऽनुभवत्य् अन्तः पाषाणहृदयोपमाम्
Someone burdened with great sins, for years after death, experiences a stupor like death, inwardly deluded, with a heart as hard as stone.
ततः कालेन सम्बुद्धो वासनाजठरोदितम् । अनुभूय चिरं कालं वासनादुःखम् अक्षतम्
Then, after some time, awakened by the stirrings of latent impressions, he endures for a long period the unbroken suffering born of those impressions.
भुक्त्वा योनिशतान्य् उच्चैर् दुःखाद् दुःखान्तरं गतः । कदाचिद् इमम् आयाति संसारस्वप्नविभ्रमम्
Having passed through hundreds of wombs, moving from one suffering to another, he sometimes enters this bewildering dream of worldly existence.
अथ वा मृतिमोहान्ते जडां दुःखशताकुलां । क्षणाद् वृक्षादिताम् एव हृत्स्थाम् अनुभवन्ति ते
Or else, at the end of the delusion of death, they instantly experience, as if rooted in the heart, a dullness overwhelmed by hundreds of sufferings, even taking birth as a tree or the like.
स्ववासनानुरूपाणि दुःखानि नरके पुनः । अनुभूयाथ योनीषु जायन्ते भूतले चिरात्
Again, they undergo sufferings in hell corresponding to their own latent tendencies, and after that, are born in various wombs on earth after a long time.
अथ मध्यमपापो यो मृतिमोहाद् अनन्तरम् । स शिलाजठरं जाड्यं कञ्चित् कालं प्रपश्यति
But one of middling sin, immediately after the delusion of death, perceives for a time a dullness like the belly of a stone.
ततः प्रबुध्य कालेन केनचिद् वा तथैव वा । तिर्यगादिक्रमैर् भुक्त्वा योनीस् संसारम् एष्यति
Then, awakening after some time, either by some cause or just so, he partakes of various births among animals and others, and will enter worldly existence.
मृत एवानुभवति कश्चित् सामान्यपातकी । स्ववासनानुसारेण देहं सम्पन्नम् अक्षतम्
After death, an ordinary wrongdoer experiences, according to his own tendencies, a body that appears whole and intact.
सङ्कल्प इव सङ्कल्प इव वेत्ति स तादृशम् । तस्मिन्न् एव क्षणे तस्य स्मृतिर् इत्थम् उदेत्य् अपि
Just as in a dream, he perceives things as he imagines them; in that very moment, such memories arise for him in this way.
ये तूत्तममहापुण्यमृतिमोहाद् अनन्तरम् । स्वर्गं विद्याधरपुरं स्मृत्यास्व् अनुभवन्ति ते
But those who possess great merit, immediately after death and confusion, experience with awareness the realms of heaven or the cities of the vidyādharas.
ततो ऽन्यकर्मसदृशं भुक्त्वान्यत्र निजं फलम् । जायन्ते मानुषे लोके सश्रीके सज्जनास्पदे
After enjoying the results of other actions elsewhere, corresponding to their deeds, they are born again in the human world, in auspicious and virtuous places.
ये ऽथ मध्यमधर्माणो मृतिमोहाद् अनन्तरम् । त इहोत्तारं कुर्वन्तस् स्थितं पश्यन्ति देहकम्
Those of middling virtue, immediately after death and confusion, see their own body lying there as if they are rising above it.
ये ऽथ सामान्यधर्माणो मृतिमोहाद् अनन्तरम् । ते व्योमवायुवलिताः प्रयान्त्य् ओषधिपल्लवान्
Those of ordinary virtue, immediately after death and confusion, are carried by the wind through the sky and enter into plants and sprouts.
तत्र चारुफलं भूत्वा प्रविश्य हृदयं नृणाम् । ततस् ताम् अधितिष्ठन्ति गर्भे जातिक्रमोदिते
There, becoming a beautiful fruit, they enter the hearts of people, and from there, they take up residence in a womb as the process of birth unfolds.
स्ववासनानुसारेण प्रेता एतां व्यवस्थितिं । मूर्छान्ते ऽनुभवन्त्य् अन्तः क्रमेणैवाक्रमेण च
According to their own tendencies, these departed ones experience this succession at the end of unconsciousness, either gradually or all at once.
आदौ मृता वयम् इति बुध्यन्ते तदनुक्रमात् । बन्धुपिण्डादिदानेन प्रोत्पन्ना इति वेदिनः
At first, we realize: 'We are dead.' Then, in succession, those who know say: 'We have arisen again through the offering of rice balls and other gifts by relatives.'
ततो यमभटा एते कालपाशान्वितास् तथा । नीयमानो व्रजाम्य् एभिः क्षणाद् यमपुरं त्व् इति
Then, these attendants of Yama, bearing the noose of time, thus declare: 'I am being led away by them and, in a moment, I go to the city of Yama.'