14.017
vāsudeva uvāca॥
Vāsudeva said.
tatas tasyopasaṅgṛhya pādau praśnān sudurvacān। papraccha tāṁś ca sarvān sa prāha dharmabhṛtāṁ varaḥ ॥14-17-1॥
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)
kāśyapa uvāca॥
Kashyapa said.
kathaṁ śarīraṁ cyavate kathaṁ caiva upapadyate। kathaṁ kaṣṭāc ca saṁsārāt saṁsaran parimucyate॥14-17-2॥
How does the body die? How indeed is it born? How, moving through pain and saṁsāra, does one become completely liberated? (14-17-2)
ātmānaṃ vā kathaṃ yuktvā taccharīraṃ vimuñcati। śarīrataś ca nirmuktaḥ katham anyat prapadyate॥14-17-3॥
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)
kathaṁ śubhāśubhe cāyaṁ karmaṇī svakṛte naraḥ। upabhuṅkte kva vā karma videhasyopatiṣṭhati ॥14-17-4॥
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)
brāhmaṇa uvāca॥
The Brāhmaṇa said.
evaṃ sañcoditaḥ siddhaḥ praśnān tān pratyabhāṣata। ānupūrvyeṇa vārṣṇeya yathā tan me vacaḥ śṛṇu॥14-17-5॥
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)
siddha uvāca॥
The Siddha said.
āyuḥ-kīrti-karāṇi iha yāni karmāṇi sevate। śarīra-grahaṇe' anyasmin teṣu kṣīṇeṣu sarvaśaḥ ॥14-17-6॥
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)
āyuḥ-kṣaya-parītātmā viparītāni sevate. buddhiḥ vyāvartate ca asya vināśe pratyupasthite ॥14-17-7॥
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)
sattvaṁ balaṁ ca kālaṁ cāpyaviditvātmanaḥ tathā। ativelam upāśnāti tair viruddhāny anātmavān ॥14-17-8॥
One lacking self-control, not understanding his own constitution, strength, and time, eats at improper times foods that are mutually incompatible. (14-17-8)
yadā ayam ati-kaṣṭāni sarvāṇi upaniṣevate। atyaratham api vā bhuṅkte na vā bhuṅkte kadācana॥14-17-9॥
When he experiences all extremely painful things, or even enjoys exceedingly, or does not enjoy at any time. (14-17-9)
duṣṭānnaṃ viṣamānnaṃ ca so'nyonyena virodhi ca| guru vāpi samaṃ bhuṅkte nātijīrṇe'pi vā punaḥ ॥14-17-10॥
He eats spoiled food, poisonous food, that which is mutually hostile; heavy or together, and again, even when not fully digested. (14-17-10)
vyāyāmamatimātraṃ vā vyavāyaṃ copasevate. satataṃ karmalobhādvā prāptaṃ vegavidhāraṇam ॥14-17-11॥
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)
rasātiyuktam annaṁ vā divāsvapnaṁ niṣevate। apakvāṇāgate kāle svayaṁ doṣān prakopayan ॥14-17-12॥
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)
svadoṣakopanād rogaṃ labhate maraṇāntikam। atha ca udbandhanādīni parītāni vyavasyati॥14-17-13॥
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)
tasya taiḥ kāraṇaiḥ jantoḥ śarīrāt cyavate yathā। jīvitam procyamānam tad yathāvat upadhāraya ॥14-17-14॥
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)
ūṣmā prakupitaḥ kāye tīvravāyusamīritaḥ। śarīram anuparyeti sarvān prāṇān ruṇaddhi vai॥14-17-15॥
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)
atyarthaṃ balavānūṣmā śarīre parikopitaḥ। bhinatti jīvasthānāni tāni marmāṇi viddhi ca॥14-17-16॥
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)
tataḥ savedanaḥ sadyo jīvaḥ pracyavate kṣaran। śarīraṁ tyajate jantuśchidyamāneṣu marmasu॥ vedanābhiḥ parītātmā tadviddhi dvijasattama॥14-17-17॥
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)
jātīmaraṇasaṃvignāḥ satataṃ sarvajantavaḥ. dṛśyante santyajantaśca śarīrāṇi dvijarṣabha ॥14-17-18॥
O best of the twice-born, always all beings, distressed by birth and death, are seen abandoning their bodies. (14-17-18)
garbhasaṅkramaṇe cāpi marmaṇām atisarpaṇe। tādṛśīm eva labhate vedanāṃ mānavaḥ punaḥ ॥14-17-19॥
A human again experiences similar pain during the shifting of the fetus and also when the vital points are displaced. (14-17-19)
bhinnasandhiratha kledamadbhiḥ sa labhate naraḥ। yathā pañcasu bhūteṣu saṃśritatvaṃ nigacchati॥ śaityātprakupitaḥ kāye tīvṛvāyusamīritaḥ॥14-17-20॥
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)
yaḥ sa pañcasu bhūteṣu prāṇāpāne vyavasthitaḥ। sa gacchaty ūrdhvago vāyuḥ kṛcchrān muktvā śarīriṇam॥14-17-21॥
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)
śarīraṃ ca jahātyeva nirucchvāsaś ca dṛśyate। nirūṣmā sa nirucchvāso niḥśrīko gatacetanaḥ ॥14-17-22॥
The body is indeed abandoned, and a lifeless, breathless form is seen. Without warmth, breath, prosperity, or consciousness, he has departed. (14-17-22)
brahmaṇā samparityakto mṛta ity ucyate naraḥ। srotobhir yair vijānāti indriyārthāñ śarīrabhṛt॥ taireva na vijānāti prāṇam āhārasambhavam॥14-17-23॥
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)
tatraiva kurute kāye yaḥ sa jīvaḥ sanātanaḥ। teṣāṃ yadyad bhaved yuktaṃ saṃnipāte kvacit kvacit॥ tat tan marma vijānīhi śāstra-dṛṣṭaṃ hi tat tathā॥14-17-24॥
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)
teṣu marmasu bhinneṣu tataḥ sa samudīrayan। āviśya hṛdayaṁ jantoḥ sattvaṁ ca āśu ruṇaddhi vai॥ tataḥ sa cetano jantur nābhijānāti kiñcana॥14-17-25॥
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)
tamasā saṁvṛtajñānaḥ saṁvṛteṣvatha marmasu। sa jīvo niradhiṣṭhānaścāvyate mātariśvanā ॥14-17-26॥
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)
tataḥ sa taṃ mahocchvāsaṃ bhṛśam ucchvasya dāruṇam। niṣkrāman kampayaty āśu tac charīram acetanam॥14-17-27॥
Then he, with a terrible and forceful exhalation, quickly shakes that unconscious body as he emerges. (14-17-27)
sa jīvaḥ pracyutaḥ kāyāt karmabhiḥ svaiḥ samāvṛtaḥ। aṅkitaḥ svaiḥ śubhaiḥ puṇyaiḥ pāpair vā api upapadyate ॥14-17-28॥
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)
brāhmaṇā jñānasampannā yathāvatśrutaniścayāḥ। itaraṃ kṛtapuṇyaṃ vā taṃ vijānanti lakṣaṇaiḥ॥14-17-29॥
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)
yathāndhakāre khadyotaṃ līyamānaṃ tatastataḥ। cakṣuṣmantaḥ prapaśyanti tathā taṃ jñānacakṣuṣaḥ॥14-17-30॥
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)
paśyantyevambhidhāḥ siddhā jīvaṃ divyena cakṣuṣā. cyavantaṃ jāyamānaṃ ca yoniṃ cānupraveśitam ॥14-17-31॥
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)
tasya sthānāni dṛṣṭāni trividhāni iha śāstrataḥ। karmabhūmir iyaṃ bhūmiḥ yatra tiṣṭhanti jantavaḥ॥14-17-32॥
His abodes are seen as three kinds here according to śāstra. This earth is the field of action where creatures exist. (14-17-32)
tataḥ śubhāśubhaṃ kṛtvā labhante sarvadehinaḥ। ihaivoccāvacānbhogān prāpnuvanti svakarmabhiḥ॥14-17-33॥
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)
ihaiva aśubha-karmā tu karmabhiḥ nirayaṁ gataḥ। avāk sa niraye pāpaḥ mānavaḥ pacyate bhṛśam॥ tasmāt sudurlabhaḥ mokṣaḥ ātmā rakṣyaḥ bhṛśam tataḥ॥14-17-34॥
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)
ūrdhvaṃ tu jantavo gatvā yeṣu sthāneṣv avasthitāḥ। kīrtyamānāni tān īha tattvataḥ saṅnibodha me ॥ tac chrutvā naiṣṭhikīṃ buddhiṃ budhyethāḥ karma-niścayāt ॥14-17-35॥
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)
tārārūpāṇi sarvāṇi yac caitac candramaṇḍalam। yac ca vibhrājate loke svabhāsā sūryamaṇḍalam ॥ sthānāny etāni jānīhi narāṇāṃ puṇyakarmaṇām ॥14-17-36॥
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)
karmakṣayāc ca te sarve cyavante vai punaḥ punaḥ। tatrāpi ca viśeṣo 'sti divi nīcocca-madhyamaḥ॥14-17-37॥
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)
na tatrāpy asti santoṣo dṛṣṭvā dīptatarāṃ śriyam। ity etā gatayaḥ sarvāḥ pṛthaktve samudīritāḥ ॥14-17-38॥
Even there, upon seeing greater prosperity, there is no contentment. In this way, all these states have been described separately. (14-17-38)
upapattiṃ tu garbhasya vakṣyāmy aham ataḥ param | yathāvat tāṃ nigadataḥ śṛṇuṣv āvahito dvija ॥14-17-39॥
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)
