Adhyaya 30

Verse 1

कपिल उवाच तस्यैतस्य जनो नूनं नायं वेदोरुविक्रमम् । काल्यमानोऽपि बलिनो वायोरिव घनावलि: ॥ १ ॥

The Personality of Godhead said: As a mass of clouds does not know the powerful influence of the wind, a person engaged in material consciousness does not know the powerful strength of the time factor, by which he is being carried.

Verse 2

यं यमर्थमुपादत्ते दु:खेन सुखहेतवे । तं तं धुनोति भगवान्पुमाञ्छोचति यत्कृते ॥ २ ॥

Whatever is produced by the materialist with great pain and labor for so-called happiness, the Supreme Personality, as the time factor, destroys, and for this reason the conditioned soul laments.

Verse 3

यदध्रुवस्य देहस्य सानुबन्धस्य दुर्मति: । ध्रुवाणि मन्यते मोहाद् गृहक्षेत्रवसूनि च ॥ ३ ॥

The misguided materialist does not know that his very body is impermanent and that the attractions of home, land and wealth, which are in relationship to that body, are also temporary. Out of ignorance only, he thinks that everything is permanent.

Verse 4

जन्तुर्वै भव एतस्मिन्यां यां योनिमनुव्रजेत् । तस्यां तस्यां स लभते निर्वृतिं न विरज्यते ॥ ४ ॥

The living entity, in whatever species of life he appears, finds a particular type of satisfaction in that species, and he is never averse to being situated in such a condition.

Verse 5

नरकस्थोऽपि देहं वै न पुमांस्त्यक्तुमिच्छति । नारक्यां निर्वृतौ सत्यां देवमायाविमोहित: ॥ ५ ॥

The conditioned living entity is satisfied in his own particular species of life; while deluded by the covering influence of the illusory energy, he feels little inclined to cast off his body, even when in hell, for he takes delight in hellish enjoyment.

Verse 6

आत्मजायासुतागारपशुद्रविणबन्धुषु । निरूढमूलहृदय आत्मानं बहु मन्यते ॥ ६ ॥

Such satisfaction with one’s standard of living is due to deep-rooted attraction for body, wife, home, children, animals, wealth and friends. In such association, the conditioned soul thinks himself quite perfect.

Verse 7

सन्दह्यमानसर्वाङ्ग एषामुद्वहनाधिना । करोत्यविरतं मूढो दुरितानि दुराशय: ॥ ७ ॥

Although he is always burning with anxiety, such a fool always performs all kinds of mischievous activities, with a hope which is never to be fulfilled, in order to maintain his so-called family and society.

Verse 8

आक्षिप्तात्मेन्द्रिय: स्त्रीणामसतीनां च मायया । रहो रचितयालापै: शिशूनां कलभाषिणाम् ॥ ८ ॥

He gives heart and senses to a woman, who falsely charms him with māyā. He enjoys solitary embraces and talking with her, and he is enchanted by the sweet words of the small children.

Verse 9

गृहेषु कूटधर्मेषु दु:खतन्त्रेष्वतन्द्रित: । कुर्वन्दु:खप्रतीकारं सुखवन्मन्यते गृही ॥ ९ ॥

The attached householder remains in his family life, which is full of diplomacy and politics. Always spreading miseries and controlled by acts of sense gratification, he acts just to counteract the reactions of all his miseries, and if he can successfully counteract such miseries, he thinks that he is happy.

Verse 10

अर्थैरापादितैर्गुर्व्या हिंसयेतस्ततश्च तान् । पुष्णाति येषां पोषेण शेषभुग्यात्यध: स्वयम् ॥ १० ॥

He secures money by committing violence here and there, and although he employs it in the service of his family, he himself eats only a little portion of the food thus purchased, and he goes to hell for those for whom he earned the money in such an irregular way.

Verse 11

वार्तायां लुप्यमानायामारब्धायां पुन: पुन: । लोभाभिभूतो नि:सत्त्व: परार्थे कुरुते स्पृहाम् ॥ ११ ॥

When he suffers reverses in his occupation, he tries again and again to improve himself, but when he is baffled in all attempts and is ruined, he accepts money from others because of excessive greed.

Verse 12

कुटुम्बभरणाकल्पो मन्दभाग्यो वृथोद्यम: । श्रिया विहीन: कृपणो ध्यायञ्‍छ्वसिति मूढधी: ॥ १२ ॥

Thus the unfortunate man, unsuccessful in maintaining his family members, is bereft of all beauty. He always thinks of his failure, grieving very deeply.

Verse 13

एवं स्वभरणाकल्पं तत्कलत्रादयस्तथा । नाद्रियन्ते यथापूर्वं कीनाशा इव गोजरम् ॥ १३ ॥

Seeing him unable to support them, his wife and others do not treat him with the same respect as before, even as miserly farmers do not accord the same treatment to their old and worn-out oxen.

Verse 14

तत्राप्यजातनिर्वेदो भ्रियमाण: स्वयम्भृतै: । जरयोपात्तवैरूप्यो मरणाभिमुखो गृहे ॥ १४ ॥

The foolish family man does not become averse to family life although he is maintained by those whom he once maintained. Deformed by the influence of old age, he prepares himself to meet ultimate death.

Verse 15

आस्तेऽवमत्योपन्यस्तं गृहपाल इवाहरन् । आमयाव्यप्रदीप्ताग्निरल्पाहारोऽल्पचेष्टित: ॥ १५ ॥

Thus he remains at home just like a pet dog and eats whatever is so negligently given to him. Afflicted with many illnesses, such as dyspepsia and loss of appetite, he eats only very small morsels of food, and he becomes an invalid who cannot work any more.

Verse 16

वायुनोत्क्रमतोत्तार: कफसंरुद्धनाडिक: । कासश्वासकृतायास: कण्ठे घुरघुरायते ॥ १६ ॥

In that diseased condition, one’s eyes bulge due to the pressure of air from within, and his glands become congested with mucus. He has difficulty breathing, and upon exhaling and inhaling he produces a sound like ghura-ghura, a rattling within the throat.

Verse 17

शयान: परिशोचद्‌भि: परिवीत: स्वबन्धुभि: । वाच्यमानोऽपि न ब्रूते कालपाशवशं गत: ॥ १७ ॥

In this way he comes under the clutches of death and lies down, surrounded by lamenting friends and relatives, and although he wants to speak with them, he no longer can because he is under the control of time.

Verse 18

एवं कुटुम्बभरणे व्यापृतात्माजितेन्द्रिय: । म्रियते रुदतां स्वानामुरुवेदनयास्तधी: ॥ १८ ॥

Thus the man, who engaged with uncontrolled senses in maintaining a family, dies in great grief, seeing his relatives crying. He dies most pathetically, in great pain and without consciousness.

Verse 19

यमदूतौ तदा प्राप्तौ भीमौ सरभसेक्षणौ । स दृष्ट्वा त्रस्तहृदय: शकृन्मूत्रं विमुञ्चति ॥ १९ ॥

At death, he sees the messengers of the lord of death come before him, their eyes full of wrath, and in great fear he passes stool and urine.

Verse 20

यातनादेह आवृत्य पाशैर्बद्ध्वा गले बलात् । नयतो दीर्घमध्वानं दण्ड्यं राजभटा यथा ॥ २० ॥

As a criminal is arrested for punishment by the constables of the state, a person engaged in criminal sense gratification is similarly arrested by the Yamadūtas, who bind him by the neck with strong rope and cover his subtle body so that he may undergo severe punishment.

Verse 21

तयोर्निर्भिन्नहृदयस्तर्जनैर्जातवेपथु: । पथि श्वभिर्भक्ष्यमाण आर्तोऽघं स्वमनुस्मरन् ॥ २१ ॥

While carried by the constables of Yamarāja, he is overwhelmed and trembles in their hands. While passing on the road he is bitten by dogs, and he can remember the sinful activities of his life. He is thus terribly distressed.

Verse 22

क्षुत्तृट्परीतोऽर्कदवानलानिलै: सन्तप्यमान: पथि तप्तवालुके । कृच्छ्रेण पृष्ठे कशया च ताडितश् चलत्यशक्तोऽपि निराश्रमोदके ॥ २२ ॥

Under the scorching sun, the criminal has to pass through roads of hot sand with forest fires on both sides. He is whipped on the back by the constables because of his inability to walk, and he is afflicted by hunger and thirst, but unfortunately there is no drinking water, no shelter and no place for rest on the road.

Verse 23

तत्र तत्र पतञ्छ्रान्तो मूर्च्छित: पुनरुत्थित: । पथा पापीयसा नीतस्तरसा यमसादनम् ॥ २३ ॥

While passing on that road to the abode of Yamarāja, he falls down in fatigue, and sometimes he becomes unconscious, but he is forced to rise again. In this way he is very quickly brought to the presence of Yamarāja.

Verse 24

योजनानां सहस्राणि नवतिं नव चाध्वन: । त्रिभिर्मुहूर्तैर्द्वाभ्यां वा नीत: प्राप्नोति यातना: ॥ २४ ॥

Thus he has to pass ninety-nine thousand yojanas within two or three moments, and then he is at once engaged in the torturous punishment which he is destined to suffer.

Verse 25

आदीपनं स्वगात्राणां वेष्टयित्वोल्मुकादिभि: । आत्ममांसादनं क्‍वापि स्वकृत्तं परतोऽपि वा ॥ २५ ॥

He is placed in the midst of burning pieces of wood, and his limbs are set on fire. In some cases he is made to eat his own flesh or have it eaten by others.

Verse 26

जीवतश्चान्त्राभ्युद्धार: श्वगृध्रैर्यमसादने । सर्पवृश्चिकदंशाद्यैर्दशद्‌भिश्चात्मवैशसम् ॥ २६ ॥

His entrails are pulled out by the hounds and vultures of hell, even though he is still alive to see it, and he is subjected to torment by serpents, scorpions, gnats and other creatures that bite him.

Verse 27

कृन्तनं चावयवशो गजादिभ्यो भिदापनम् । पातनं गिरीशृङ्गेभ्यो रोधनं चाम्बु-गर्तयोः ॥ २७ ॥

Next his limbs are lopped off and torn asunder by elephants. He is hurled down from hilltops, and he is also held captive either in water or in a cave.

Verse 28

यास्तामिस्रान्धतामिस्रा रौरवाद्याश्च यातना: । भुङ्क्ते नरो वा नारी वा मिथ: सङ्गेन निर्मिता: ॥ २८ ॥

Men and women whose lives were built upon indulgence in illicit sex life are put into many kinds of miserable conditions in the hells known as Tāmisra, Andha-tāmisra and Raurava.

Verse 29

अत्रैव नरक: स्वर्ग इति मात: प्रचक्षते । या यातना वै नारक्यस्ता इहाप्युपलक्षिता: ॥ २९ ॥

Lord Kapila continued: My dear mother, it is sometimes said that we experience hell or heaven on this planet, for hellish punishments are sometimes visible on this planet also.

Verse 30

एवं कुटुम्बं बिभ्राण उदरम्भर एव वा । विसृज्येहोभयं प्रेत्य भुङ्क्ते तत्फलमीद‍ृशम् ॥ ३० ॥

After leaving this body, the man who maintained himself and his family members by sinful activities suffers a hellish life, and his relatives suffer also.

Verse 31

एक: प्रपद्यते ध्वान्तं हित्वेदं स्वकलेवरम् । कुशलेतरपाथेयो भूतद्रोहेण यद्भृतम् ॥ ३१ ॥

He goes alone to the darkest regions of hell after quitting the present body, and the money he acquired by envying other living entities is the passage money with which he leaves this world.

Verse 32

दैवेनासादितं तस्य शमलं निरये पुमान् । भुङ्क्ते कुटुम्बपोषस्य हृतवित्त इवातुर: ॥ ३२ ॥

Thus, by the arrangement of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the maintainer of kinsmen is put into a hellish condition to suffer for his sinful activities, like a man who has lost his wealth.

Verse 33

केवलेन ह्यधर्मेण कुटुम्बभरणोत्सुक: । याति जीवोऽन्धतामिस्रं चरमं तमस: पदम् ॥ ३३ ॥

Therefore a person who is very eager to maintain his family and kinsmen simply by black methods certainly goes to the darkest region of hell, which is known as Andha-tāmisra.

Verse 34

अधस्तान्नरलोकस्य यावतीर्यातनादय: । क्रमश: समनुक्रम्य पुनरत्राव्रजेच्छुचि: ॥ ३४ ॥

Having gone through all the miserable, hellish conditions and having passed in a regular order through the lowest forms of animal life prior to human birth, and having thus been purged of his sins, one is reborn again as a human being on this earth.