The Assembly of Chitragupta and the Judgment of Dharmaraja

Verse 1 (garuda.2.19.1)

श्रीभगवानुवाच । वायुभूतः क्षधाविष्टः कर्मजं देहमाश्रितः । ते देहं स समासाद्य यमेन सह गच्छति

śrībhagavānuvāca | vāyubhūtaḥ kṣadhāviṣṭaḥ karmajaṁ dehamāśritaḥ | te dehaṁ sa samāsādya yamena saha gacchati

The Blessed Lord said: Become as wind, overcome by hunger, taking refuge in the body born of his own deeds, that being, having attained that body, proceeds together with Yama.

Verse 2 (garuda.2.19.2)

चित्रगुप्तपुरं तत्र योजनानां तु विंशतिः । कायस्थास्तत्र पश्यन्ति पापपुण्यानि सर्वशः

citraguptapuraṁ tatra yojanānāṁ tu viṁśatiḥ | kāyasthāstatra paśyanti pāpapuṇyāni sarvaśaḥ

There the city of Chitragupta measures twenty yojanas; there the scribes examine every sin and merit in full detail.

Verse 3 (garuda.2.19.3)

महादानेषुदत्तेषु गतस्तत्र सुखी भवेत् । योजनानां चतुर्विंशत्पुरं वैवस्वतं शुभम्

mahādāneṣudatteṣu gatastatra sukhī bhavet | yojanānāṁ caturviṁśatpuraṁ vaivasvataṁ śubham

If great gifts have been given, the being, upon arriving there, becomes content. Twenty-four yojanas in extent is the auspicious city of Vaivasvata,

Verse 4 (garuda.2.19.4)

लोहं लवणकार्पासं तिलपात्रं च यैर्नरैः । दत्तं तेनैव तृप्यन्ति यमस्य पुरचारिणः

lohaṁ lavaṇakārpāsaṁ tilapātraṁ ca yairnaraiḥ | dattaṁ tenaiva tṛpyanti yamasya puracāriṇaḥ

where, by whatever iron, salt, cotton, or vessel of sesame men have given, those very dwellers in Yama's city are satisfied.

Verse 5 (garuda.2.19.5)

गत्वा च तत्र ते सर्वे प्रतीहारं वदन्ति हि । धर्मध्वजप्रतीहारस्तत्र तिष्ठति सर्वदा

gatvā ca tatra te sarve pratīhāraṁ vadanti hi | dharmadhvajapratīhārastatra tiṣṭhati sarvadā

Arriving there, all of them speak with the gatekeeper; there the gatekeeper named Dharmadhvaja stands ever present.

Verse 6 (garuda.2.19.6)

सप्तधान्यस्य दानेन प्रीतो धर्मध्वजो भवेत् । तत्र गत्वा प्रतीहारो ब्रूते तस्य शुभाशुभम्

saptadhānyasya dānena prīto dharmadhvajo bhavet | tatra gatvā pratīhāro brūte tasya śubhāśubham

By the gift of the seven grains, Dharmadhvaja is pleased. Arriving there, the gatekeeper reports his good and evil deeds.

Verse 7 (garuda.2.19.7)

धर्मराजस्य यद्रूपं सन्तः सुकृतिनो जनाः । पश्यन्ति च दुरात्मानो यमरूपं सुभीषणम्

dharmarājasya yadrūpaṁ santaḥ sukṛtino janāḥ | paśyanti ca durātmāno yamarūpaṁ subhīṣaṇam

The form that is Dharmaraja's own — the virtuous, those of meritorious deeds, behold it one way, while the wicked-souled behold Yama's most terrifying form another way.

Verse 8 (garuda.2.19.8)

तं दृष्ट्वा भयभीतस्तु हाहेति वदते जनः । कृतं दानं च यैर्मर्त्यैस्तेषां नास्ति भयं क्वचित्

taṁ dṛṣṭvā bhayabhītastu hāheti vadate janaḥ | kṛtaṁ dānaṁ ca yairmartyaisteṣāṁ nāsti bhayaṁ kvacit

Seeing him, terrified, a man cries 'alas, alas'; but those mortals who have given gifts have no fear anywhere.

Verse 9 (garuda.2.19.9)

प्राप्तं सुकृतिनं दृष्ट्वा स्थानाच्च लति सूर्यजः । एष मे मण्डलं भित्त्वा ब्रह्मलोकं प्रयास्यति

prāptaṁ sukṛtinaṁ dṛṣṭvā sthānācca lati sūryajaḥ | eṣa me maṇḍalaṁ bhittvā brahmalokaṁ prayāsyati

Seeing that a man of meritorious deeds has arrived, the son of the Sun [Yama] rises from his very seat — 'This one shall break through my domain and go on to the world of Brahma.'

Verse 10 (garuda.2.19.10)

दानेन सुलभो धर्मो यममार्गः सुखावहः । एष मार्गो विशालोऽत्र न केनाप्य नुगम्यते । दानपुण्यं विना वत्स न गच्छेद्धर्ममन्दिरम्

dānena sulabho dharmo yamamārgaḥ sukhāvahaḥ | eṣa mārgo viśālo'tra na kenāpya nugamyate | dānapuṇyaṁ vinā vatsa na gaccheddharmamandiram

Through giving, dharma is easily attained, and the path of Yama becomes a source of comfort. This vast path here is not easily traversed by anyone; dear one, without the merit of giving, none can reach the abode of dharma.

Verse 11 (garuda.2.19.11)

तस्मिन्मार्गे तु रौद्रे वै भीषणा यमकिङ्कराः । एकैकस्य पुरस्याग्रे तिष्ठत्येकसहस्रकम्

tasminmārge tu raudre vai bhīṣaṇā yamakiṁkarāḥ | ekaikasya purasyāgre tiṣṭhatyekasahasrakam

Even upon that terrible road, before each and every city, a full thousand terrifying servants of Yama stand guard.

Verse 12 (garuda.2.19.12)

पचन्ति पापिनं प्राप्य उदके यातनाकराः । गृह्णन्ति मासमासान्ते पादशेषं तु तद्भवेत्

pacanti pāpinaṁ prāpya udake yātanākarāḥ | gṛhṇanti māsamāsānte pādaśeṣaṁ tu tadbhavet

Those bringers of torment, seizing the sinner, boil him in water. At the end of the month, whatever quarter-portion remains, they take for themselves.

Verse 13 (garuda.2.19.13)

और्ध्वदैहिकदानानि यैर्न दत्तानि काश्यप । महाकष्टेन ते यान्ति तस्माद्देयानि शक्तितः । अदत्त्वा पशुवद्यान्ति गृहीतो वन्धबन्धनैः

aurdhvadaihikadānāni yairna dattāni kāśyapa | mahākaṣṭena te yānti tasmāddeyāni śaktitaḥ | adattvā paśuvadyānti gṛhīto vandhabandhanaiḥ

O Kashyapa, those for whom the funerary gifts have not been given proceed only through the greatest hardship; therefore these must certainly be given according to one's means. Without them being given, they go, like mere beasts, bound in fetters.

Verse 14 (garuda.2.19.14)

एवं कृतेन सम्पश्येत्स नरः भूतकर्मणा । दैविकीं पैतृकीं योनिं मानुषीं वाथ नारकीम्

evaṁ kṛtena sampaśyetsa naraḥ bhūtakarmaṇā | daivikīṁ paitṛkīṁ yoniṁ mānuṣīṁ vātha nārakīm

Thus, according to the deeds he himself has done, that being beholds the divine womb, the ancestral womb, the human womb, or the hellish womb,

Verse 15 (garuda.2.19.15)

धर्मराजस्य वचनान्मुक्तिर्भवति वा ततः । मानुष्यं तत्त्वतः प्राप्य स पुत्त्रः पुत्त्रतां व्रजेत्

dharmarājasya vacanānmuktirbhavati vā tataḥ | mānuṣyaṁ tattvataḥ prāpya sa puttraḥ puttratāṁ vrajet

or, by the word of Dharmaraja, he may attain liberation instead. If human birth is truly obtained, the son attains the state of son once more,

Verse 16 (garuda.2.19.16)

यथायथा कृतं कर्म तान्तां योनिं व्रजेन्नरः । तत्तथैव च भुञ्जानो विचरेत्सर्वलोकगः

yathāyathā kṛtaṁ karma tāntāṁ yoniṁ vrajennaraḥ | tattathaiva ca bhuñjāno vicaretsarvalokagaḥ

and, according to the deeds one performs, one attains the corresponding womb; and, experiencing accordingly, one wanders through all the worlds.

Verse 17 (garuda.2.19.17)

अशाश्वतं परिज्ञाय सर्वलोकोत्तरं सुखम् । यदा भवति मानुष्यं तदा धर्मं समाचरेत्

aśāśvataṁ parijñāya sarvalokottaraṁ sukham | yadā bhavati mānuṣyaṁ tadā dharmaṁ samācaret

Knowing even the happiness found in every world to be impermanent, one should practice dharma precisely when human birth is obtained.

Verse 18 (garuda.2.19.18)

कृमयो भस्म विष्ठा वा देहानां प्रकृतिः सदा । अन्धकूपे महारौद्रे दीपहस्तः पातेत्तु वै

kṛmayo bhasma viṣṭhā vā dehānāṁ prakṛtiḥ sadā | andhakūpe mahāraudre dīpahastaḥ pātettu vai

Worms, ash, or excrement — this alone is ever the true nature of bodies. Even holding a lamp in hand, the ignorant fall into that most terrible blind well.

Verse 19 (garuda.2.19.19)

महापुण्यप्रभावेण मानुष्यं जन्म लभ्यते । यस्तत्प्राप्य चरेद्धर्मं स गच्छेत्परमां गतिम्

mahāpuṇyaprabhāveṇa mānuṣyaṁ janma labhyate | yastatprāpya careddharmaṁ sa gacchetparamāṁ gatim

Only through the power of great merit is human birth obtained. Whoever, having obtained it, practices dharma, attains the highest state.

Verse 20 (garuda.2.19.20)

अपि जानन्वृथा धर्मं दुः खमायाति याति च

api jānanvṛthā dharmaṁ duḥ khamāyāti yāti ca

He who, even knowing dharma, does not practice it, comes and goes in vain, only into sorrow.

Verse 21 (garuda.2.19.21)

जातीशतेन लभते किल मानुषत्वं तत्रापि दुर्लभतरं खग भो द्विजत्वम् । यस्तत्र पालयति लालयति व्रतानि तस्यामृतं भवति हस्तगतं प्रसादात्

jātīśatena labhate kila mānuṣatvaṁ tatrāpi durlabhataraṁ khaga bho dvijatvam | yastatra pālayati lālayati vratāni tasyāmṛtaṁ bhavati hastagataṁ prasādāt

Only after a hundred births is humanhood obtained, and, O bird, even more rare within it is the state of the twice-born. He who, having attained it, upholds and nurtures his vows — for him, by grace, immortality itself comes within reach.