The Reciter and the Hells

Verse 1 (12.196.1)

कीदृशं निरयं याति जापको वर्णयस्व मे । कौतूहलं हि राजन्मे तद्भवान्वक्तुमर्हति ॥

kīdṛśaṃ nirayaṃ yāti jāpako varṇayasva me | kautūhalaṃ hi rājanme tadbhavānvaktumarhati

Tell me, what kind of hell does the reciter go to? I am curious about it, O king, and you are the one fit to tell it.

Note on the text: Both lines differ from CE 12.191.1 (kīdṛśo jāpako yāti nirayaṃ …; kautūhalaṃ hi me jātaṃ …): Wikisource has कीदृशं निरयं याति जापकः and कौतूहलं हि राजन्मे; kept as recension variants.

Verse 2 (12.196.2)

धर्मस्यांशप्रसूतोऽसि धर्मज्ञोऽसि स्वभावतः । धर्ममूलाश्रयं वाक्यं शृणुष्वावहितोऽनघ ॥

dharmasyāṃśaprasūto'si dharmajño'si svabhāvataḥ | dharmamūlāśrayaṃ vākyaṃ śṛṇuṣvāvahito'nagha

You are born of a portion of Dharma, and by your nature you know dharma. Listen with full attention, sinless one, to words that rest on the root of dharma.

Verse 3 (12.196.3)

अमूनि यानि स्थानानि देवानाममरात्मनाम् । नानासंस्थानवर्णानि नानारूपफलानि च ॥

amūni yāni sthānāni devānāmamarātmanām | nānāsaṃsthānavarṇāni nānārūpaphalāni ca

Those abodes of the gods, whose selves are immortal, of many forms and colours, with many shapes and many fruits,

Verse 4 (12.196.4)

दिव्यानि कामचारीणि विमानानि सभास्तथा । आक्रीडा विविधा राजन्पद्मिन्यश्चामलोदकाः ॥

divyāni kāmacārīṇi vimānāni sabhāstathā | ākrīḍā vividhā rājanpadminyaścāmalodakāḥ

the divine palaces that move wherever one wishes, and the assembly halls, the many pleasure-gardens, O king, and the lotus-ponds with clear water,

Verse 5 (12.196.5)

चतुर्णां लोकपालानां शुक्रस्याथ बृहस्पतेः । मरुतां विश्वदेवानां साध्यानामश्विनोरपि ॥

caturṇāṃ lokapālānāṃ śukrasyātha bṛhaspateḥ | marutāṃ viśvadevānāṃ sādhyānāmaśvinorapi

those of the four Guardians of the World, of Shukra and Brihaspati, of the Maruts, the Vishvedevas, the Sadhyas and the two Ashvins,

Verse 6 (12.196.6)

रुद्रादित्यवसूनां च तथाऽन्येषां दिवौकसाम् । एते वै निरयास्तात स्थानस्य परमात्मनः ॥

rudrādityavasūnāṃ ca tathā'nyeṣāṃ divaukasām | ete vai nirayāstāta sthānasya paramātmanaḥ

of the Rudras, Adityas and Vasus, and of the other dwellers in heaven: these, dear son, are the hells, when set beside the abode of the Supreme Self.

Verse 7 (12.196.7)

अभयं चानिमित्तं च न च क्लेशभयावृतम् । द्वाभ्यां मुक्तं त्रिभिर्मुक्तमष्टाभिस्त्रिभिरेव च ॥

abhayaṃ cānimittaṃ ca na ca kleśabhayāvṛtam | dvābhyāṃ muktaṃ tribhirmuktamaṣṭābhistribhireva ca

That abode is fearless and without cause, not wrapped in the fear of afflictions; it is free of two, free of three, and free of eight and of three as well.

Verse 8 (12.196.8)

चतुर्लक्षणवर्जं तु चतुष्कारणवर्जितम् । अप्रहर्षमनानन्दमशोकं विगतक्लमम् ॥

caturlakṣaṇavarjaṃ tu catuṣkāraṇavarjitam | apraharṣamanānandamaśokaṃ vigataklamam

It lacks the four marks and is without the four causes; it has no elation and no joy, no sorrow and no weariness.

Verse 9 (12.196.9)

कालः संपच्यते तत्र कालस्तत्र न वै प्रभुः । स कालस्य प्रभू राजन्सर्वस्यापि तथेश्वरः ॥

kālaḥ saṃpacyate tatra kālastatra na vai prabhuḥ | sa kālasya prabhū rājansarvasyāpi tatheśvaraḥ

Time ripens things there, yet Time is not its master. That abode is the master of Time, O king, and likewise the lord of everything.

Verse 10 (12.196.10)

एतद्वै ब्रह्मणः स्थाने जापकस्य महात्मनः । तत्रस्थं परमात्मानं ध्यायन्वै सुसमाहितः । हिरण्यगर्भः सायुज्यं प्राप्नुयाद्वा नृपोत्तम ॥

etadvai brahmaṇaḥ sthāne jāpakasya mahātmanaḥ | tatrasthaṃ paramātmānaṃ dhyāyanvai susamāhitaḥ | hiraṇyagarbhaḥ sāyujyaṃ prāpnuyādvā nṛpottama

This is the abode of Brahma, meant for the great-souled reciter. Settled there, meditating with a collected mind on the Supreme Self, he may attain union with Hiranyagarbha, O best of kings.

Note on the text: Removed the backtick and the stray quote and double daṇḍa Wikisource prints around this three-line passage (page label 12-196-10a–c). It is the CE star passage 12.191.9d*0517_01-03 (etad vai brahmaṇaḥ sthānaṃ jāpakasya mahātmanaḥ / tatrasthaṃ paramātmānaṃ dhyāyan vai susamāhitaḥ / hiraṇyagarbhasāyujyaṃ prāpnuyād vā nṛpottama), which is not in the CE's constituted text, so ce_ref is null; Wikisource's स्थाने and हिरण्यगर्भः सायुज्यम् differ from the CE words and are kept.

Verse 11 (12.196.11)

आत्मकेवलतां प्राप्तस्तत्र गत्वा न शोचति । ईदृशं परमं स्थानं निरयास्ते च तादृशाः ॥

ātmakevalatāṃ prāptastatra gatvā na śocati | īdṛśaṃ paramaṃ sthānaṃ nirayāste ca tādṛśāḥ

Having attained oneness with the Self alone, he goes there and grieves no more. Such is the supreme abode, and such are those so-called hells.

Verse 12 (12.196.12)

एते ते निरयाः प्रोक्ताः सर्व एव यथातथम् । तस्य स्थानवरस्येह सर्वे निरयसंज्ञिताः ॥

ete te nirayāḥ proktāḥ sarva eva yathātatham | tasya sthānavarasyeha sarve nirayasaṃjñitāḥ

Thus all those hells have been described to you exactly as they are; all of them are called hells only in relation to that most excellent abode.