Adhyaya 195: Description of Sinners Abiding in Yama’s Realm (Catalog of Transgressions and the Logic of Retribution)

Verse 1

अथ यमलोकस्थपापिवर्णनम् ॥ नाचिकेत उवाच ॥ कथ्यमानं मया विप्राः शृण्वन्तु तपसि स्थिताः ॥ नमश्च तस्मै देवाय धर्मराजाय धीमते

Now follows the description of the wrongdoers in Yamaloka. Nāciketa said: Let the brāhmaṇa-sages, established in tapas, listen to what is narrated by me. Reverence to that divine Dharmarāja, the wise one.

Verse 2

संसारं तु यथाशक्ति कथ्यमानं निबोधत ॥ असत्यवादिनो ये च जन्तुस्त्रीबालघातकाः

Understand, to the extent of my ability, this account of existence in saṃsāra as I narrate it—those who speak falsely, and those who kill living beings, women, and children.

Verse 3

तथा ब्रह्महणः पापा ये च विश्वासघातकाः ॥ ये ये शठाः कृतघ्नाश्च लोलुपाः पारदारिकाः

Likewise there are the sinful slayers of brāhmaṇas, and those who betray trust; all who are deceitful, ungrateful, greedy, and those who pursue others’ spouses.

Verse 4

कन्यानां दूषका ये च ये च पापरता नराः ॥ वेदानां दूषकाश्चैव वेदमાર્ગविहिंसकाः

And those who violate maidens, and men devoted to wrongdoing; and those who corrupt the Vedas, indeed those who harm the path of the Veda.

Verse 5

शूद्राणां याजकाश्चैव हाहाभूता द्विजातयः ॥ अयाज्ययाजकाश्चैव ये ये कुष्ठयुता नराः

And those who act as priests for Śūdras—twice-born men brought to a state of lamentation; and those who officiate yajñas for those unfit to be officiated for; and those persons afflicted with leprosy.

Verse 6

सुरापो ब्रह्महा चैव यो द्विजो वीरघातकः ॥ तथा वार्धुषिका ये च जिह्मप्रेक्षाश्च ये नराः ॥

A twice-born who drinks intoxicants, a slayer of a brāhmaṇa, and one who kills a heroic man; likewise those who practice usury, and those men whose gaze is deceitful—such persons are enumerated here.

Verse 7

मातृत्यागी पितृत्यागी यः स्वसाध्वीं परित्यजेत् ॥ गुरुद्वेषी दुराचारो दूताश्चाव्यक्तभाषिणः ॥

One who abandons his mother, one who abandons his father, and one who deserts his own virtuous wife; one who hates his teacher, a person of bad conduct, and messengers who speak indistinctly—these are listed.

Verse 8

गृहक्षेत्रहरा ये च सेतुबन्धविनाशकाः ॥ अपुत्राश्चाप्यदाराश्च श्रद्दया च विवर्जिताः ॥

Those who seize houses and fields, and those who destroy dams or embankments; those without sons and also without wives, and those devoid of śraddhā (reverent commitment)—are enumerated.

Verse 9

अशौचा निर्दयाः पापा हिंसका व्रतभञ्जकाः ॥ सोमविक्रयिणश्चैव स्त्रीजितः सर्वविक्रयी ॥

The impure, the merciless, the sinful; those who commit violence and those who break vows; those who sell soma, and one dominated by a woman, and one who sells everything—are included in the list.

Verse 10

भूम्यामनृतवादी च वेदजीवी च यो द्विजः ॥ नक्षत्री च निमित्ती च चाण्डालाध्यापकस्तथा ॥ सर्वमैथुनकर्ता च अगम्यागमने रतः ॥ मायिका रतिकाश्चैव तुलाधाराश्च ये नराः ॥ सर्वपापसुसङ्गाश्च चिन्तका येऽतिवैरिणः ॥ स्वाम्यर्थे न हता ये च ये च युद्धपराङ्मुखाः ॥

One who speaks falsehood regarding land, and a twice-born who makes a living by the Veda; an astrologer and an omen-interpreter, and likewise a teacher of Caṇḍālas; one who engages in sexual intercourse indiscriminately, and one devoted to intercourse with those with whom it is forbidden; deceivers, libertines, and men who manipulate the balance and weights; those closely associated with all sins, and schemers who are exceedingly hostile; those who do not lay down their lives for their master, and those who turn away from battle—all are enumerated.

Verse 11

परवित्तापहारी च राजघाती च यो नरः ॥ अशक्तः पापघोषश्च तथा ये ह्यग्निजीविनः ॥

One who steals another’s wealth, and one who slays a king; one who, though incapable, persists in wrongdoing; one who proclaims sin; and those who make their livelihood from fire—(are enumerated).

Verse 12

शुश्रूषया च मुक्ताः ये लिङ्गिनः पापकर्मिणः ॥ पात्रकारी चक्रिणश्च नरा ये चाप्यधार्मिकाः ॥

Those released from the duty of service/attendance; sign-bearing mendicants (liṅgins) who commit sinful acts; makers or suppliers of vessels (pātra); those who live by wheel-based trades; and men who are without dharma—(are enumerated).

Verse 13

देवागारांश्च सत्राणि तीर्थविक्रयिणस्तथा ॥ व्रतविद्वेषिणो ये च तथाऽसद्वादिनो नराः ॥

Those who sell temples and charitable feeding-halls (satra), and likewise those who sell tīrthas; those who hate vows and religious observances; and men who speak false or improper doctrine—(are enumerated).

Verse 14

मिथ्या च नखरोमाणि धारयन्ति च ये नराः ॥ कूटा वक्रस्वभावाश्च कूटशासनकारिणः ॥

Those men who falsely wear nails and hair as artificial signs; those who are fraudulent and of crooked disposition; and those who issue fraudulent rulings or governance—(are enumerated).

Verse 15

अज्ञानादव्रती यश्च यश्चाश्रमबहिष्कृतः ॥ विप्रकीर्णप्रतिग्राही सूचकस्तीर्थनाशकः ॥

One who, through ignorance, lives without vows or discipline; one who is excluded from the āśrama order; one who accepts gifts indiscriminately from many sources; an informer; and one who destroys tīrthas—(are included).

Verse 16

कलही च प्रतर्क्यश्च निष्ठुरश्च नराधमः॥ एते चान्ये च बहवो ह्यनिर्दिष्टाः सहस्रशः॥

Quarrelsome persons, contentious disputants, the harsh, and the basest among men—these and many others, in their thousands, are spoken of, though not individually enumerated.

Verse 17

स्त्रियो नराश्च गच्छन्ति यत्र तच्छृणुतामलाः॥ कुर्वन्तीह यथा सर्वे तत्र गत्वा यमालये॥

Hear, O pure ones, where women and men go: as all act here, so too—having reached Yama’s abode—they undergo the outcome that accords with their deeds.

Verse 18

पप्रच्छुर्विस्मयाविष्टा नाचिकेतमृषिं तदा॥ ऋषय ऊचुः॥ त्वया सर्वं यथा दृष्टं ब्रूहि तत्र विदां वर॥

Overcome with wonder, they then questioned the sage Nāciketa. The sages said: “O best among the learned, tell us precisely everything you saw there, just as you yourself beheld it.”

Verse 19

यथास्वरूपः कालोऽसौ येन सर्वं प्रवर्तते॥ इह कर्माणि यः कृत्वा पुरुषो ह्यल्पचेतनः॥

“What is the true nature of that Time by which all proceeds? And what becomes of a man of little understanding who, having performed actions here…”

Verse 20

वारयेत्स तदा तं तु ब्रह्मलोके च स प्रभुः॥ कल्पान्तं पच्यमानोऽपि दह्यमानोऽपि वा पुनः॥

“…then that Lord would restrain him—indeed, even in Brahmaloka—while he is ‘cooked’ until the end of an aeon (kalpa), or again even while being burned.”

Verse 21

न नाशो हि शरीरस्य तस्मिन्देशे तपोधनाः॥ यस्य यस्य हि यत्कर्म पच्यमानः पुनः पुनः॥

For in that region there is no destruction of the body, O treasuries of austerity; rather, each being is repeatedly “cooked,” undergoing the results according to whatever deed is his.

Verse 22

अवश्यं चैव गन्तव्यं तस्य पार्श्वं पुनःपुनः॥ न तु त्रासाद्द्विजः शक्तस्तत्र गन्तुं हि कश्चन॥

One must inevitably go again and again into its proximity. Yet, from fear, no “twice-born” is able to go there—indeed, no one at all.

Verse 23

न गच्छन्ति च ये तत्र दानेन निगमेण च॥ वैतरण्याश्च यद्रूपं किं तोयं च वहत्यसौ॥

And who are those who do not go there—through gifts and through the Nigamas (Vedic ordinances)? And what is the form of the Vaitaraṇī, and what kind of water does it carry?

Verse 24

रौरवो वा कथं विप्र किंरूपं कूटशाल्मलेः॥ कीदृशा वा हि ते दूताः किं कार्याः किं पराक्रमाः॥

And how is Raurava, O brāhmaṇa? What is the form of Kūṭaśālmalī? What are those messengers like—what tasks do they perform, and what is their power?

Verse 25

किं च किंच तु कुर्वाणाः किंच किंच समाचरन्॥ न चेतो लभते जन्तुच्छादितं पूर्वतेजसा॥

And doing this and that, and engaging in this and that—yet the creature does not regain clarity of mind, for it is veiled by its former “energy,” the residue of its prior condition.

Verse 26

धृतिं न लभते किञ्चित्तैस्तैर्दोषैः सुवासिताः ॥ दोषं सत्यंअजानन्तस्तथा मोहॆन मोहिताः ॥

Steadfastness is not attained even in the least by those who are, as it were, perfumed by those very faults; not knowing the true nature of fault, they are further deluded by delusion itself.

Verse 27

परं परमजानन्तो रमन्ते कस्य मायया ॥ क्लिश्यन्ते बहवस्तत्र कृत्वा पापमचेतसः ॥

Not knowing the Supreme as the Supreme, they take delight—under whose māyā is it?—and many there, lacking discernment, suffer after committing wrongdoing.

Verse 28

एतत्कथय वत्स त्वं यतः प्रत्यक्षदर्शिवान् ।

Explain this, dear one, since you are one who has direct vision—first-hand insight.

Verse 29

तानि वै कथयिष्यामि श्रूयतां द्विजसत्तमाः ॥ वैशम्पायन उवाच ॥ एवं तस्य वचः श्रुत्वा सर्व एव तपोधनाः ॥

“Those matters I shall indeed relate—listen, O best of the twice-born.” Vaiśampāyana said: “Thus, having heard his words, all those rich in austerity…”

Verse 30

बोद्धव्यं नावबुध्यन्ते गुणानां तु गुणोत्तरम् ॥ हाहाभूताश्च चिन्तार्त्ताः सर्वदोषसमन्विताः ॥

They do not comprehend what ought to be understood—the excellence beyond mere qualities; crying “alas, alas,” they become afflicted with anxiety, endowed with every fault.