Adhyaya 19

Verse 1

वृषोत्सर्गनानादानफलयमलोकगमनकर्मजदेहप्राप्तिनिरूपणं नामाष्टादशो ऽध्यायः श्रीभगवानुवाच / वायुभूतः क्षधाविष्टः कर्मजं देहमाश्रितः / ते देहं स समासाद्य यमेन सह गच्छति

The Blessed Lord said: Having become wind-like and seized by hunger, the departed one takes refuge in a body fashioned by karma. Attaining that body, he then proceeds together with Yama (and his agents) toward Yama’s realm.

Verse 2

चित्रगुप्तपुरं तत्र योजनानां तु विंशतिः / कायस्थास्तत्र पश्यन्ति पापपुण्यानि सर्वशः

There lies the city of Citragupta, extending twenty yojanas. There the record-keepers (kāyasthas) observe and examine, in every way, all deeds of sin and merit.

Verse 3

महादानेषुदत्तेषु गतस्तत्र सुखी भवेत् / योजनानां चतुर्विंशत्पुरं वैवस्वतं शुभम्

One who has performed great gifts (mahā-dānas) and then reaches that region becomes happy there. That auspicious city of Vaivasvata (Yama) extends for twenty-four yojanas.

Verse 4

लोहं लवणकार्पासं तिलपात्रं च यैर्नरैः / दत्तं तेनैव तृप्यन्ति यमस्य पुरचारिणः

Those men by whom iron, salt, cotton, and a vessel filled with sesame are given—by that very offering the attendants who move about in Yama’s city become satisfied.

Verse 5

गत्वा च तत्र ते सर्वे प्रतीहारं वदन्ति हि / धर्मध्वजप्रतीहारस्तत्र तिष्ठति सर्वदा

Having reached that place, they all indeed call for the gatekeeper; for there the gatekeeper named Dharmadhvaja, the Banner of Dharma, stands ever on duty.

Verse 6

सप्तधान्यस्य दानेन प्रीतो धर्मध्वजो भवेत् / तत्र गत्वा प्रतीहारो ब्रूते तस्य शुभाशुभम्

By gifting the seven kinds of grain, Dharmadhvaja is pleased. When the departed arrives there, the gatekeeper declares to him his auspicious and inauspicious deeds.

Verse 7

धर्मराजस्य यद्रूपं सन्तः सुकृतिनो जनाः / पश्यन्ति च दुरात्मानो यमरूपं सुभीषणम्

The virtuous—good people rich in merit—behold Dharmarāja in a form befitting righteousness; but the wicked, of evil nature, behold him as Yama, in a terrifying form.

Verse 8

तं दृष्ट्वा भयभीतस्तु हाहेति वदते जनः / कृतं दानं च यैर्मर्त्यैस्तेषां नास्ति भयं क्वचित्

Seeing him, people become terrified and cry out, “Alas, alas!” But those mortals who have performed acts of charity have no fear anywhere on this path.

Verse 9

प्राप्तं सुकृतिनं दृष्ट्वा स्थानाच्च लति सूर्यजः / एष मे मण्डलं भित्त्वा ब्रह्मलोकं प्रयास्यति

Seeing a meritorious person arrive, the son of the Sun (Yama) rises from his seat: “This one, breaking through my sphere, will proceed to Brahmaloka.”

Verse 10

दानेन सुलभो धर्मो यममार्गः सुखावहः / एष मार्गो विशालो ऽत्र न केनाप्य नुगम्यते / दानपुण्यं विना वत्स न गच्छेद्धर्ममन्दिरम्

Through charity, dharma is easily attained, and the road to Yama becomes a bringer of comfort. This path is indeed broad here, yet it is followed by none. Without the merit born of giving, dear child, one does not reach the abode-temple of Dharma.

Verse 11

तस्मिन्मार्गे तु रौद्रे वै भीषणा यमकिङ्कराः / एकैकस्य पुरस्याग्रे तिष्ठत्येकसहस्रकम्

On that truly terrifying, fierce road, the dreadful servants of Yama stand guard—one thousand stationed before the gate of each city.

Verse 12

पचन्ति पापिनं प्राप्य उदके यातनाकराः / गृह्णन्ति मासमासान्ते पादशेषं तु तद्भवेत्

Having seized the sinner, the tormentors boil him in water; at the end of each month they take away a portion, and only a quarter remains of him.

Verse 13

और्ध्वदैहिकदानानि यैर्न दत्तानि काश्यप / महाकष्टेन ते यान्ति तस्माद्देयानि शक्तितः / अदत्त्वा पशुवद्यान्ति गृहीतो वन्धबन्धनैः

O Kāśyapa (Garuda), those who do not give the post-funeral gifts and offerings (aurdhvadaihika dānas) depart with immense hardship. Therefore, these should be given according to one’s capacity. Without giving them, one goes on like a beast, seized and bound by the bonds of bondage.

Verse 14

एवं कृतेन सम्पश्येत्स नरः भूतकर्मणा / दैविकीं पैतृकीं योनिं मानुषीं वाथ नारकीम्

Thus, by what he has done—through the force of his past actions—a person comes to perceive his destined course: a divine birth, an ancestral (pitṛ) state, a human birth, or else a hellish realm.

Verse 15

धर्मराजस्य वचनान्मुक्तिर्भवति वा ततः / मानुष्यं तत्त्वतः प्राप्य स पुत्त्रः पुत्त्रतां व्रजेत्

By the pronouncement of Dharmarāja (Yama), liberation may indeed occur; otherwise, having truly obtained human birth, that being becomes a “son” and attains the state of sonship—taking birth in a family as an offspring.

Verse 16

यथायथा कृतं कर्म तान्तां योनिं व्रजेन्नरः / तत्तथैव च भुञ्जानो विचरेत्सर्वलोकगः

Whatever deeds a person performs, to that very womb—state of birth (yoni)—he goes; and experiencing their results in the same measure, he wanders through all the worlds.

Verse 17

अशाश्वतं परिज्ञाय सर्वलोकोत्तरं सुखम् / यदा भवति मानुष्यं तदा धर्मं समाचरेत्

Knowing that worldly life is impermanent, and that the supreme happiness surpassing all worlds comes through Dharma, when one attains human birth one should earnestly practice righteousness.

Verse 18

कृमयो भस्म विष्ठा वा देहानां प्रकृतिः सदा / अन्धकूपे महारौद्रे दीपहस्तः पातेत्तु वै

Worms, ash, or even excrement—such indeed is always the nature of bodies. In the exceedingly dreadful hell called Andhakūpa, the one holding a lamp is surely cast down.

Verse 19

महापुण्यप्रभावेण मानुष्यं जन्म लभ्यते / यस्तत्प्राप्य चरेद्धर्मं स गच्छेत्परमां गतिम्

By the potency of great merit, one obtains a human birth. Whoever, having gained it, lives according to Dharma, attains the supreme destination.

Verse 20

अपि जानन्वृथा धर्मं दुः खमायाति याति च

Even knowing what dharma is, one who deems it useless falls into sorrow—and goes on to sorrow again and again.

Verse 21

जातीशतेन लभते किल मानुषत्वं तत्रापि दुर्लभतरं खग भो द्विजत्वम् / यस्तत्र पालयति लालयति व्रतानि तस्यामृतं भवति हस्तगतं प्रसादात्

After hundreds of births one attains human life; and even among humans, O bird Garuḍa, the state of being ‘twice-born’ is rarer still. Whoever, having gained that, carefully observes and lovingly cherishes sacred vows (vrata)—by grace (prasāda), immortality becomes as though held in his very hand.