"'Yudhishthira said, "O grandsire, O thou that art possessed of great
wisdom and conversant with all the scriptures, I desire to know those
excellent ordinances in consequence of which mortal creatures have to
travel through their rounds of rebirth. What is that conduct by following
which, O king, men succeed in attaining to high heaven, and what is that
conduct by which one sinks in Hell? When, abandoning the dead body that
is as inert as a piece of wood or clod of earth, people proceed to the
other world, what are those that follow them thither?"
"'Bhishma said, "Yonder comes the illustrious Vrihaspati of great
intelligence! Do thou ask his blessed self. The subject is an eternal
mystery. None else is capable of explaining the matter. There is no
speaker like Vrihaspati."
"Vaisampayana said, 'While the son of Pritha and the son of Ganga were
thus speaking with each other, there came to that spot from the firmament
the illustrious Vrihaspati of cleansed soul. King Yudhishthira, and all
others, with Dhritarashtra at their head, stood up and received
Vrihaspati with proper honours. Verily, the worship they offered to the
preceptor of the celestials was excellent. Then Dharma's royal son,
Yudhishthira, approaching the illustrious Vrihaspati, asked him the
question in proper form, desirous of knowing the truth.'
"'Yudhishthira said, "O illustrious one, thou art conversant with all
duties and all the scriptures. Do thou tell me, what is truly the friend
of mortal creatures? Is the father, or mother, or son, or preceptor, or
kinsmen, or relatives, or those called friends, that may be said to truly
constitute the friend of a mortal creature? One goes to the next world,
leaving one's dead body that is like a piece of wood or a clod of earth.
Who is it that follows him thither?"
"'Vrihaspati said, "One is born alone, O king, and one dies alone; one
crosses alone the difficulties one meets with, and one alone encounters
whatever misery falls to one's lot. One has really no companion in these
acts. The father, the mother, the brother, the son, the preceptor,
kinsmen, relatives, and friends, leaving the dead body as if it were a
piece of wood or a clod of earth, after having mourned for only a moment,
all turn away from it and proceed to their own concerns. Only
Righteousness follows the body that is thus abandoned by them all. Hence,
it is plain, that Righteousness is the only friend and that Righteousness
only should be sought by all. One endued with righteousness would attain
to that high end which is constituted by heaven. If endued with
unrighteousness, he goes to Hell. Hence, the man of intelligence should
always seek to acquire religious merit through wealth won by lawful
means. Piety is the one only friend which creatures have in the world
hereafter. Let by cupidity, or stupefaction, or compassion, or fear, one
destitute of much knowledge is seen to do improper acts, for the sake of
even another, his judgment thus stupefied by cupidity.[506] Piety, wealth
and pleasure,--these three constitute the fruit of life. One should
acquire these three by means of being free from impropriety and sin."
"'Yudhishthira said, "I have carefully heard the words spoken by thy
illustrious self,--these words that are fraught with righteousness, and
that are highly beneficial. I wish now to know of the existence of the
body (after death).[507] The dead body of man becomes subtil and
unmanifest. It becomes invisible. How is it possible for piety to follow
it?"
"'Vrihaspati said, "Earth, Wind, Ether, Water, Light, Mind, Yama (the king
of the dead), Understanding, the Soul, as also Day and Night, all
together behold as witnesses the merits (and demerits) of all living
creatures. With these, Righteousness follows the creature (when
dead).[508] When the body becomes bereft of life, skin, bones, flesh, the
vital seed, and blood, O thou of great intelligence, leave it at the same
time. Endued with merit (and demerit) Jiva (after the destruction of this
body) attains to another. After the attainment by Jiva of that body, the
presiding deities of the five elements once more behold as witnesses all
his acts good and bad. What else dost thou wish to hear? If endued with
righteousness, Jiva enjoys happiness. What other topic, belonging to this
or the other world, shall I discourse upon?"
"'Yudhishthira said, "Thy illustrious self has explained how Righteousness
follows Jiva. I desire to know how the vital seed is originated."
"'Vrihaspati said, "The food that these deities, O king, who dwell in the
body, viz., Earth, Wind, Ether, Water, Light, and Mind eat, gratifies
them. When those five elements become gratified, O monarch, with Mind
numbering as their sixth, their vital seed then becomes generated, O thou
of cleansed soul! When an act of union takes place between male and
female, the vital seed flows out and causes conception. I have thus
explained to thee what thou hast asked. What else dost thou wish to hear?"
"'Yudhishthira said, "Thou hast, O illustrious one, said how conception
takes place. Do thou explain how the Jiva that takes birth grows (by
becoming possessed of body)."
"'Vrihaspati said, "As soon as Jiva enters the vital seed, he becomes
overwhelmed by the elements already mentioned. When Jiva becomes
disunited therewith, he is said to attain to the other end (viz., death).
Endued as Jiva becomes with all those elements, he attains, in
consequence thereof, a body. The deities, that preside over those
elements behold as witnesses all his acts, good and bad. What else dost
thou wish to hear?"
"'Yudhishthira said, "Leaving off skin and bone and flesh, and becoming
destitute of all those elements, in what does Jiva reside, O illustrious
one, for enjoying and enduring happiness and misery?"
"'Vrihaspati said, "Endued with all his acts, the Jiva quickly enters the
vital seed, and utilizing the functional flow of women, takes birth in
time, O Bharata. After birth, the Jiva receives woe and death from the
messengers of Yama. Indeed, misery and a painful round of rebirth are his
inheritance. Endued with life, O king, the Jiva in this world, from the
moment of his birth, enjoys and endures his own (previous) acts,
depending upon righteousness (and its reverse). If the Jiva, according to
the best of his power, follows righteousness from the day of his birth,
he then succeeds in enjoying, when reborn, happiness without
interruption. If, on the other hand, without following righteousness
without interruption, he acts sinfully, he reaps happiness at first as
the reward of his righteousness and endures misery after that. Endued
with unrighteousness, the Jiva has to go to the dominions of Yama and
suffering great misery there, he has to take birth in an intermediate
order of being.[509] Listen to me as I tell thee what the different acts
are by doing which the Jiva, stupefied by folly, has to take birth in
different orders of being, as declared in the Vedas, the scriptures, and
the (sacred) histories. Mortals have to go to the frightful regions of
Yama. In those regions, O king, there are places that are fraught with
every merit and that are worthy on that account of being the abodes of
the very deities. There are, again, places in those regions that are
worse than those which are inhabited by animals and birds. Indeed, there
are spots of these kinds in the abode of Yama which (so far as its
happier regions are concerned) is equal to the region of Brahman himself
in merits. Creatures, bound by their acts, endure diverse kinds of
misery. I shall, after this, tell thee what those acts and dispositions
are in consequence of which a person obtains to an end that is fraught
with great misery and terror. If a regenerate person, having studied the
four Vedas, becomes stupefied by folly and accepts a gift from a fallen
man, he has then to take birth in the asinine order. He has to live as an
ass for five and ten years. Casting off his asinine form, he has next to
take birth as an ox, in which state he has to live for seven years.
Casting off his bovine form, he has next to take birth as a Rakshasa of
regenerate order. Living as Rakshasa of the regenerate order for three
months, he then regains his status (in his next birth) of a
Brahmana.[510] A Brahmana, by officiating at the sacrifice of a fallen
person, has to take birth as a vile worm. In this form he has to live for
five and ten years, O Bharata. Freed from the status of a worm, he next
takes birth as an ass. As an ass he has to live for five years, and then
a hog, in which state also he has to remain for as many years. After
that, he takes birth as a cock, and living for five years in that form,
he takes birth as a jackal and lives for as many years in that state. He
has next to take birth as a dog, and living thus for a year he regains
his status of humanity. That foolish disciple who offends his preceptor
by doing any injury to him, has certainly to undergo three
transformations in this world. Such a person, O monarch, has in the first
instance to become a dog. He has then to become a beast of prey, and then
an ass. Living his asinine form, he has to wander for some time in great
affliction as a spirit. After the expiration of that period, he has to
take birth as a Brahmana. That sinful disciple who even in thought
commits adultery with the wife of his preceptor, has in consequence of
such a sinful heart, to undergo many fierce shapes in this world. First
taking birth in the canine order he has to live for three years. Casting
off the canine form when death comes, he takes birth as a worm or vile
vermin. In this form he has to live for a year. Leaving that form he
succeeds in regaining his status as a human being of the regenerate
order. If the preceptor kills, without reason, his disciple who is even
as a son to him, he has, in consequence of such a wilful act of sin on
his part, to take birth as a beast of prey. That son who disregards his
father and mother, O king, has to take birth, after leaving off his human
form as an animal of the asinine order. Assuming the asinine form he has
to live for ten years. After that he has to take birth as a crocodile, in
which form he has to live for a year. After that he regains the human
form. That son with whom his parents become angry, has, in consequence of
his evil thoughts towards them, to take birth as an ass. As an ass he has
to live for ten months. He has then to take birth as a dog and to remain
as such for four and ten months. After that he has to take birth as a cat
and living in that form for seven months he regains his status of
humanity. Having spoken ill of parents, one has to take birth as a
Sarika. Striking them, one has to take birth, O king, as tortoise. Living
as a tortoise for ten years, he has next to take birth as a porcupine.
After that he has to take birth as a snake, and living for six months in
that form he regains the status of humanity. That man who, while
subsisting upon the food that his royal master supplies, commits acts
that are injurious to the interests of his master,--that man, thus
stupefied by folly, has after death to take birth as an ape. For ten
years he has to live as an ape, and after that for five years as a mouse.
After that he has to become a dog, and living in that form for a period
of six months he succeeds in regaining his status of humanity. That man
who misappropriates what is deposited with him in trustfulness has to
undergo a hundred transformations. He at last takes birth as a vile worm.
In that order he has to live for a period of ten and five years, O
Bharata. Upon the exhaustion of his great demerit in this way, he
succeeds in regaining his status of humanity. That man who harbours
malice towards others has, after death, to take birth as a Sarngaka. That
man of wicked understanding who becomes guilty of breach of trust has to
take birth as a fish. Living as a fish for eight years, he takes birth, O
Bharata, as a deer. Living as a deer for four months, he has next to take
birth as a goat. After the expiration of a full year he casts off his
goatish body, he takes birth then as a worm. After that he succeeds in
regaining his status of humanity. That shameless insensate man who,
through stupefaction, steals paddy, barley, sesame, Masha, Kulattha,
oil-seeds, oats, Kalaya, Mudga, wheat, Atasi, and other kinds of corn,
has to take birth as a mouse[511]. After leading the life for some time
he has to take birth as a hog. As soon as he takes birth as a hog he has
to die of disease. In consequence of his sin, that foolish man has next
to take birth as a dog, O king. Living as a dog for five years, he then
regains his status of humanity. Having committed an act of adultery with
the spouse of another man, one has to take birth as a wolf. After that he
has to assume the forms of a dog and jackal and vulture. He has next to
take birth as a snake and then as a Kanka and then as a crane.[512] That
man of sinful soul who, stupefied by folly, commits an act of sexual
congress with the spouse of a brother, has to take birth as a male Kokila
and to live in that form for a whole year, O king. He who, through lust,
commits an act of sexual congress with the wife of a friend, or the wife
of preceptor, or the wife of his king, has, after death, to take the form
of a hog. He has to live in his porcine form for five years and then to
assume that of a wolf for ten years. For the next five years he has to
assume that of a wolf for ten years. For the next five years he has to
live as a cat and then for the next ten years as a cock. He has next to
live for three months as an ant, and then as a worm for a month. Having
undergone these transformations he has next to live as a vile worm for
four and ten years. When his sin becomes exhausted by such chastisement,
he at last regains the status of humanity. When a wedding is about to
take place, or a sacrifice, or an act of gifts is about to be made, O
thou of great puissance, the man who offers any obstruction, has to take
birth in his next life as a vile worm. Assuming such a form he has to
live, O Bharata, for five and ten years. When his demerit is exhausted by
such suffering, he regains the status of humanity. Having once bestowed
his daughter in marriage upon a person, he who seeks to bestow her again
upon a second husband, has, O king, to take birth among vile worms.
Assuming such a form, O Yudhisthira, he has to live for a period of three
and ten years. Upon the exhaustion of his demerit by such sufferance, he
regains the status of humanity. He who eats without having performed the
rites in honour of the deities or those in honour of the Pitris or
without having offered (even) oblations of water to both the Rishis and
the Pitris, has to take birth as a crow. Living as a crow for a hundred
years he next assumes the form of a cock. His next transformation is that
of a snake for a month. After this, he regains the status of humanity. He
who disregards his eldest brother who is even like a sire, has, after
death, to take birth in the order of cranes. Having assumed that form he
has to live in it for two years. Casting off that form at the conclusion
of that period, he regains the status of humanity. That Sudra who has
sexual intercourse with a Brahmana woman, has, after death, to take birth
as a hog. As soon as he takes birth in the porcine order he dies of
disease, O king. The wretch has next to take birth as a dog, O king, in
consequence of his dire act of sin. Casting off his canine form he
regains upon the exhaustion of his demerit, the status of humanity. The
Sudra who begets offspring upon a Brahmana woman, leaving off his human
form, becomes reborn as a mouse. The man who becomes guilty of
ingratitude O king, has to go to the regions of Yama and there to undergo
very painful and severe treatment at the hands of the messengers,
provoked to fury, of the grim king of the dead. Clubs with heavy hammers
and mallets, sharp-pointed lances, heated jars, all fraught with severe
pain, frightful forests of sword-blades, heated sands, thorny
Salmalis--these and many other instruments of the most painful torture
such a man has to endure in the regions of Yama, O Bharata! The
ungrateful person, O chief of Bharata's race, having endured such
terrible treatment in the regions of the grim king of the dead, has to
come back to this world and take birth among vile vermin.[513] He has to
live as a vile vermin for a period of five and ten years, O Bharata. He
has then to enter the womb and die prematurely before birth. After this,
that person has to enter the womb a hundred times in succession. Indeed,
having, undergone a hundred rebirths, he at last becomes born as a
creature in some intermediate order between man and inanimate nature.
Having endured misery for a great many years, he has to take birth as a
hairless tortoise. A person that steals curds has to take birth as a
crane. One becomes a monkey by stealing raw fish. That man of
intelligence who steals honey has to take birth as a gadfly. By stealing
fruits or roots or cakes one becomes an ant. By stealing Nishpava one
becomes a Halagolaka.[514] By stealing Payasa one becomes in one's next
birth a Tittiri bird. By stealing cakes one becomes a screech-owl. That
man of little intelligence who steals iron has to take birth as a cow.
That man of little understanding who steals white brass has to take birth
as a bird of the Harita species. By stealing a vessel of silver one
becomes a pigeon. By stealing a vessel of gold one has to take birth as a
vile vermin. By stealing a piece of silken cloth, one becomes a Krikara.
By stealing a piece of cloth made of red silk, one becomes a
Vartaka.[515] By stealing a piece of muslin one becomes a parrot. By
stealing a piece of cloth that is of fine texture, one becomes a duck
after casting off one's human body. By stealing a piece of cloth made of
cotton, one becomes a crane. By stealing a piece of cloth made of jute,
one becomes a sheep in one's next life. By stealing a piece of linen, one
has to take birth as a hare. By stealing different kinds of colouring
matter one has to take birth as a peacock. By stealing a piece of red
cloth one has to take birth as a bird of the Jivajivaka species. By
stealing unguents (such as sandal-paste) and perfumes in this world, the
man possessed of cupidity, O king, has to take birth as a mole. Assuming
the form of a mole one has to live in it for a period of five and ten
years. After the exhaustion of his demerit by such sufferings he regains
the status of humanity. By stealing milk, one becomes a crane. That man,
O king, who through stupefaction of the understanding, steals oil, has to
take birth, after casting off this body, as an animal that subsists upon
oil as his form.[516] That wretch who himself well armed, slays another
while that other is unarmed, from motives of obtaining his victim's
wealth or from feelings of hostility, has, after casting off his human
body, to take birth as an ass. Assuming that asinine form he has to live
for a period of two years and then he meets with death at the edge of a
weapon. Casting off in this way his asinine body he has to take birth in
his next life as a deer always filled with anxiety (at the thought of
foes that may kill him). Upon the expiration of a year from the time of
his birth as a deer, he has to yield up his life at the point of a
weapon. Thus casting off his form of a deer, he next takes birth as a
fish and dies in consequence of being dragged up in net, on the
expiration of the fourth month. He has next to take birth as a beast of
prey. For ten years he has to live in that form, and then he takes birth
as a pard in which form he has to live for a period of five years.
Impelled by the change that is brought about by time, he then casts off
that form, and his demerit having been exhausted he regains the status of
humanity. That man of little understanding who kills a woman has to go
to the regions of Yama and to endure diverse kinds of pain and misery. He
then has to pass through full one and twenty transformations. After that,
O monarch, he has to take birth as a vile vermin. Living as a vermin for
twenty years, he regains the status of humanity. By stealing food, one
has to take birth as a bee. Living for many months in the company of
other bees, his demerit becomes exhausted and he regains the status of
humanity. By stealing paddy, one becomes a cat. That man who steals food
mixed with sesame cakes has in his next birth to assume the form of a
mouse large or small according to the largeness or smallness of the
quantity stolen. He bites human beings every day and as the consequence
thereof becomes sinful and travels through a varied round of rebirths.
That man of foolish understanding who steals ghee has to take birth as a
gallinule. That wicked person who steals fish has to take birth as a
crow. By stealing salt one has to take birth as a mimicking bird. That
man who misappropriates what is deposited with him through confidence,
has to sustain a diminution in the period of his life, and after death
has to take birth among fishes. Having lived for some time as a fish he
dies and regains the human form. Regaining, however, the status of
humanity, he becomes short-lived. Indeed, having committed sins, O
Bharata, one has to take birth in an order intermediate between that of
humanity and vegetables. Those people are entirely unacquainted with
righteousness which has their own hearts for its authority. Those men
that commit diverse acts of sin and then seek to expiate them by
continuous vows and observances of piety, become endued with both
happiness and misery and live in great anxiety of heart.[517] Those men
that are of sinful conduct and that yield to the influence of cupidity
and stupefaction, without doubt, take birth as Mlechchhas that do not
deserve to be associated with. Those men on the other hand, who abstain
from sin all their lives, become free from disease of every kind, endued
with beauty of form and possessed of wealth. Women also, when they act in
the way indicated, attain to births of the same kind. Indeed, they have
to take births as the spouses of the animals I have indicated. I have
told thee all the faults that relate to the appropriation of what belongs
to others. I have discoursed to thee very briefly on the subject, O
sinless one. In connection with some other subject, O Bharata, thou shalt
again hear of those faults. I heard all this, O king, in days of old,
from Brahman himself, and I asked all about it in a becoming way, when he
discoursed on it in the midst of the celestial Rishis. I have told thee
truly and in detail all that thou hadst asked me. Having listened to all
this, O monarch, do thou always set thy heart on righteousness."'"