Adhyaya 66

Verse 1

ययातिरुवाच । पापात्पतति कायोयं धर्माच्च शृणु मातले । विशेषं न च पश्यामि पुण्यस्यापि महीतले

Yayāti said: “This body falls because of sin—and even because of dharma; listen, O Mātali. On this earth I see no true distinction, even for merit.”

Verse 2

पुनः प्रजायते कायो यथा हि पतनं पुरा । कथमुत्पद्यते देहस्तन्मे विस्तरतो वद

Just as there was a fall before, the body is born again. How, then, does a body arise? Tell me that in detail.

Verse 3

मातलिरुवाच । अथ नारकिणां पुंसामधर्मादेव केवलात् । क्षणमात्रेण भूतेभ्यः शरीरमुपजायते

Mātali said: “Now, for men who are in hell, a body is produced solely from adharma; in just a moment, it arises from the elements.”

Verse 4

तद्वद्धर्मेण चैकेन देवानामौपपादिकम् । सद्यः प्रजायते दिव्यं शरीरं भूतसारतः

In the same way, by a single act of dharma, a divine body—befitting the gods and spontaneously manifested—arises at once, formed from the very essence of the elements.

Verse 5

कर्मणा व्यतिमिश्रेण यच्छरीरं महात्मनाम् । तद्रूपपरिणामेन विज्ञेयं हि चतुर्विधम्

The body of great souls, when shaped by a mixture of karmas, is to be understood as fourfold, according to the transformation of its form.

Verse 6

उद्भिज्जाः स्थावरा ज्ञेयास्तृणगुल्मादि रूपिणः । कृमिकीटपतंगाद्याः स्वेदजानामदेहिनः

Know the sprouting-born (udbhijja) as the immobile beings, taking forms such as grasses and shrubs; and know worms, insects, moths and the like as the sweat-born (svedaja) embodied creatures.

Verse 7

अंडजाः पक्षिणः सर्वे सर्पा नक्राश्च भूपते । जरायुजाश्च विज्ञेया मानुषाश्च चतुष्पदाः

All birds are egg-born; so too are serpents and crocodiles, O king. Those born from the womb are to be understood as humans and the four-footed animals.

Verse 8

तत्र सिक्ता जलैर्भूमिर्रक्ते उष्मविपाचिता । वायुना धम्यमाना च क्षेत्रे बीजं प्रपद्यते

There, the earth—moistened with waters, matured by warmth in the reddened soil, and fanned by the wind—becomes a field in which the seed takes hold and comes to fruition.

Verse 9

यथा उप्तानि बीजानि संसिक्तान्यंभसा पुनः । उपगम्य मृदुत्वं च मूलभावं व्रजंति च

Just as sown seeds, when watered again and again, become softened and then proceed into the state of taking root,

Verse 10

तन्मूलादंकुरोत्पत्तिरंकुरात्पर्णसंभवः । पर्णान्नालं ततः कांडं कांडाच्च प्रभवः पुनः

From its root arises the sprout; from the sprout, the leaves come into being. From the leaves comes the stalk; then the stem; and from the stem, again, further growth proceeds.

Verse 11

प्रभवाच्च भवेत्क्षीरं क्षीरात्तंदुलसंभवः । तंदुलाच्च ततः पक्वा भवंत्योषधयस्तथा

From further manifestation arises milk; from milk comes the production of rice. And from rice, when it is cooked, medicinal herbs likewise come into being.

Verse 12

यवाद्याः शालिपर्यंताः श्रेष्ठाः सप्तदश स्मृताः । ओषध्यः फलसाराढ्याः शेषा क्षुद्रा प्रःकीर्तिताः

From barley onward up to rice, seventeen kinds are remembered as the best. The medicinal plants are rich in the essence of fruits; the rest are proclaimed to be of lesser kind.

Verse 13

एता लूना मर्दिताश्च मुनिभिः पूर्वसंस्कृताः । शूर्पोलूखलपात्राद्यैः स्थालिकोदकवह्निभिः

These were cut and ground, and previously prepared by the sages—using winnowing baskets, mortars, vessels and the like, along with pots, water, and fire.

Verse 14

षड्विधा हि स्वभेदेन परिणामं व्रजंति ताः । अन्योन्यरससंयोगादनेकस्वादतां गताः

Indeed, they are transformed into six kinds according to their own distinctions; and through the mutual blending of flavors, they attain a great variety of tastes.

Verse 15

भक्ष्यं भोज्यं पेयलेह्यं चोष्यं खाद्यं च भूपते । तासां भेदाः षडंगाश्च मधुराद्याश्च षड्गुणाः

O king, food is of six kinds—(1) that which is to be chewed, (2) that which is to be eaten as a meal, (3) that which is to be drunk, (4) that which is to be licked, (5) that which is to be sucked, and (6) that which is to be bitten. These have six divisions, and likewise there are six tastes beginning with sweetness.

Verse 16

तदन्नं पिंडकवलैर्ग्रासैर्भुक्तं च देहिभिः । अन्नमूलाशये सर्वप्राणान्स्थापयति क्रमात्

That food, eaten by embodied beings in morsels and mouthfuls, gradually establishes and sustains all the vital energies within the receptacle rooted in food—the digestive system.

Verse 17

अपक्वं भुक्तमाहारं स वायुः कुरुते द्विधा । संप्रविश्यान्नमध्ये च पक्वं कृत्वा पृथग्गुणम्

The vāyu, the digestive wind, divides the food that has been eaten while still unripe into two; entering into the midst of the food, it cooks it and separates it according to its distinct qualities.

Verse 18

अग्नेरूर्ध्वं जलं स्थाप्य तदन्नं च जलोपरि । जलस्याधः स्वयं प्राणः स्थित्वाग्निं धमते शनैः

Placing water above the fire, and setting the food upon the water, the vital breath itself, prāṇa, remains beneath the water and, standing there, gently fans the fire little by little.

Verse 19

वायुना धम्यमानोग्निरत्युष्णं कुरुते जलम् । तदन्नमुष्णयोगेन समंतात्पच्यते पुनः

Fire, when fanned by the wind, makes the water intensely hot; and then that food, by contact with the heat, is cooked again on all sides.

Verse 20

द्विधा भवति तत्पक्वं पृथक्किट्टं पृथग्रसः । मलैर्द्वादशभिः किट्टं भिन्नं देहाद्बहिर्व्रजेत्

When that food is digested, it becomes twofold—separating into waste and nutritive essence. The waste, divided into twelve kinds of impurities, departs from the body to the outside.

Verse 21

कर्णाक्षि नासिका जिह्वा दंतोष्ठ प्रजनं गुदा । मलान्स्रवेदथ स्वेदो विण्मूत्रं द्वादश स्मृताः

The ear, the eye, the nose, the tongue, the teeth and lips, the organ of generation, and the anus—along with the bodily impurities that flow out, sweat, feces, and urine—these are remembered as the twelve (impure outlets/impurities).

Verse 22

हृत्पद्मे प्रतिबद्धाश्च सर्वनाड्यः समंततः । तासां मुखेषु तं सूक्ष्मं प्राणः स्थापयते रसम्

All the nāḍīs are fastened all around within the lotus of the heart; at their openings, prāṇa establishes that subtle essence (rasa).

Verse 23

रसेन तेन ता नाडीः प्राणः पूरयते पुनः । संतर्पयंति ता नाड्यः पूर्णा देहं समंततः

With that very essence (rasa), the vital breath again fills the nāḍīs; and when those channels are filled, they nourish the body completely on all sides.

Verse 24

ततः स नाडीमध्यस्थः शारीरेणोष्मणा रसः । पच्यते पच्यमानश्च भवेत्पाकद्वयं पुनः

Then that bodily fluid, abiding in the midst of the nāḍīs, is “cooked” by the body’s heat; and as it is being cooked, it again becomes a twofold maturation—a double stage of digestion.

Verse 25

त्वङ्मांसास्थि मज्जा मेदो रुधिरं च प्रजायते । रक्ताल्लोमानि मांसं च केशाः स्नायुश्च मांसतः

From skin arise flesh, bone, marrow, fat, and blood. From blood come the body-hairs; and from flesh arise the head-hairs and the sinews as well.

Verse 26

स्नायोर्मज्जा तथास्थीनि वसा मज्जास्थिसंभवा । मज्जाकारेण वैकल्यं शुक्रं च प्रसवात्मकम्

From the sinews arises marrow; likewise, bones; and fat is born from marrow and bone. When the marrow is impaired in its proper formation, the semen too—whose nature is procreative—becomes defective.

Verse 27

इति द्वादश शान्तस्य परिणामाः प्रकीर्तिताः । शुक्रं तस्य परीणामः शुक्राद्देहस्य संभवः

Thus the twelve transformations of the calmed (essence of food) have been described. Semen is its final transformation; and from semen the body comes into being.

Verse 28

ऋतुकाले यदा शुक्रं निर्दोषं योनिसंस्थितम् । तदा तद्वायुसंसृष्टं स्त्रीरक्तेनैकतां व्रजेत्

When, during the fertile season, flawless semen is lodged in the womb, then—mingled with the vital wind—it becomes one with the woman’s blood.

Verse 29

विसर्गकाले शुक्रस्य जीवः कारणसंयुतः । नित्यं प्रविशते योनिं कर्मभिः स्वैर्नियंत्रितः

At the time of the emission of semen, the individual soul—joined with its causal factors—continually enters the womb, compelled and governed by its own karmas.

Verse 30

शुक्रस्य सह रक्तस्य एकाहात्कललं भवेत् । पंचरात्रेण कलले बुद्बुदत्वं ततो भवेत्

From semen together with blood, within a single day the embryo becomes a gelatinous mass (kalala). After five nights, that kalala then develops into a bubble-like form (budbuda).

Verse 31

मांसत्वं मासमात्रेण पंचधा जायते पुनः । ग्रीवा शिरश्च स्कंधश्च पृष्ठवंशस्तथोदरम्

Within just one month, the state of becoming flesh arises again in fivefold form: the neck, the head, the shoulders, the spinal column, and the belly.

Verse 32

पाणीपादौ तथा पार्श्वौ कटिर्गात्रं तथैव च । मासद्वयेन पर्वाणि क्रमशः संभवंति च

Likewise the hands and feet, the sides, the waist, and the body too—then, in sequence, the joints (and limbs) come into being at intervals of two months.

Verse 33

त्रिभिर्मासैः प्रजायंते शतशोंकुरसंधयः । मासैश्चतुर्भिर्जायंते अंगुल्यादि यथाक्रमम्

In three months, the joints and sprouting formations arise in hundreds; and in the fourth month, the fingers and the rest are formed, in due order.

Verse 34

मुखं नासा च कर्णौ च मासैर्जायंति पंचभिः । दंतपंक्तिस्तथा जिह्वा जायते तु नखाः पुनः

In the fifth month, the mouth, the nose, and the ears are formed. Then the rows of teeth and the tongue arise; and thereafter the nails again come into being.

Verse 35

कर्णयोश्च भवेच्छिद्रं षण्मासाभ्यंतरे पुनः । पायुर्मेढ्रमुपस्थं च शिश्नश्चाप्युपजायते

Within six months, openings form in the ears; and then the anus, the testes, the groin region, and the penis also come into being.

Verse 36

संधयो ये च गात्रेषु मासैर्जायंति सप्तभिः । अंगप्रत्यंगसंपूर्णं शिरः केशसमन्वितम्

By the seventh month, the joints within the limbs come into being; and the head, complete with all major and minor parts, becomes furnished with hair.

Verse 37

विभक्तावयवस्पष्टं पुनर्मासाष्टमे भवेत् । पंचात्मक समायुक्तः परिपक्वः स तिष्ठति

When the eighth month comes again, the limbs become clearly differentiated; endowed with the fivefold constitution, it remains fully matured and stable.

Verse 38

मातुराहारवीर्येण षड्विधेन रसेन च । नाभिसूत्रनिबद्धेन वर्द्धते स दिनेदिने

Nourished by the potency of the mother’s food—through the sixfold taste—and bound by the umbilical cord, the fetus grows day by day.

Verse 39

ततः स्मृतिं लभेज्जीवः संपूर्णोस्मिञ्छरीरके । सुखं दुःखं विजानाति निद्रां स्वप्नं पुराकृतम्

Then the jīva regains memory, becoming fully present in this body; it knows pleasure and pain, and it also experiences sleep and dreams as the fruits of past karma.

Verse 40

मृतश्चाहं पुनर्जातो जातश्चाहं पुनर्मृतः । नानायोनिसहस्राणि मया दृष्टान्यनेकधा

I have died and been born again; and having been born, I have died again. In many ways I have beheld thousands of wombs—countless forms of birth.

Verse 41

अधुना जातमात्रोहं प्राप्तसंस्कार एव च । ततः श्रेयः करिष्यामि येन गर्भे न संभवः

Now I have only just been born, and I have already received the prescribed saṁskāras (sacred rites). Therefore I shall do what is truly beneficial, so that there will be no further entry into the womb—no rebirth.

Verse 42

गर्भस्थश्चिंतयत्येवमहं गर्भाद्विनिःसृतः । अध्येष्यामि परं ज्ञानं संसारविनिवर्तकम्

While still in the womb, he reflects thus: “When I emerge from the womb, I shall study the supreme knowledge that turns one back from saṁsāra, from worldly existence.”

Verse 43

अवश्यं गर्भदुःखेन महता परिपीडितः । जीवः कर्मवशादास्ते मोक्षोपायं विचिंतयेत्

Inevitably afflicted by the great suffering of the womb, the jīva remains under the compulsion of karma; therefore one should contemplate the means to mokṣa, liberation.

Verse 44

यथा गिरिवराक्रांतः कश्चिद्दुःखेन तिष्ठति । तथा जरायुणा देही दुःखं तिष्ठति दुःखितः

Just as one crushed beneath a mighty mountain can only stand in agony, so the embodied being, pressed by the womb’s membrane, remains in suffering—afflicted and miserable.

Verse 45

पतितः सागरे यद्वद्दुःखमास्ते समाकुलः । गर्भोदकेन सिक्तांगस्तथास्ते व्याकुलात्मकः

Just as one who has fallen into the ocean remains distressed and agitated, so the embodied soul—its limbs drenched by the waters of the womb—abides in inner turmoil.

Verse 46

लोहकुंभे यथा न्यस्तः पच्यते कश्चिदग्निना । गर्भकुंभे तथाक्षिप्तः पच्यते जठराग्निना

Just as one placed in an iron cauldron is cooked by fire, so, cast into the womb-cauldron, one is cooked by the fire of the belly.

Verse 47

सूचीभिरग्निवर्णाभिर्भिन्नगात्रो निरंतरम् । यद्दुःखं जायते तस्य तद्गर्भेष्टगुणं भवेत्

Pierced incessantly in every limb by needle-like, fire-colored points, whatever suffering arises for him becomes eightfold within the womb.

Verse 48

गर्भवासात्परं वासं कष्टं नैवास्ति कुत्रचित् । देहिनां दुःखमतुलं सुघोरमपि संकटम्

For embodied beings there is no dwelling anywhere more painful than residence in the womb; it is incomparable suffering—terrifying, and a dire affliction.

Verse 49

इत्येतद्गर्भदुःखं हि प्राणिनां परिकीर्तितम् । चरस्थिराणां सर्वेषामात्मगर्भानुरूपतः

Thus has the suffering of gestation for living beings been described—of all creatures, moving and unmoving—according to the nature of each one’s own womb.

Verse 50

गर्भात्कोटिगुणापीडा योनियंत्रनिपीडनात् । संमूर्च्छितस्य जायेत जायमानस्य देहिनः

For the embodied being at the time of birth, the agony is millions of times greater than (any suffering) in the womb, because of the crushing pressure of the womb’s constricting mechanism; the one being born falls into a fainting stupor.

Verse 51

इक्षुवत्पीड्यमानस्य पापमुद्गरपेषणात् । गर्भान्निष्क्रममाणस्य प्रबलैः सूतिवायुभिः

Crushed like sugarcane—pounded by the mallet of past sins—he is forced out from the womb by the powerful winds of childbirth.

Verse 52

जायते सुमहद्दुःखं परित्राणं न विंदति । यंत्रेण पीड्यमानाः स्युर्निःसाराश्च यथेक्षवः

Great suffering arises, and one finds no rescue; pressed by a machine, they become drained of all essence—like sugarcane.

Verse 53

तथा शरीरं योनिस्थं पात्यते यंत्रपीडनात् । अस्थिमद्वर्तुलाकारं स्नायुबंधनवेष्टितम्

So too, the body situated in the womb is forced down by the pressure of the (womb’s) mechanism—bone-filled, rounded in form, and wrapped in bindings of sinews.

Verse 54

रक्तमांसवसालिप्तं विण्मूत्रद्रव्यभाजनम् । केशलोमनखच्छन्नं रोगायतनमुत्तमम्

Smeared with blood, flesh, and fat—a vessel holding excrement and urine—covered with hair, body-hair, and nails, this body is indeed an excellent abode of disease.

Verse 55

वदनैकमहाद्वारं गवाक्षाष्टकभूषितम् । ओष्ठद्वयकपाटं तु दंतजिह्वागलान्वितम्

The mouth is a single great gateway, adorned with eight “windows”; its doors are the pair of lips, and it is furnished with teeth, tongue, and throat.

Verse 56

नाडीस्वेदप्रवाहं च कफपित्तपरिप्लुतम् । जराशोकसमाविष्टं कालवक्त्रानलेस्थितम्

It is filled with the flow of bodily channels and sweat, flooded by phlegm and bile; seized by old age and sorrow, and set within the fire in the mouth of Time (Death).

Verse 57

कामक्रोधसमाक्रांतं श्वसनैश्चोपमर्दितम् । भोगतृष्णातुरं गूढं रागद्वेष वशानुगम्

Overrun by desire and anger, battered by the breaths of life, afflicted by craving for enjoyment—hidden within—it follows the compulsion of attachment and aversion.

Verse 58

सवर्णितांगप्रत्यंगं जरायु परिवेष्टितम् । संकटेनाविविक्तेन योनिमार्गेण निर्गतम्

With all its limbs and sub-limbs fully formed, wrapped in the fetal membrane, it emerges through the birth-canal—narrow and not yet opened out—amid distress.

Verse 59

विण्मूत्ररक्तसिक्तांगं षट्कौशिकसमुद्भवम् । अस्थिपंजरसंघातं ज्ञेयमस्मिन्कलेवरे

Know that within this body the limbs are smeared with feces, urine, and blood; born of the six sheaths, it is but a mass—a cage of bones.

Verse 60

शतत्रयं शताधिकं पंचपेशी शतानि च । सार्धाभिस्तिसृभिश्छन्नं समंताद्रोमकोटिभिः

It has three hundred and one bones and five hundred muscles; and it is covered on all sides with three and a half crores of hairs.

Verse 61

शरीरं स्थूलसूक्ष्माभिर्दृश्यादृश्याभिरंततः । एताभिर्मांसनाडीभिः कोटिभिस्तत्समन्वितम्

The body is in every way pervaded by channels of flesh—some gross and some subtle, some visible and some invisible—and by them, in countless millions, it is constituted.

Verse 62

प्रस्वेदमशुचिं ताभिरंतरस्थं च तेन हि । द्वात्रिंशद्दशनाः प्रोक्ता विंशतिश्च नखाः स्मृताः

Sweat is impure, and impure too is what lies within the body because of it. Therefore it is said there are thirty-two teeth, and it is remembered there are twenty nails.

Verse 63

पित्तस्य कुडवं ज्ञेयं कफस्यार्धाढकं तथा । वसायाश्च पलाः पंच तदर्धं फलकस्य च

Know that the measure of bile is a kuḍava; of phlegm, a half-āḍhaka. Of fat, it is five palas, and of phalaka, half of that.

Verse 64

पंचार्बुद पला ज्ञेयाः पलानि दश मेदसः । पलत्रयं महारक्तं मज्जा रक्ताच्चतुर्गुणा

Know that the measure of fat is ten palas; the great blood is three palas; and marrow is four times the blood—these are stated as bodily measures.

Verse 65

शुक्रार्धकुडवं ज्ञेयं तदर्धं देहिनां बलम् । मांसस्य चैकं पिंडेन पलसाहस्रमुच्यते

Know that half a kuḍava is the measure of semen; half of that is the strength of embodied beings. And a single lump of flesh is said to amount to a thousand palas.

Verse 66

इति श्रीपद्मपुराणे भूमिखंडे वेनोपाख्याने पितृमातृतीर्थ । माहात्म्ये षट्षष्टितमोऽध्यायः

Thus ends the sixty-sixth chapter—on the greatness of the Pitṛmātṛtīrtha—within the Vena episode, in the Bhūmi-khaṇḍa of the revered Padma Purāṇa.

Verse 67

अशुद्धं च विशुद्धस्य कर्मबंधविनिर्मितम् । शुक्रशोणितसंयोगाद्देहः संजायते क्वचित्

Even for one who is pure, an impure embodiment fashioned by the bondage of karma arises; for, from the union of semen and blood, a body is sometimes produced.

Verse 68

नित्यं विण्मूत्रसंयुक्तस्तेनायमशुचिः स्मृतः । यथा वै विष्ठया पूर्णः शुचिः सांतर्बहिर्घटः

Because the body is continually associated with feces and urine, it is therefore regarded as impure—just as a pot may be washed clean on the outside, yet if it is filled with excrement, it is not pure within.

Verse 69

शौचेन शोध्यमानोपि देहोयमशुचिर्भवेत् । यं प्राप्यातिपवित्राणि पंचगव्य हवींषि च

Even when this body is cleansed by acts of purity, it still remains impure; yet upon reaching Him, even the supremely purifying pañcagavya and the sacrificial oblations become truly sanctified.

Verse 70

अशुचित्वं प्रयांत्याशु देहोयमशुचिस्ततः । हृद्यान्यप्यन्नपानानि यं प्राप्य सुरभीणि च

Impurity quickly arises, for this body is impure; even pleasing foods and drinks, upon reaching it, become foul-smelling as well.

Verse 71

अशुचित्वं प्रयांत्याशु कोऽन्य स्यादशुचिस्ततः । हे जनाः किं न पश्यध्वं यन्निर्याति दिनेदिने

Impurity comes quickly—who, then, could be considered pure? O people, do you not see what is expelled day after day?

Verse 72

देहानुगो मलः पूतिस्तदाधारः कथं शुचिः । देहः संशोध्यमानोपि पंचगव्यकुशांबुभिः

Filth and stench accompany the body; how, then, can that which is their very support be pure? Even when the body is cleansed with pañcagavya and water sanctified with kuśa grass, its impurity is not truly removed.

Verse 73

घृष्यमाण इवांगारो निर्मलत्वं न गच्छति । स्रोतांसि यस्य सततं प्रवहंति गिरेरिव

Like a live ember that, even when rubbed, does not become pure, so too one whose inner streams of passion and restlessness keep flowing constantly—like torrents from a mountain—does not attain purity.

Verse 74

कफमूत्राद्यमशुचिः स देहः शुध्यते कथम् । सर्वाशुचिनिधानस्य शरीरस्य न विद्यते

How can this body—impure with phlegm, urine, and the like—ever become pure? For a body that is a repository of every impurity, no true purity is found.

Verse 75

शुचिरेकप्रदेशोपि शुचिर्न स्यादृतेऽपि वा । दिवा वा यदि वा रात्रौ मृत्तोयैः शोध्यते करः

Even if only a single part is thought to be clean, one is not truly clean without proper purification. Whether by day or by night, the hand is purified by earth and water.

Verse 76

तथापि शुचिभाङ्नस्यान्न विरज्यंति ते नराः । कायोयमग्र्यधूपाद्यैर्यत्नेनापि सुसंस्कृतः

Even so, people do not become inwardly detached merely through external cleanliness. This body—though carefully refined and made presentable with excellent fragrances and related adornments—does not by itself confer spiritual dispassion; true renunciation is rooted in inner discernment.

Verse 77

न जहाति स्वभावं हि श्वपुच्छमिव नामितम् । तथा जात्यैव कृष्णोर्णा न शुक्ला जातु जायते

One does not abandon one’s inherent nature—just as a dog’s tail, even when bent, does not give up its natural form. Likewise, wool that is black by birth is never born white.

Verse 78

संशोध्यमानापि तथा भवेन्मूर्तिर्न निर्मला । जिघ्रन्नपि स्वदुर्गंधं पश्यन्नपि मलं स्वकम्

Even while being cleansed, the embodied person still does not become truly pure—though he smells his own foul odor and even sees his own impurity.

Verse 79

न विरज्यति लोकोऽयं पीडयन्नपि नासिकाम् । अहो मोहस्य माहात्म्यं येन व्यामोहितं जगत्

This world does not become dispassionate, even while being tormented—as though its nose were pinched. Alas, such is the mighty power of delusion (moha), by which the entire universe is utterly bewildered.

Verse 80

जिघ्रन्पश्यन्स्वकान्दोषान्कायस्य न विरज्यते । स्वदेहस्य विगंधेन विरज्येत न यो नरः

Though he smells and observes the foul defects of the body, he still does not become dispassionate. That man who does not grow detached even from the stench of his own body—how deeply deluded he is.

Verse 81

विरागकारणं तस्य किमन्यदुपदिश्यते । सर्वमेव जगत्पूतं देहमेवाशुचिः परम्

What other cause of dispassion need be taught to him? Truly, the whole world is pure; it is the body alone that is supremely impure.

Verse 82

यन्मलावयवस्पर्शाच्छुचिरप्यशुचिर्भवेत् । गंधलेपापनोदाय शौचं देहस्य कीर्तितम्

Even one who is otherwise clean becomes impure by contact with bodily filth; therefore, bodily cleanliness is taught as that which removes foul smell and clinging grime.

Verse 83

द्वयस्यापगमात्पश्चाद्भावशुद्ध्या विशुद्ध्यति । गंगातोयेन सर्वेण मृद्भारैर्गात्रलेपनैः

After the removal of duality, one is purified through the purification of one’s inner disposition; likewise, by Gaṅgā-water in all its forms, and by smearing the body with great measures of sacred earth, one attains purification.

Verse 84

मर्त्यो दुर्गंधदेहोसौ भावदुष्टो न शुध्यति । तीर्थस्नानैस्तपोभिश्च दुष्टात्मा न च शुध्यति

That mortal whose body is foul and whose inner disposition is corrupted does not become purified. Even by bathing at sacred tīrthas and by austerities, the wicked-souled do not become pure.

Verse 85

स्वमूर्तिः क्षालिता तीर्थे न शुद्धिमधिगच्छति । अंतर्भावप्रदुष्टस्य विशतोपि हुताशनम्

Even if one washes one’s body at a sacred tīrtha, one does not attain purity; for one whose inner disposition is tainted remains impure—even upon entering fire.

Verse 86

न स्वर्गो नापवर्गश्च देहनिर्दहनं परम् । भावशुद्धिः परं शौचं प्रमाणं सर्वकर्मसु

Neither heaven nor liberation is the highest aim; the supreme “burning away” is the burning up of identification with the body. Purity of intention is the highest cleanliness, and it is the true standard in all actions.

Verse 87

अन्यथा लिंग्यते कांता भावेन दुहितान्यथा । मनसा भिद्यते वृत्तिरभिन्नेष्वपि वस्तुषु

With a change of inner attitude, the beloved is perceived in one way and the daughter in another; the mind’s disposition becomes divided even toward things that, in themselves, are not different.

Verse 88

अन्यथैव सती पुत्रं चिंतयेदन्यथा पतिम् । यथायथा स्वभावस्य महाभाग उदाहृतम्

A virtuous wife thinks of her son in one way and of her husband in another—each according to their respective nature, O greatly fortunate one, as has been explained.

Verse 89

परिष्वक्तोपि यद्भार्यां भावहीनां न कारयेत् । नाद्याद्विविधमन्नाद्यं रस्यानि सुरभीणि च

Even if a man embraces his wife, he should not unite with her when she is devoid of loving feeling. Nor should he partake of assorted foods, nor of delicacies and fragrant, enticing dishes.

Verse 90

अभावेन नरस्तस्माद्भावः सर्वत्र कारणम् । चित्तं शोधय यत्नेन किमन्यैर्बाह्यशोधनैः

Therefore a person is, as it were, made by inner disposition, for one’s state of being is the cause of everything. Purify the mind with effort—what use are other, merely external purifications?

Verse 91

भावतः शुचिशुद्धात्मा स्वर्गं मोक्षं च विंदति । ज्ञानामलांभसा पुंसः सवैराग्यमृदापुनः

Through right inner disposition, the pure and purified-minded person attains both heaven and liberation; for a man, the stainless water of knowledge, together with the soft earth of dispassion, again cleanses and steadies him.

Verse 92

अविद्या रागविण्मूत्र लेपो नश्येद्विशोधनैः । एवमेतच्छरीरं हि निसर्गादशुचिं विदुः

The coating of ignorance—together with passion, feces, and urine—can be removed by purificatory cleansings. Even so, the wise know this body to be inherently impure by its very nature.

Verse 93

विद्यादसार निःसारं कदलीसारसन्निभम् । ज्ञात्वैवं दोषवद्देहं यः प्राज्ञः शिथिली भवेत्

Know that learning, when devoid of true substance, is hollow—like the pith of a banana plant. Realizing likewise that the body is fault-ridden, the wise person becomes dispassionate and detached.

Verse 94

सोतिक्रामति संसारं दृढग्राहोवतिष्ठति । एवमेतन्महाकष्टं जन्मदुःखं प्रकीर्तितम्

Thus one crosses beyond saṃsāra and abides steadfastly with firm resolve. In this way the great hardship—the sorrow inherent in birth—has been declared.

Verse 95

पुंसामज्ञानदोषेण नानाकर्मवशेन च । गर्भस्थस्य मतिर्यासीत्सा जातस्य प्रणश्यति

Due to the fault of ignorance in people, and because they are driven by various actions (karmas), the understanding a being had in the womb is lost once it is born.

Verse 96

सुमूर्च्छितस्य दुःखेन योनियंत्रनिपीडनात् । बाह्येन वायुना चास्य मोहसंगेन देहिनाम्

Overwhelmed and stupefied by pain—crushed by the constriction of the womb—buffeted by external winds and bound by the association of delusion, embodied beings thus suffer.

Verse 97

स्पृष्टमात्रस्य घोरेण ज्वरः समुपजायते । तेन ज्वरेण महता महामोहः प्रजायते

From the mere touch of that dreadful thing, a fever immediately arises; and from that intense fever, a great delusion is produced.

Verse 98

संमूढस्य स्मृतिभ्रंशः शीघ्रं संजायते पुनः । स्मृतिभ्रंशात्ततस्तस्य पूर्वकर्मवशेन च

For one who is deluded, loss of memory quickly arises again. And from that loss of memory, under the compulsion of former actions (karma), further consequences follow.

Verse 99

रतिः संजायते तस्य जंतोस्तत्रैव जन्मनि । रक्तो मूढश्च लोकोयमकार्ये संप्रवर्त्तते

In that very same birth, passion arises in that creature; and this world—infatuated and deluded—sets itself in motion toward what ought not to be done.

Verse 100

न चात्मानं विजानाति न परं न च दैवतम् । न शृणोति परं श्रेयः सचक्षुरपि नेक्षते

He neither knows his own Self (Ātman), nor the Supreme, nor even the Divine; he does not listen to the highest good, and though he has eyes, he does not truly see.

Verse 101

समे पथि शनैर्गच्छन्स्खलतीव पदेपदे । सत्यां बुद्धौ न जानाति बोध्यमानो बुधैरपि

Even while walking slowly on a level path, he stumbles as if at every step; with his understanding fixed in what he thinks is ‘truth,’ he does not comprehend—even when instructed by the wise.

Verse 102

संसारे क्लिश्यते तेन नरो लोभवशानुगः । गर्भस्मृतेरभावे च शास्त्रमुक्तं शिवेन च

Therefore, in worldly existence, a man who follows the sway of greed becomes afflicted; and because the memory of the womb is absent, this teaching is stated in the śāstra—also as spoken by Śiva.

Verse 103

तद्दुःखकथनार्थाय स्वर्गमोक्षप्रसाधकम् । येन तस्मिञ्छिवे ज्ञाते धर्मकामार्थसाधने

In order to narrate that sorrow, (I speak of) that which accomplishes heaven and liberation (mokṣa); by knowing that auspicious Śiva, one attains the means to fulfill dharma, kāma, and artha.

Verse 104

न कुर्वंत्यात्मनः श्रेयस्तदत्र महदद्भुतम् । अव्यक्तेंद्रियबुद्धित्वाद्बाल्येदुःखं महत्पुनः

They do not seek what is truly for their own good—this indeed is a great wonder here. And because their senses and understanding are still unmanifest, childhood again brings great suffering.

Verse 105

इच्छन्नपि न शक्नोति वक्तुं कर्तुं न सत्कृती । दंतजन्ममहद्दुःखं लौल्येन वायुना तथा

Even though one wishes to, one cannot speak or act; even the capable are not honored. Likewise, the great pain of teeth erupting arises from restlessness and the agitation of wind (vāyu).

Verse 106

बालरोगैश्च विविधैः पीडाबालग्रहैरपि । तृड्बुभुक्षा परीतांगः क्वचित्तिष्ठति गच्छति

Afflicted by many kinds of childhood diseases, and also tormented by child-seizing spirits, his body overcome by thirst and hunger, he sometimes stands still and sometimes wanders about.

Verse 107

विण्मूत्रभक्षणाद्यं च मोहाद्बालः समाचरेत् । कौमारः कर्णवेधेन मातापित्रोश्च ताडनैः

Out of delusion, a child may engage in acts such as eating excrement and urine; and in early boyhood, he undergoes ear-piercing and the beatings administered by mother and father.

Verse 108

अक्षराध्ययनाद्यैश्च दुःखं गुर्वादिशासनात् । प्रमत्तेंद्रियवृत्तेश्च कामरागप्रपीडिनः

Afflicted by desire and passion, they suffer—from learning letters and other studies, from the discipline imposed by teachers and elders, and from the reckless activity of their senses.

Verse 109

रोगार्दितस्य सततं कुतः सौख्यं हि यौवने । ईर्ष्यासु महद्दुःखं मोहाद्दुःखं प्रजायते

For one continually afflicted by disease, where can there be happiness—even in youth? In jealousy there is great sorrow, and from delusion sorrow is born.

Verse 110

तत्रस्यात्कुपितस्यैव रागो दुःखाय केवलम् । रात्रौ न विंदते निद्रा कामाग्नि परिखेदितः

In that situation, the passion of one who has become angry leads only to sorrow. Tormented by the fire of desire, he finds no sleep at night.

Verse 111

दिवा वापि कुतः सौख्यमर्थोपार्जनचिंतया । स्त्रीष्वायासितदेहस्य ये पुंसः शुक्रबिंदवः

How could there be any comfort even by day, when one is preoccupied with the worry of earning wealth? And for that man whose body is worn out in women, those drops of semen spent there are wasted away.

Verse 112

न ते सुखाय मंतव्याः स्वेदजा इव बिंदवः । कृमिभिस्ताड्यमानस्य कुष्ठिनः पामरस्य च

They should not be regarded as bringing happiness—like mere beads of sweat—for the wretched leper who is tormented by worms.

Verse 113

कंडूयनाग्नितापेन यत्सुखं स्त्रीषु तद्विदुः । यादृशं मन्यते सौख्यमर्थोपार्जनचिंतया

They say that the ‘pleasure’ found in women is like the relief from scratching an itch that burns with heat; likewise is the happiness a person imagines while anxiously thinking about acquiring wealth.

Verse 114

तादृशं स्त्रीषु मंतव्यमधिकं नैव विद्यते । मर्त्यस्य वेदना सैव यां विना चित्तनिर्वृतिः

One should know that, in matters concerning women, nothing surpasses that. For a mortal, it is precisely that pain without which the mind finds no repose.

Verse 115

ततोन्योन्यं पुरा प्राप्तमंते सैवान्यथा भवेत् । तदेवं जरया ग्रस्तमामया व्यपिनप्रियम्

Therefore, what was once mutually attained by both in former times may, in the end, turn out otherwise. Thus, what is beloved becomes seized by old age and pervaded by disease.

Verse 116

अपूर्ववत्समात्मानं जरया परिपीडितम् । यः पश्यन्न विरज्येत कोन्यस्तस्मादचेतनः

Whoever, seeing his own self worn down and tormented by old age, does not become dispassionate—who else could be more insensible than he?

Verse 117

जराभिभूतोपि जंतुः पत्नीपुत्रादिबांधवैः । अशक्तत्वाद्दुराचारैर्भृत्यैश्च परिभूयते

Even a person overcome by old age is, because of helplessness, insulted and humiliated by his wife, children, other relatives, and even by ill-conducted servants.

Verse 118

न धर्ममर्थं कामं च मोक्षं च जरयायुतः । शक्तः साधयितुं तस्माद्युवा धर्मं समाचरेत्

One burdened by old age is not able to accomplish dharma, artha, kāma, or even mokṣa. Therefore, while still young, one should diligently practice dharma.

Verse 119

वातपित्तकफादीनां वैषम्यं व्याधिरुच्यते । वातादीनां समूहेन देहोयं परिकीर्तितः

An imbalance of vāta, pitta, kapha, and the like is called disease. Truly, this body is said to be formed from the aggregate of vāta and the other humors.

Verse 120

तस्माद्व्याधिमयं ज्ञेयं शरीरमिदमात्मनः । वाताद्यव्यतिरिक्तत्वाद्व्याधीनां पंजरस्य च

Therefore one should understand this body of the self to be made of disease; for it is not separate from wind and the other humors, and it is, as it were, a cage for diseases as well.

Verse 121

रोगैर्नानाविधैर्याति देही दुःखान्यनेकधा । तानि च स्वात्मवेद्यानि किमन्यत्कथयाम्यहम्

Afflicted by diseases of many kinds, the embodied being undergoes sufferings in countless ways. And those are to be known by one’s own self—what else can I say?

Verse 122

एकोत्तरं मृत्युशतमस्मिन्देहे प्रतिष्ठितम् । तत्रैकः कालसंयुक्तः शेषाश्चागंतवः स्मृताः

In this body there are said to be one hundred and one deaths established. Of them, one is joined with Time; the rest are remembered as accidental, arising from external causes.

Verse 123

ये त्विहागंतवः प्रोक्तास्ते प्रशाम्यंति भेषजैः । जपहोमप्रदानैश्च कालमृत्युर्न शाम्यति

Those ailments said to arise here can be pacified by medicines, and also by japa (sacred recitation), homa (fire-offerings), and gifts; but death appointed by Time cannot be averted.

Verse 124

यदि वापमृत्युर्न स्याद्विषास्वादादशंकितः । न चात्ति पुरुषस्तस्मादपमृत्योर्बिभेति सः

If there were no untimely death, a man would taste poison without fear; but since he does not eat it, he therefore fears death that comes before its time.

Verse 125

विविधा व्याधयस्तत्र सर्पाद्याः प्राणिनस्तथा । विषाणि चाभिचाराश्च मृत्योर्द्वाराणि देहिनाम्

There are various diseases, creatures such as serpents and the like, as well as poisons and acts of sorcery—these are the gateways to death for embodied beings.

Verse 126

पीडितं सर्वरोगाद्यैरपि धन्वंतरिः स्वयम् । स्वस्थीकर्तुं न शक्नोति कालप्राप्तं न चान्यथा

Even Dhanvantari himself cannot restore to health one afflicted by every kind of disease when the destined time has arrived—nor can it be otherwise.

Verse 127

नौषधं न तपो दानं न माता न च बांधवाः । शक्नुवंति परित्रातुं नरं कालेन पीडितम्

Neither medicine, nor austerity, nor charity—nor even one’s mother or relatives—can protect a man who is afflicted by Time.

Verse 128

रसायन तपो जाप्ययोगसिद्धैर्महात्मभिः । अवांतरितशांतिः स्यात्कालमृत्युमवाप्नुयात्

Through the perfected disciplines of rasāyana, austerity, mantra-recitation, and yogic attainments practiced by great souls, one gains uninterrupted peace and may even overcome untimely death.

Verse 129

जायते योनिकीटेषु मृतः कर्मवशात्पुनः । देहभेदेन यः पश्येद्वियोगं कर्मसंक्षयात्

Driven by karma, one who dies is born again among womb-born beings, even among insects. But one who, discerning the difference of bodies, perceives separation from embodied existence as arising from the exhaustion of karma—such a one attains true insight.

Verse 130

मरणं तद्विनिर्दिष्टं न नाशः परमार्थतः । महातमः प्रविष्टस्य छिद्यमानेषु मर्मसु

This is what is designated as “death”; in the highest truth it is not annihilation. It is for one who has entered profound darkness, when the vital points are being cut.

Verse 131

यद्दुःखं मरणे जंतोर्न तस्येहोपमा क्वचित् । हा तात मातः कांतेति क्रंदत्येवं सुदुःखितः

The sorrow a living being feels at the time of death has no equal anywhere in this world. In deep anguish one cries again and again, “O father! O mother! O beloved!”, lamenting bitterly.

Verse 132

मंडूक इव सर्पेण ग्रस्यते मृत्युना जगत् । बांधवैः स परित्यक्तः प्रियैश्च परिवारितः

As a frog is swallowed by a serpent, so the world is swallowed by Death. A man is forsaken by his kinsmen, even while surrounded by those he holds dear.

Verse 133

निःश्वसन्दीर्घमुष्णं च मुखेन परिशुष्यता । खट्वायां परिवृत्तो हि मुह्यते च मुहुर्मुहुः

He breathes out long, hot breaths; his mouth grows parched. Tossing upon the bed, he repeatedly falls into delusion again and again.

Verse 134

संमूढः क्षिपतेत्यर्थं हस्तपादावितस्ततः । खट्वातो वांछते भूमिं भूमेः खट्वां पुनर्महीम्

Completely deluded, he flings his hands and feet about in agitation. From the bed he longs for the ground, and from the ground again for the bed—once more for the earth.

Verse 135

विवशस्त्यक्तलज्जश्च मूत्रविष्ठानुलेपितः । याचमानश्च सलिलं शुष्ककंठोष्ठतालुकः

Helpless and stripped of shame, smeared with urine and excrement, he begs for water—his throat, lips, and palate parched and dry.

Verse 136

चिंतयानः स्ववित्तानि कस्यैतानि मृते मयि । यमदूतैर्नीयमानः कालपाशेन कर्षितः

Thinking, ‘To whom will these possessions of mine belong when I am dead?’, he is led away by Yama’s messengers, dragged along by the noose of Time.

Verse 137

म्रियते पश्यतामेवं गलो घुरुघुरायते । जीवस्तृणजलौकेव देहाद्देहं विशेत्क्रमात्

Thus one dies even as others look on; the throat makes a rattling sound. The living self, like a leech on grass and water, passes step by step from one body into another.

Verse 138

प्राप्नोत्युत्तरमंगं च देहं त्यजति पूर्वकम् । मरणात्प्रार्थनाद्दुःखमधिकं हि विवेकिनाम्

He attains a higher state, yet first he must abandon the body. For the discerning, the sorrow born of pleading is indeed greater than the sorrow of death.

Verse 139

क्षणिकं मरणे दुःखमनंतं प्रार्थनाकृतम् । जगतां पतिरर्थित्वाद्विष्णुर्वामनतां गतः

The sorrow felt at death is momentary, but the consequence brought about by supplication is endless. Therefore Viṣṇu, the Lord of the worlds, being entreated, assumed the form of Vāmana.

Verse 140

अधिकः कोपरस्तस्माद्यो न यास्यति लाघवम् । ज्ञातं मयेदमधुना मृत्योर्भवति यद्गुरुः

Therefore, the wrath of one who does not come to humility is all the greater. I understand this clearly now: that which becomes the teacher even of Death.

Verse 141

न परं प्रार्थयेद्भूयस्तृष्णालाघवकारणम् । आदौ दुःखं तथा मध्ये दुःखमंते च दारुणम्

One should not keep begging for more, merely to lighten one’s craving; for it brings suffering at the beginning, suffering in the middle, and dreadful suffering in the end.

Verse 142

निसर्गात्सर्वभूतानामिति दुःख परंपरा । वर्तमानान्यतीतानि दुःखान्येतानि यानि तु

From the very nature of existence for all beings, there arises an unbroken succession of sorrow—these sufferings, whether present or already past.

Verse 143

न नरः शोचयेज्जन्म न विरज्यति तेन वै । अत्याहारान्महद्दुःखमल्पाहारात्तदंतरम्

A man should not lament his birth, nor become dispassionate on that account. Great suffering comes from overeating; from eating little, the suffering is comparatively less.

Verse 144

त्रुटते भोजने कंठो भोजने च कुतः सुखम् । क्षुधा हि सर्वरोगाणां व्याधिः श्रेष्ठतमः स्मृतः

When one eats, the throat chokes—where, then, is delight in eating? For hunger is remembered as the foremost affliction among all diseases.

Verse 145

सच्छांतौषधलेपेन क्षणमात्रं प्रशाम्यति । क्षुद्व्याधि वेदना तीव्रा निःशेषबलकृंतनी

Even when anointing with a truly soothing medicinal paste, it subsides only for a moment; the fierce pain of the hunger-illness utterly cuts down one’s strength, leaving nothing behind.

Verse 146

तयाभिभूतो म्रियते यथान्यैर्व्याधिभिर्नरः । तद्रसेपि हि किं सौख्यं जिह्वाग्रपरिवर्तिनि

Overpowered by it, a man dies, just as he would from other diseases. Even in its taste, what happiness is there, when it merely flickers upon the tip of the tongue?

Verse 147

तत्क्षणादर्धकालेन कंठं प्राप्य निवर्तते । इति क्षुद्व्याधितप्तानामन्नमोषधवत्स्मृतम्

In an instant—within half a moment—it reaches the throat and turns back. Thus, for those scorched by hunger and disease, food is remembered as being like medicine.

Verse 148

न तत्सुखाय मंतव्यं परमार्थेन पंडितैः । मृतोपमश्च यः शेते सर्वकार्यविवर्जितः

The wise, in the highest truth, should not regard that as happiness—when a person lies down like the dead, abandoning all duties and actions.

Verse 149

तत्रापि च कुतः सौख्यं तमसा चोदितात्मनः । प्रबोधेपि कुतः सौख्यं कार्येषूपहतात्मनः

Even there, how could there be happiness for one whose mind is driven by darkness (tamas)? And even upon awakening, how could there be happiness for one whose self is battered by worldly tasks?

Verse 150

कृषिवाणिज्यसेवाद्य गोरक्षादि परश्रमैः । प्रातर्मूत्रपुरीषाभ्यां मध्याह्ने क्षुत्पिपासया

By strenuous labors such as farming, trade, service, and the like—by cattle-tending and other exhausting tasks—one is afflicted in the morning by urination and defecation, and at midday by hunger and thirst.

Verse 151

तृप्ताः काम्येन बाध्यंते निद्रया निशि जंतवः । अर्थस्योपार्जने दुःखं दुःखमर्जितरक्षणे

Even those who feel satisfied are still driven by desire; at night, creatures are overpowered by sleep. There is suffering in acquiring wealth, and suffering again in protecting what has been acquired.

Verse 152

नाशे दुःखं व्यये दुःखमर्थस्यैव कुतः सुखम् । चौरेभ्यः सलिलेभ्योग्नेः स्वजनात्पार्थिवादपि

There is sorrow when wealth is lost, and sorrow when it is spent—so where is happiness in wealth at all? It is threatened by thieves, by water, by fire, even by one’s own people, and even by the king.

Verse 153

भयमर्थवतां नित्यं मृत्योर्देहभृतामिव । खे यथा पक्षिभिर्मांसं भक्ष्यते श्वापदैर्भुवि

For the wealthy, fear is constant—like the fear of death for embodied beings: just as flesh is devoured by birds in the sky and by beasts of prey on the earth.

Verse 154

जले च भक्ष्यते मत्स्यैस्तथा सर्वत्र वित्तवान् । विमोहयंति संपत्सु वारयंति विपत्सु च

In water he is eaten by fish; likewise, everywhere the man of wealth is ensnared—deluded in times of prosperity and restrained in times of adversity.

Verse 155

खेदयंत्यर्जने काले कदार्थाः स्युः सुखावहाः । प्रागर्थपतिरुद्विग्नः पश्चात्सर्वार्थनिःस्पृहः

How could paltry riches ever bring happiness, when in the very act of acquiring them they cause distress? Beforehand one is anxious as a seeker of wealth; afterwards one becomes indifferent to all possessions.

Verse 156

तयोरर्थपतिर्दुःखी सुखी मन्येर्विरक्तधीः । वसंतग्रीष्मतापेन दारुणं वर्षपर्वसु

Of the two, the lord of wealth is unhappy; I consider the dispassionate-minded one to be happy. For the heat of spring and summer is harsh, and so too are the turns of the rainy season.

Verse 157

वातातपेन वृष्ट्या च कालेप्येवं कुतः सुखम् । विवाहविस्तरे दुःखं तद्गर्भोद्वहने पुनः

Buffeted by wind and sun, and drenched by rain—even in due season—how could there be happiness? There is hardship in the elaborate course of marriage, and again hardship in bearing and carrying the pregnancy thereafter.

Verse 158

सूतिवैषम्यदुःखैश्च दुखं विष्ठादिकर्मभिः । दन्ताक्षिरोगे पुत्रस्य हा कष्टं किं करोम्यहम्

“I am afflicted by the pains of an irregular childbirth, and by the misery of dealing with filth and such tasks. Now my son suffers from diseases of the teeth and eyes—alas, what hardship! What am I to do?”

Verse 159

गावो नष्टाः कृषिर्भग्ना भार्या च प्रपलायिता । अमी प्राघूर्णिकाः प्राप्ता भयं मे शंसिनो गृहान्

My cows are lost, my farming is ruined, and my wife has fled. And now these wandering rogues have come to my house, foretelling fear for me.

Verse 160

बालापत्या च मे भार्या कः करिष्यति रंधनम् । विवाहकाले कन्यायाः कीदृशश्च वरो भवेत्

My wife is still young and has a small child—who will do the cooking? And at the time of a girl’s marriage, what kind of bridegroom should there be?

Verse 161

एतच्चिंताभिभूतानां कुतः सौख्यं कुटुंबिनाम्

For householders overwhelmed by such anxieties, how could there be any happiness?

Verse 162

कुटुंबचिंताकुलितस्य पुंसः श्रुतं च शीलं च गुणाश्च सर्वे । अपक्वकुंभे निहिता इवापः प्रयांति देहेन समं विनाशनम्

For a man agitated by anxieties about his household, learning, good conduct, and all virtues—like water stored in an unbaked clay pot—perish along with the body.

Verse 163

राज्येपि हि कुतः सौख्यं संधिविग्रहचिंतया । पुत्रादपि भयं यत्र तत्र सौख्यं हि कीदृशम्

Even in kingship, where is happiness when one is preoccupied with thoughts of alliances and wars? Where there is fear even from one’s own son—what kind of happiness can exist there?

Verse 164

स्वजातीयाद्भयं प्रायः सर्वेषामेव देहिनाम् । एकद्रव्याभिलाषित्वाच्छुनामिव परस्परम्

For nearly all embodied beings, fear most often arises from their own kind; for, craving the same object, they turn hostile to one another, like dogs among themselves.

Verse 165

न प्रविश्य वनं कश्चिन्नृपः ख्यातोस्ति भूतले । निखिलं यस्तिरस्कृत्य सुखं तिष्ठति निर्भयः

On this earth no king has ever become renowned without entering the forest; he who casts everything aside abides at ease—fearless and content.

Verse 166

युद्धे बाहुसहस्रं हि पातयामास भूतले । श्रीमतः कार्तवीर्यस्य ऋषिपुत्रः प्रतापवान्

Indeed, in battle, the mighty son of the sage caused the thousand arms of the illustrious Kārtavīrya to fall upon the ground.

Verse 167

ऋषिपुत्रस्य रामस्य रामो दशरथात्मजः । जघान वीर्यमतुलमूर्ध्वगं सुमहात्मनः

Rāma, the son of Daśaratha, struck down the matchless might of Rāma (Paraśurāma), the sage’s son—though he was great-souled and exalted in stature.

Verse 168

जरासंधेन रामस्य तेजसा नाशितं यशः । जरासंधस्य भीमेन तस्यापि पवनात्मजः

By Jarāsandha’s prowess, Rāma’s fame was eclipsed; Jarāsandha’s fame was eclipsed by Bhīma, and Bhīma’s in turn by the son of the Wind.

Verse 169

हनुमानपि सूर्येण विक्षिप्तः पतितः क्षितौ । निवातकवचान्सर्वदानवान्बलदर्पितान्

Hanumān too, struck aside by the Sun, fell upon the earth—he who confronted all the Dānavas, clad in impenetrable armor and swollen with the pride of their strength.

Verse 170

हतवानर्जुनः श्रीमान्गोपालैः स विनिर्जितः । सूर्यः प्रतापयुक्तोऽपि मेघैः संछाद्यते क्वचित्

Even the illustrious Arjuna, a slayer of foes, was overcome by the cowherds. Even the sun, though endowed with blazing power, is at times veiled by clouds.

Verse 171

क्षिप्यते वायुना मेघो वायोर्वीर्यं नगैर्जितम् । दह्यंते वह्निना शैलाः स वह्निः शाम्यते जलैः

The cloud is driven along by the wind; yet the wind’s force is checked by the mountains. Mountains are burned by fire; yet that very fire is quenched by water.

Verse 172

तज्जलं शोष्यते सूर्यैस्ते सूर्याः सह वारिणा । त्रैलोक्येन समस्ताश्च नश्यंति ब्रह्मणो दिने

That water is dried up by the suns; and those suns, along with the waters—indeed the entire three worlds altogether—perish when Brahmā’s day comes to an end.

Verse 173

ब्रह्मापि त्रिदशैः सार्धमुपसंह्रियते पुनः । परार्धद्वयकालांते शिवेन परमात्मना

Even Brahmā, together with the gods, is again withdrawn into dissolution at the end of two parārdhas of time—by Śiva, the Supreme Self.

Verse 174

एवं नैवास्ति संसारे यच्च सर्वोत्तमं बलम् । विहायैकं जगन्नाथं परमात्मानमव्ययम्

Thus, in this world there is no power whatsoever that is truly supreme—apart from the one Lord of the universe, the imperishable Supreme Self.

Verse 175

ज्ञात्वा सातिशयं सर्वमतिमानं विवर्जयेत् । एवंभूते जगत्यस्मिन्कः सुरः पंडितोपि वा

Knowing that superiority is only relative, one should abandon every kind of pride in one’s own intellect. In a world such as this, who could be truly exceptional—whether a god or even a learned scholar?

Verse 176

न ह्यस्ति सर्ववित्कश्चिन्न वा मूर्खोपि सर्वतः । यावद्यस्तु विजानाति तावत्तत्र स पंडितः

No one is omniscient, nor is anyone wholly foolish in every respect. To the extent that a person truly understands something, to that extent he is a learned one in that matter.

Verse 177

समाधाने तु सर्वत्र प्रभावः सदृशः स्मृतः । वित्तस्यातिशयत्वेन प्रभावः कस्यचित्क्वचित्

In the settling of matters, efficacy is remembered to be generally the same everywhere; yet, due to an excess of wealth, the influence of some people becomes greater in certain places.

Verse 178

दानवैर्निर्जिता देवास्ते दैवैर्निजिताः पुनः । इत्यन्योन्यं श्रितो लोको भाग्यैर्जयपराजयैः

The gods were conquered by the Dānavas, and in turn those Dānavas were again conquered by the gods. Thus the world rests on mutual dependence—on victories and defeats brought about by destiny.

Verse 179

एवं वस्त्रयुगं राज्ञां प्रस्थमात्रांबुभोजनम् । यानं शय्यासनं चैव शेषं दुःखाय केवलम्

Thus, for kings: only a pair of garments and food measured by a prastha; as for chariots, beds, and seats—whatever lies beyond this becomes merely a cause of suffering.

Verse 180

सप्तमे चापि भवने खट्वामात्र परिग्रहः । उदकुंभसहस्रेभ्यः क्लेशायास प्रविस्तरः

Even in the seventh dwelling, one’s possessions are only a simple cot; compared with thousands of water-pots, it spreads out as a vast burden of hardship and toil.

Verse 181

प्रत्यूषे तूर्यनिर्घोषः समं पुरनिवासिभिः । राज्येभिमानमात्रं हि ममेदं वाद्यते गृहे

At dawn, the blare of instruments resounds together with the city-dwellers; yet in my house it is played only as a hollow display of pride in kingship.

Verse 182

सर्वमाभरणं भारः सर्वमालेपनं मलम् । सर्वं प्रलपितं गीतं नृत्यमुन्मत्तचेष्टितम्

All ornamentation is a burden; all anointing with cosmetics is filth. All prattle is mistaken for song, and dancing is the conduct of one gone mad.

Verse 183

इत्येवं राज्यसंभोगैः कुतः सौख्यं विचारतः । नृपाणां विग्रहे चिंता वान्योन्यविजिगीषया

Thus, when one reflects upon the enjoyments of kingship, how can there be happiness? For kings, in times of conflict, there is only anxiety, driven by the desire to conquer one another.

Verse 184

प्रायेण श्रीमदालेपान्नहुषाद्या महानृपाः । स्वर्गं प्राप्ता निपतिताः कः श्रिया विंदते सुखम्

For the most part, great kings—Nahuṣa and others—intoxicated by the sheen of prosperity, reached heaven and yet fell from it. Who indeed finds lasting happiness through mere fortune?

Verse 185

स्वर्गेपि च कुतः सौख्यं दृष्ट्वा दीप्तां परश्रियम् । उपर्युपरि देवानामन्योन्यातिशयस्थिताम्

Even in heaven, how could there be happiness, seeing the blazing, superior splendor—where the gods stand ever above one another, each surpassing the next?

Verse 186

नरैः पुण्यफलं स्वर्गे मूलच्छेदेन भुज्यते । न चान्यत्क्रियते कर्म सोऽत्र दोषः सुदारुणः

By men, the fruit of merit is enjoyed in heaven only until it is exhausted at the root; and no further action is performed. This, indeed, is a very dreadful fault in this matter.

Verse 187

छिन्नमूलतरुर्यद्वद्दिवसैः पतति क्षितौ । पुण्यस्य संक्षयात्तद्वन्निपतंति दिवौकसः

Just as a tree whose roots have been cut falls to the ground after some days, so too the dwellers of heaven fall down when their merit is exhausted.

Verse 188

सुखाभिलाषनिष्ठानां सुखभोगादि संप्लवैः । अकस्मात्पतितं दुःखं कष्टं स्वर्गेदिवौकसाम्

For those devoted to the pursuit of pleasure, amid the flood of enjoyments and delights, the sudden fall of sorrow is especially painful—even for the dwellers of heaven.

Verse 189

इति स्वर्गेऽपि देवानां नास्ति सौख्यं विचारतः । क्षयश्च विषयासिद्धौ स्वर्गे भोगाय कर्मणाम्

Thus, even in heaven the gods have no true happiness upon reflection; and when the objects of enjoyment fail, the merit of actions performed for heavenly pleasures is also exhausted.

Verse 190

तत्र दुःखं महत्कष्टं नरकाग्निषु देहिनाम् । घोरैश्च विविधैर्भावैर्वाङ्मनः काय संभवैः

There, embodied beings suffer immense pain and hardship in the fires of hell, tormented by dreadful and varied afflictions arising from speech, mind, and body.

Verse 191

कुठारच्छेदनं तीव्रं वल्कलानां च तक्षणम् । पर्णशाखाफलानां च पातश्चंडेन वायुना

There was fierce chopping with axes, and the stripping of bark; and leaves, branches, and fruits were brought down as well, driven by a violent wind.

Verse 192

उन्मूलनान्नदीभिश्च गजैरन्यैश्च देहिभिः । दावाग्निहिमशोषैश्च दुःखं स्थावरजातिषु

Among immobile beings (such as trees and plants), there is suffering caused by being uprooted by rivers, by elephants and other embodied creatures, and also by forest-fires, frost, and drying heat.

Verse 193

तद्वद्भुजंगसर्पाणां क्रोधे दुःखं च दारुणम् । दुष्टानां घातनं लोके पाशेन च निबंधनम्

Likewise, for serpents and snakes, when anger arises, the suffering is dreadful; and in the world, the wicked are slain and also bound with a noose.

Verse 194

अकस्माज्जन्ममरणं कीटानां च मुहुर्मुहुः । सरीसृपनिकायानामेवं दुःखान्यनेकधा

For insects, birth and death come suddenly, again and again; and for the multitude of crawling creatures, sufferings thus arise in many forms.

Verse 195

पशूनामात्मशमनं दंडताडनमेव च । नासावेधेन संत्रासः प्रतोदेन सुताडनम्

The ‘subduing’ of animals is done by beating with a stick; there is also the terror caused by piercing the nose, and severe striking with a goad.

Verse 196

वेत्रकाष्ठादिनिगडैरंकुशेनांगबंधनम् । भावेन मनसा क्लेशैर्भिक्षा युवादिपीडनम्

With fetters made of cane, wood, and the like, and with hooks, they bind the limbs; and by tormenting the mind with anguish, they force begging, and they oppress the young and others.

Verse 197

आत्मयूथवियोगैश्च बलान्नयनबंधने । पशूनां संति कायानामेवं दुःखान्यनेकशः

By being separated from their own herd, and by being forcibly led away and bound, embodied animals undergo many kinds of suffering in this manner.

Verse 198

वर्षाशीतातपाद्दुःखं सुकष्टं ग्रहपक्षिणाम् । क्लेशमानाति कायानामेवं दुःखान्यनेकधा

From rain, cold, and scorching heat comes suffering—severe hardship for the creatures and birds. Thus, embodied beings undergo affliction and torment in many different ways.

Verse 199

गर्भवासे महद्दुःखं जन्मदुःखं तथा नृणाम् । सुबाल्यदुःखं चाज्ञानं कौमारे गुरुशासनम्

For human beings there is great suffering in dwelling in the womb, and suffering at birth as well; there is the hardship of early childhood with its ignorance, and in boyhood the discipline imposed by the teacher.

Verse 200

यौवने कामरागाभ्यां दुःखं चैवेर्ष्यया पुनः । कृषिवाणिज्यसेवाद्यैर्गोरक्षादिक कर्मभिः

In youth one suffers through lust and passion, and again through jealousy; and also through occupations such as farming, trade, service, and labors like cattle-tending and the like.