Shloka 19
महाभिष-गङ्गा-दर्शनं वसूनां शापकथनं च
Mahābhiṣa Encounters Gaṅgā; The Vasus Explain Their Curse
पुण्यां योनिं पुण्यकृतो व्रजन्ति पापां योनिं पापकृतो व्रजन्ति । कीटा: पतज्जाश्ष भवन्ति पापा न मे विवक्षास्ति महानुभाव,पुण्य करनेवाले मनुष्य पुण्य-योनियोंमें जाते हैं और पाप करनेवाले मनुष्य पाप-योनिमें जाते हैं। इस प्रकार पापी जीव कीट-पतंग आदि होते हैं। महानुभाव! इन सब विषयोंको विस्तारके साथ कहनेकी इच्छा नहीं होती। नृपश्रेष्ठ) इसी प्रकार जीव गर्भमें आकर चार पैर, छः पैर और दो पैरवाले प्राणियोंके रूपमें उत्पन्न होते हैं। यह सब मैंने पूरा-पूरा बता दिया। अब और क्या पूछना चाहते हो?
puṇyāṃ yoniṃ puṇyakṛto vrajanti pāpāṃ yoniṃ pāpakṛto vrajanti | kīṭāḥ pataṅgāś ca bhavanti pāpā na me vivakṣāsti mahānubhāva ||
Those who perform meritorious deeds go to meritorious wombs, and those who commit sinful deeds go to sinful wombs. Thus, sinful beings become worms and insects. O great-souled one, I do not wish to elaborate at length on all these matters.
अष्टक उवाच
Educational Q&A
Moral causality (karma): virtuous actions lead to higher, auspicious births, while sinful actions lead to lower, painful births such as those of worms and insects; the verse underscores ethical responsibility by linking conduct to future embodiment.
Aṣṭaka is instructing his interlocutor about the destinations of beings after death according to their deeds, briefly stating the principle of rebirth into various wombs and then indicating he does not wish to expand further on the topic.