14.017
वासुदेव उवाच॥
Vāsudeva said.
ततस्तस्योपसङ्गृह्य पादौ प्रश्नान्सुदुर्वचान्। पप्रच्छ तांश्च सर्वान्स प्राह धर्मभृतां वरः ॥१४-१७-१॥
Then, having respectfully grasped his feet, he asked all those very difficult questions, and the best among the upholders of dharma replied. (14-17-1)
काश्यप उवाच॥
Kashyapa said.
कथं शरीरं च्यवते कथं चैवोपपद्यते। कथं कष्टाच्च संसारात्संसरन्परिमुच्यते ॥१४-१७-२॥
How does the body die? How indeed is it born? How, moving through pain and saṁsāra, does one become completely liberated? (14-17-2)
आत्मानं वा कथं युक्त्वा तच्छरीरं विमुञ्चति। शरीरतश्च निर्मुक्तः कथमन्यत्प्रपद्यते ॥१४-१७-३॥
How does the self, having united with that body, release it? And, when liberated from the body, how does it attain another? (14-17-3)
कथं शुभाशुभे चायं कर्मणी स्वकृते नरः। उपभुङ्क्ते क्व वा कर्म विदेहस्योपतिष्ठति ॥१४-१७-४॥
How does a man experience the results of his own auspicious and inauspicious acts, and where do deeds take effect for one who is disembodied? (14-17-4)
ब्राह्मण उवाच॥
The Brāhmaṇa said.
एवं सञ्चोदितः सिद्धः प्रश्नांस्तान्प्रत्यभाषत। आनुपूर्व्येण वार्ष्णेय यथा तन्मे वचः शृणु ॥१४-१७-५॥
Thus, being thus urged, the accomplished one answered those questions. Now, in due order, O son of Vṛṣṇi, listen to my words as they are. (14-17-5)
सिद्ध उवाच॥
The Siddha said.
आयुःकीर्तिकराणीह यानि कर्माणि सेवते। शरीरग्रहणेऽन्यस्मिंस्तेषु क्षीणेषु सर्वशः ॥१४-१७-६॥
The actions that one performs here bringing longevity and fame—when those are entirely exhausted, in obtaining another body (life), (their effects end). (14-17-6)
आयुःक्षयपरीतात्मा विपरीतानि सेवते। बुद्धिर्व्यावर्तते चास्य विनाशे प्रत्युपस्थिते ॥१४-१७-७॥
When a person's lifespan is nearing its end, he engages in harmful actions; his intellect turns away as his destruction approaches. (14-17-7)
सत्त्वं बलं च कालं चाप्यविदित्वात्मनस्तथा। अतिवेलमुपाश्नाति तैर्विरुद्धान्यनात्मवान् ॥१४-१७-८॥
One lacking self-control, not understanding his own constitution, strength, and time, eats at improper times foods that are mutually incompatible. (14-17-8)
यदायमतिकष्टानि सर्वाण्युपनिषेवते। अत्यर्थमपि वा भुङ्क्ते न वा भुङ्क्ते कदाचन ॥१४-१७-९॥
When he experiences all extremely painful things, or even enjoys exceedingly, or does not enjoy at any time. (14-17-9)
दुष्टान्नं विषमान्नं च सोऽन्योन्येन विरोधि च। गुरु वापि समं भुङ्क्ते नातिजीर्णेऽपि वा पुनः ॥१४-१७-१०॥
He eats spoiled food, poisonous food, that which is mutually hostile; heavy or together, and again, even when not fully digested. (14-17-10)
व्यायाममतिमात्रं वा व्यवायं चोपसेवते। सततं कर्मलोभाद्वा प्राप्तं वेगविधारणम् ॥१४-१७-११॥
Or one engages in excessive exercise or in sexual intercourse, and constantly, due to greed for activity, or in restraining natural urges attained. (14-17-11)
रसातियुक्तमन्नं वा दिवास्वप्नं निषेवते। अपक्वानागते काले स्वयं दोषान्प्रकोपयन् ॥१४-१७-१२॥
One who indulges in excessively rich food or day-sleep, or who takes uncooked food at inappropriate times, thereby aggravates doṣas by his own actions. (14-17-12)
स्वदोषकोपनाद्रोगं लभते मरणान्तिकम्। अथ चोद्बन्धनादीनि परीतानि व्यवस्यति ॥१४-१७-१३॥
Due to the aggravation of his own faults, he acquires a fatal disease; then, afflicted by bindings and similar troubles, he suffers. (14-17-13)
तस्य तैः कारणैर्जन्तोः शरीराच्च्यवते यथा। जीवितं प्रोच्यमानं तद्यथावदुपधारय ॥१४-१७-१४॥
Just as, by those causes, the living being falls away from the body, so you should properly understand what is being explained as 'life'. (14-17-14)
ऊष्मा प्रकुपितः काये तीव्रवायुसमीरितः। शरीरमनुपर्येति सर्वान्प्राणान्रुणद्धि वै ॥१४-१७-१५॥
When heat is agitated in the body and driven by a strong wind, it pervades the body and indeed obstructs all the vital breaths. (14-17-15)
अत्यर्थं बलवानूष्मा शरीरे परिकोपितः। भिनत्ति जीवस्थानानि तानि मर्माणि विद्धि च ॥१४-१७-१६॥
Excessive and powerful heat, when agitated in the body, breaks the places where life resides; know that those are the vital spots. (14-17-16)
ततः सवेदनः सद्यो जीवः प्रच्यवते क्षरन्। शरीरं त्यजते जन्तुश्छिद्यमानेषु मर्मसु ॥ वेदनाभिः परीतात्मा तद्विद्धि द्विजसत्तम ॥१४-१७-१७॥
Then, as soon as sensation is experienced, the living being is immediately displaced; when the vital points are pierced, the creature, afflicted by pains, abandons the body. Know this, O best of the twice-born. (14-17-17)
जातीमरणसंविग्नाः सततं सर्वजन्तवः। दृश्यन्ते सन्त्यजन्तश्च शरीराणि द्विजर्षभ ॥१४-१७-१८॥
O best of the twice-born, always all beings, distressed by birth and death, are seen abandoning their bodies. (14-17-18)
गर्भसङ्क्रमणे चापि मर्मणामतिसर्पणे। तादृशीमेव लभते वेदनां मानवः पुनः ॥१४-१७-१९॥
A human again experiences similar pain during the shifting of the fetus and also when the vital points are displaced. (14-17-19)
भिन्नसन्धिरथ क्लेदमद्भिः स लभते नरः। यथा पञ्चसु भूतेषु संश्रितत्वं निगच्छति ॥ शैत्यात्प्रकुपितः काये तीव्रवायुसमीरितः ॥१४-१७-२०॥
A person whose joints are separated obtains moisture from waters, just as dependence is entered into the five elements. From cold, when agitated in the body, he is afflicted by intense wind. (14-17-20)
यः स पञ्चसु भूतेषु प्राणापाने व्यवस्थितः। स गच्छत्यूर्ध्वगो वायुः कृच्छ्रान्मुक्त्वा शरीरिणम् ॥१४-१७-२१॥
He who is established in prāṇa and apāna among the five elements—when the ascending air (ūrdhvaga vāyuḥ) leaves the embodied one after difficulties, it goes (upwards). (14-17-21)
शरीरं च जहात्येव निरुच्छ्वासश्च दृश्यते। निरूष्मा स निरुच्छ्वासो निःश्रीको गतचेतनः ॥१४-१७-२२॥
The body is indeed abandoned, and a lifeless, breathless form is seen. Without warmth, breath, prosperity, or consciousness, he has departed. (14-17-22)
ब्रह्मणा सम्परित्यक्तो मृत इत्युच्यते नरः। स्रोतोभिर्यैर्विजानाति इन्द्रियार्थाञ्शरीरभृत् ॥ तैरेव न विजानाति प्राणमाहारसम्भवम् ॥१४-१७-२३॥
A person completely forsaken by Brahman is called dead. The embodied one, by those very channels through which he knows sensory objects, no longer perceives the vital breath that arises from food. (14-17-23)
तत्रैव कुरुते काये यः स जीवः सनातनः। तेषां यद्यद्भवेद्युक्तं संनिपाते क्वचित्क्वचित् ॥ तत्तन्मर्म विजानीहि शास्त्रदृष्टं हि तत्तथा ॥१४-१७-२४॥
There itself, the eternal soul acting in the body, whatever is appropriate for each of them may occur in conjunction, here and there; understand each such secret as the scriptures see it, for thus it is. (14-17-24)
तेषु मर्मसु भिन्नेषु ततः स समुदीरयन्। आविश्य हृदयं जन्तोः सत्त्वं चाशु रुणद्धि वै ॥ ततः स चेतनो जन्तुर्नाभिजानाति किञ्चन ॥१४-१७-२५॥
When those vital parts are pierced, then he, moving forth, having entered the heart of the being, quickly and surely restrains the vital essence. Then, the conscious being no longer perceives anything. (14-17-25)
तमसा संवृतज्ञानः संवृतेष्वथ मर्मसु। स जीवो निरधिष्ठानश्चाव्यते मातरिश्वना ॥१४-१७-२६॥
He whose knowledge is covered by darkness, being enveloped within the vital centers, that individual soul, without a supporting base, is not moved by the life-breath. (14-17-26)
ततः स तं महोच्छ्वासं भृशमुच्छ्वस्य दारुणम्। निष्क्रामन्कम्पयत्याशु तच्छरीरमचेतनम् ॥१४-१७-२७॥
Then he, with a terrible and forceful exhalation, quickly shakes that unconscious body as he emerges. (14-17-27)
स जीवः प्रच्युतः कायात्कर्मभिः स्वैः समावृतः। अङ्कितः स्वैः शुभैः पुण्यैः पापैर्वाप्युपपद्यते ॥१४-१७-२८॥
When the living being departs from the body, enveloped by his own deeds and marked by his own merits or by sins, he takes a new birth. (14-17-28)
ब्राह्मणा ज्ञानसम्पन्ना यथावच्छ्रुतनिश्चयाः। इतरं कृतपुण्यं वा तं विजानन्ति लक्षणैः ॥१४-१७-२९॥
Brāhmaṇas endowed with knowledge and proper resolution from what is heard, recognize another or one who has performed meritorious acts by their distinguishing marks. (14-17-29)
यथान्धकारे खद्योतं लीयमानं ततस्ततः। चक्षुष्मन्तः प्रपश्यन्ति तथा तं ज्ञानचक्षुषः ॥१४-१७-३०॥
Just as in darkness, those with eyes see a firefly as it merges here and there, so do those with the eye of knowledge see him. (14-17-30)
पश्यन्त्येवंविधाः सिद्धा जीवं दिव्येन चक्षुषा। च्यवन्तं जायमानं च योनिं चानुप्रवेशितम् ॥१४-१७-३१॥
Accomplished ones of this kind see, with the divine eye, the living being as it falls (departs), is born, and enters the womb. (14-17-31)
तस्य स्थानानि दृष्टानि त्रिविधानीह शास्त्रतः। कर्मभूमिरियं भूमिर्यत्र तिष्ठन्ति जन्तवः ॥१४-१७-३२॥
His abodes are seen as three kinds here according to śāstra. This earth is the field of action where creatures exist. (14-17-32)
ततः शुभाशुभं कृत्वा लभन्ते सर्वदेहिनः। इहैवोच्चावचान्भोगान्प्राप्नुवन्ति स्वकर्मभिः ॥१४-१७-३३॥
Then, having performed good and bad deeds, all embodied beings receive, here itself, varied pleasures and pains according to their own actions. (14-17-33)
इहैवाशुभकर्मा तु कर्मभिर्निरयं गतः। अवाक्स निरये पापो मानवः पच्यते भृशम् ॥ तस्मात्सुदुर्लभो मोक्ष आत्मा रक्ष्यो भृशं ततः ॥१४-१७-३४॥
Here itself, a person who performs inauspicious actions goes to hell by his deeds. That sinful man is severely tormented in hell. Therefore, liberation is very difficult to obtain; thus, the self must be zealously protected. (14-17-34)
ऊर्ध्वं तु जन्तवो गत्वा येषु स्थानेष्ववस्थिताः। कीर्त्यमानानि तानीह तत्त्वतः संनिबोध मे ॥ तच्छ्रुत्वा नैष्ठिकीं बुद्धिं बुध्येथाः कर्मनिश्चयात् ॥१४-१७-३५॥
But the living beings who, having gone upwards, are situated in those places that are being mentioned—learn about these here truly from me. By hearing this, you may gain final understanding based on the certainty about action. (14-17-35)
तारारूपाणि सर्वाणि यच्चैतच्चन्द्रमण्डलम्। यच्च विभ्राजते लोके स्वभासा सूर्यमण्डलम् ॥ स्थानान्येतानि जानीहि नराणां पुण्यकर्मणाम् ॥१४-१७-३६॥
All forms as stars, this orb of the moon, and the sun orb which shines in the world with its own light—know these places as belonging to men of meritorious deeds. (14-17-36)
कर्मक्षयाच्च ते सर्वे च्यवन्ते वै पुनः पुनः। तत्रापि च विशेषोऽस्ति दिवि नीचोच्चमध्यमः ॥१४-१७-३७॥
And when their karma is exhausted, all of them indeed fall down again and again; even there, there is distinction in heaven as low, high, and intermediate. (14-17-37)
न तत्राप्यस्ति सन्तोषो दृष्ट्वा दीप्ततरां श्रियम्। इत्येता गतयः सर्वाः पृथक्त्वे समुदीरिताः ॥१४-१७-३८॥
Even there, upon seeing greater prosperity, there is no contentment. In this way, all these states have been described separately. (14-17-38)
उपपत्तिं तु गर्भस्य वक्ष्याम्यहमतः परम्। यथावत्तां निगदतः शृणुष्वावहितो द्विज ॥१४-१७-३९॥
O twice-born, now I shall explain the origin of the embryo further. Listen attentively as I speak of it as it truly is. (14-17-39)
