The Good and Evil Destinies of the Soul

Verse 1 (garuda.2.46.1)

तार्क्ष्य उवाच । सुकृतस्य प्रभावेण स्वर्गो नानाविधो नणाम् । भोगाः सौख्याति रूपञ्च बलं बुद्धैः पराक्रमः

tārkṣya uvāca sukṛtasya prabhāveṇa svargo nānāvidho naṇām bhogāḥ saukhyāti rūpañca balaṁ buddhaiḥ parākramaḥ

Tarkshya said: "By the power of good deeds, men attain heaven of many kinds — enjoyments, happiness, beauty, strength, wisdom, and valor."

Verse 2 (garuda.2.46.2)

सत्यं पुण्यवतां देव जायतेऽत्र परत्र च । सत्यंसत्यं पुनः सत्यं वेदवाक्यं न चान्यथा

satyaṁ puṇyavatāṁ deva jāyate'tra paratra ca satyaṁsatyaṁ punaḥ satyaṁ vedavākyaṁ na cānyathā

"O God, the truth of the meritorious bears fruit here and in the world beyond alike. True, true, and true again — this is the word of the Veda, not otherwise."

Verse 3 (garuda.2.46.3)

धर्मो जयति नाधर्मः सत्यं जयाते नानृतम् । क्षमा जयति न क्रोधो विष्णुर्जयति नासुरः

dharmo jayati nādharmaḥ satyaṁ jayāte nānṛtam kṣamā jayati na krodho viṣṇurjayati nāsuraḥ

"Dharma prevails, not adharma; truth prevails, not falsehood; forgiveness prevails, not anger; Vishnu prevails, not the demon."

Verse 4 (garuda.2.46.4)

तद्वत्सत्यं मया ज्ञातं सुकृताच्छोभनं भवेत् । यतोत्कृष्टतमं पुण्यं तथोत्कृष्टतरोनरः

tadvatsatyaṁ mayā jñātaṁ sukṛtācchobhanaṁ bhavet yatotkṛṣṭatamaṁ puṇyaṁ tathotkṛṣṭataronaraḥ

"So too I have come to know this truth: that beauty comes from good deeds; the more excellent the merit, the more excellent the man who results."

Verse 5 (garuda.2.46.5)

एवन्तु श्रोतुमिच्छामि जायन्ते पापिनो यथा । येन कर्मविपाकेन यथा नियमभाग्भवेत्

evantu śrotumicchāmi jāyante pāpino yathā yena karmavipākena yathā niyamabhāgbhavet

"Now I wish to hear how sinners come to be — by what ripening of deeds, and how one comes to share in a fixed fate."

Verse 6 (garuda.2.46.6)

यांयां योनिमवाप्नोति यथारूपश्च जायते । तन्मे वद सुरश्रेष्ठ समासेनापि काङ्क्षितम्

yāṁyāṁ yonimavāpnoti yathārūpaśca jāyate tanme vada suraśreṣṭha samāsenāpi kāṅkṣitam

"What forms of life he attains, and in what shape he is born — O best of gods, tell me this, even in brief, as I long to hear it."

Verse 7 (garuda.2.46.7)

श्रीकृष्ण उवाच । शुभाशुभफलैस्तार्क्ष्य भुक्तभोगा नरास्त्विह । जायन्ते लक्षणैर्यैस्तुतानि मे शृणु काश्यप

śrīkṛṣṇa uvāca śubhāśubhaphalaistārkṣya bhuktabhogā narāstviha jāyante lakṣaṇairyaistutāni me śṛṇu kāśyapa

Shri Krishna said: "O Tarkshya, men here are born experiencing the enjoyments due to their good and evil fruits; O Kashyapa, hear from me the marks by which these are known."

Verse 8 (garuda.2.46.8)

गुरुरात्मवतां शास्ता राजा शास्ता दुरात्मनाम् । इह प्रच्छन्नपापानां शास्ता वैवस्वतो यमः

gururātmavatāṁ śāstā rājā śāstā durātmanām iha pracchannapāpānāṁ śāstā vaivasvato yamaḥ

"The teacher is the corrector of the virtuous, the king is the corrector of the wicked; and here, of those whose sins remain hidden, Vaivasvata Yama is the corrector."

Verse 9 (garuda.2.46.9)

प्रायश्चित्तेष्वचीर्णेषु यमलोका ह्यनेकधा । यातनाभिर्विमुक्ता ये यान्ति ते जीवसन्ततीम्

prāyaścitteṣvacīrṇeṣu yamalokā hyanekadhā yātanābhirvimuktā ye yānti te jīvasantatīm

"For those who have not performed expiation, there are the many realms of Yama; once released from their torments, they attain the succession of further lives."

Verse 10 (garuda.2.46.10)

गत्वा मानुषभावे तु पापचिह्ना भवन्ति ते । तान्यहं तव चिह्नानि कथयिष्ये खगोत्तम

gatvā mānuṣabhāve tu pāpacihnā bhavanti te tānyahaṁ tava cihnāni kathayiṣye khagottama

"Attaining human form, they bear the marks of their sin; O best of birds, I shall tell you those marks."

Verse 11 (garuda.2.46.11)

सोढ्वा वै यातनाः सर्वा गत्वा वैवस्वतक्षयम् । निस्तीर्णयातनास्ते तु लोकमायान्ति चिह्निताः

soḍhvā vai yātanāḥ sarvā gatvā vaivasvatakṣayam nistīrṇayātanāste tu lokamāyānti cihnitāḥ

"Having endured every torment, having gone to Vaivasvata's place of destruction, having passed through the torments, they come into the world bearing marks."

Verse 12 (garuda.2.46.12)

गद्गदोऽनतवादी स्यान्मूकश्चैव गवानृते । ब्रह्महा जायते कुष्ठी श्यावदन्तश्च मद्यपः

gadgado'natavādī syānmūkaścaiva gavānṛte brahmahā jāyate kuṣṭhī śyāvadantaśca madyapaḥ

"A liar becomes one who stammers; one who swears falsely by a cow becomes mute; a slayer of a brahmin is born a leper, and a drinker of liquor is born with blackened teeth."

Verse 13 (garuda.2.46.13)

कुनखी स्वर्णहरणाद्दुश्चर्मा गुरुतल्पगः । संयोगी हीनयोनिः स्याद्दरिद्रोऽदत्तदानतः

kunakhī svarṇaharaṇādduścarmā gurutalpagaḥ saṁyogī hīnayoniḥ syāddaridro'dattadānataḥ

"A thief of gold is born with deformed nails; one who violates his guru's bed is born with diseased skin; one born of an illicit union is born of low estate; and one who promises a gift but fails to give it is born poor."

Verse 14 (garuda.2.46.14)

अयाज्ययाजको याति ग्राहमसूकरतां द्विजः । खरो वै बहुयाजी स्यात्काको निर्मन्त्रभोजनात्

ayājyayājako yāti grāhamasūkaratāṁ dvijaḥ kharo vai bahuyājī syātkāko nirmantrabhojanāt

"One who officiates a sacrifice for an unworthy person becomes a crocodile or a pig; a twice-born who officiates for too many becomes a donkey; one who eats food without proper mantras becomes a crow."

Verse 15 (garuda.2.46.15)

अपरीक्षितभोक्तारो व्याघ्राः स्युर्निर्जने वने । बहुतर्जको मार्जरः खद्योतः कक्षदाहकः

aparīkṣitabhoktāro vyāghrāḥ syurnirjane vane bahutarjako mārjaraḥ khadyotaḥ kakṣadāhakaḥ

"Those who feed guests without discernment become tigers in a lonely forest; one who scolds excessively becomes a cat; one who burns another's dwelling becomes a firefly."

Verse 16 (garuda.2.46.16)

पात्रे विद्याप्रदाता यो बलीवर्दो भवेत्तसः । अन्नं पर्युषितं विप्रे प्रददत्कुक्करो भवेत्

pātre vidyāpradātā yo balīvardo bhavettasaḥ annaṁ paryuṣitaṁ vipre pradadatkukkaro bhavet

"One who withholds learning from a worthy recipient becomes an ox; one who gives stale food to a brahmin becomes a dog."

Verse 17 (garuda.2.46.17)

मात्सर्यादपि जात्यन्धो जन्मान्धः पुस्तकं हरन् । फलान्याहरतोऽपत्यं म्रियते नात्र संशयः

mātsaryādapi jātyandho janmāndhaḥ pustakaṁ haran phalānyāharato'patyaṁ mriyate nātra saṁśayaḥ

"Out of envy, one is born blind; one who steals a book is likewise born blind; the offspring of one who steals fruit dies — there is no doubt of this."

Verse 18 (garuda.2.46.18)

मृतो वानरतां याति तन्मुखो गण्डवान् भवेत् । अदत्त्वा भक्ष्यमश्राति अनपत्यो भवेत्तु सः

mṛto vānaratāṁ yāti tanmukho gaṇḍavān bhavet adattvā bhakṣyamaśrāti anapatyo bhavettu saḥ

"When he dies he becomes a monkey with a swollen face; one who eats food without giving any away becomes childless."

Verse 19 (garuda.2.46.19)

हरन्वस्त्रं भवेद्गोधा गरदः पवनाशनः । प्रवज्यागमनाद्राजन् भवेन्मरुपिशाचकः

haranvastraṁ bhavedgodhā garadaḥ pavanāśanaḥ pravajyāgamanādrājan bhavenmarupiśācakaḥ

"One who steals clothing becomes an iguana; one who administers poison becomes a being that lives on air alone; O king, one who abandons renunciation and returns to the world becomes a spirit of the desert."

Verse 20 (garuda.2.46.20)

चातको जलहर्ता स्याद्धान्यहर्ता च मूषिकः । अप्राप्तयौवनां सेवन् भवेत्सर्प इति श्रुतिः

cātako jalahartā syāddhānyahartā ca mūṣikaḥ aprāptayauvanāṁ sevan bhavetsarpa iti śrutiḥ

"One who steals water becomes a chataka bird; one who steals grain becomes a mouse; one who takes an underage girl becomes, it is heard, a serpent."

Verse 21 (garuda.2.46.21)

गुरुदाराभिलाषी च कृकलासो भवेद्ध्रुवम् । जलप्रस्त्रवणं यस्तु भिन्द्यान्मत्स्यो भवेन्नरः

gurudārābhilāṣī ca kṛkalāso bhaveddhruvam jalaprastravaṇaṁ yastu bhindyānmatsyo bhavennaraḥ

"One who lusts after his guru's wife certainly becomes a chameleon; whoever obstructs a source of water becomes, as a human, a fish."

Verse 22 (garuda.2.46.22)

अविक्रेयक्रयाच्चैव बको गृध्रो भवेन्नरः । अयोनिगो वृको हि स्यादुलूकः क्रयवञ्चनात्

avikreyakrayāccaiva bako gṛdhro bhavennaraḥ ayonigo vṛko hi syādulūkaḥ krayavañcanāt

"Through unfair dealing, a man becomes a crane or a vulture; one born of an unlawful union becomes a wolf, and one who cheats in trade becomes an owl."

Verse 23 (garuda.2.46.23)

मृतस्यैकादशाहे तु भुञ्जानश्चाभिजायते । प्रतिश्रुत्य द्विजेभ्योर्ऽथमददज्जम्बुको भवेत्

mṛtasyaikādaśāhe tu bhuñjānaścābhijāyate pratiśrutya dvijebhyor'thamadadajjambuko bhavet

"Whoever wrongly eats the food offered on the eleventh day for the dead is reborn as such an eater again; one who promises wealth to brahmins and fails to give it becomes a jackal."

Verse 24 (garuda.2.46.24)

राज्ञरिं गत्वा भवेद्दंष्ट्री तस्करो विङ्वराहकः । शारिवा फलविक्रेता वृषश्च वृषलीपतिः

rājñariṁ gatvā bhaveddaṁṣṭrī taskaro viṅvarāhakaḥ śārivā phalavikretā vṛṣaśca vṛṣalīpatiḥ

"One who betrays a king becomes a fanged beast; a thief becomes a dung-eating pig; a seller of fruit becomes a shariva bird, and the husband of a low-born woman becomes a bull."

Verse 25 (garuda.2.46.25)

मार्जरोऽग्निं पदा स्पृष्ट्वा रोगवान्परमांसभुक् । उदक्यागमनात्षण्डो दुर्गन्धश्च सुगन्धहृत्

mārjaro'gniṁ padā spṛṣṭvā rogavānparamāṁsabhuk udakyāgamanātṣaṇḍo durgandhaśca sugandhahṛt

"One who touches fire with the foot becomes a diseased cat that eats the flesh of others; one who approaches a menstruating woman becomes impotent; one who steals fragrance becomes foul-smelling."

Verse 26 (garuda.2.46.26)

यद्वा तद्वापि पारक्यं स्वल्पं वा हरते बहु । हृत्वा वै योनिमाप्नोति तिरश्चां नात्र संशयः

yadvā tadvāpi pārakyaṁ svalpaṁ vā harate bahu hṛtvā vai yonimāpnoti tiraścāṁ nātra saṁśayaḥ

"Whoever steals another's property, whether little or much, obtains, through that theft, the womb of a beast — there is no doubt of this."

Verse 27 (garuda.2.46.27)

एवमादीनि चिह्नानि अन्यान्यपि खगेश्वर । स्वकर्मविततान्येव? दृश्यन्ते यैस्तु मानवैः

evamādīni cihnāni anyānyapi khageśvara svakarmavitatānyeva? dṛśyante yaistu mānavaiḥ

"O lord of birds, marks such as these, and many others besides, spread out by one's own deeds, are to be seen in men."

Verse 28 (garuda.2.46.28)

एवं दुष्कृतकर्मा हि भुक्त्वा च नरकान्क्रमात् । जायते कर्मशेषेण उक्तास्वेतासु योनिषु

evaṁ duṣkṛtakarmā hi bhuktvā ca narakānkramāt jāyate karmaśeṣeṇa uktāsvetāsu yoniṣu

"Thus a man of evil deeds, having experienced the hells in due order, is born, by the remainder of his karma, into these very forms of life just described."

Verse 29 (garuda.2.46.29)

ततो जन्मशतं मर्त्ये सर्वजन्तुषु काश्यप । जायते नात्र सन्देहः समीभूते शुभाशुभे

tato janmaśataṁ martye sarvajantuṣu kāśyapa jāyate nātra sandehaḥ samībhūte śubhāśubhe

"Thereafter, O Kashyapa, once the good and evil become balanced, he is born, without doubt, across a hundred births among all creatures in the world of mortals."

Verse 30 (garuda.2.46.30)

स्त्रीपुंसयो प्रसङ्गेन निरुद्धे शुक्रसोणिते । समुपेतः पञ्चभूतैर्जायते पाञ्चभौतिकः

strīpuṁsayo prasaṅgena niruddhe śukrasoṇite samupetaḥ pañcabhūtairjāyate pāñcabhautikaḥ

"Through the union of man and woman, once semen and blood are held fast, he is joined with the five elements and takes on a body made of the five elements."

Verse 31 (garuda.2.46.31)

इन्द्रियाणि मनः प्राणा ज्ञानमायुः सुखं धृतिः । धारणा प्रेरणं दुः खं मिथ्याहङ्कार एव च

indriyāṇi manaḥ prāṇā jñānamāyuḥ sukhaṁ dhṛtiḥ dhāraṇā preraṇaṁ duḥ khaṁ mithyāhaṅkāra eva ca

"The senses, the mind, the vital breaths, knowledge, lifespan, happiness, resolve, retention, impulse, suffering, and false ego —"

Verse 32 (garuda.2.46.32)

प्रयताकृतिवर्णस्तु रागद्वेषौ भवाभवौ । तस्येदमात्मनः सर्वमनादेरादिमिच्छतः

prayatākṛtivarṇastu rāgadveṣau bhavābhavau tasyedamātmanaḥ sarvamanāderādimicchataḥ

"effort, shape and complexion, attachment and aversion, existence and non-existence — all of this belongs to that self, which, though without true beginning, seeks a beginning."

Verse 33 (garuda.2.46.33)

स्वकर्म बद्धस्य तदा गर्भवृद्धिर्भवेदिति । पुरा यथा मया प्रोक्तं तव जन्तोर्हि लक्षणम्

svakarma baddhasya tadā garbhavṛddhirbhavediti purā yathā mayā proktaṁ tava jantorhi lakṣaṇam

"Bound then by his own deeds, the growth of his embryo occurs — as I told you before, regarding the nature of that being."

Verse 34 (garuda.2.46.34)

एवं प्रवर्तितं चक्रं भूतग्रामे चतुर्विधे । समुत्पत्तिर्विनाशश्च जायते तार्क्ष्य देहिनाम्

evaṁ pravartitaṁ cakraṁ bhūtagrāme caturvidhe samutpattirvināśaśca jāyate tārkṣya dehinām

"Thus, O Tarkshya, this wheel turns among the fourfold host of beings — the origination and destruction of embodied creatures go on continually."

Verse 35 (garuda.2.46.35)

स्वधर्मेणैवोर्ध्वगतिरधर्मेणाप्यधोगतिः । जायते सर्ववर्णानां स्वधर्मचलनात्खग

svadharmeṇaivordhvagatiradharmeṇāpyadhogatiḥ jāyate sarvavarṇānāṁ svadharmacalanātkhaga

"Through one's own dharma comes ascent, and through adharma comes descent; O bird, this befalls every varna upon straying from its own dharma."

Verse 36 (garuda.2.46.36)

देवत्वे मानुषत्वे च दानभोगादिकाः क्रियाः । या दृश्यन्ते वैनतेय तत्सर्वं कर्मजं फलम्

devatve mānuṣatve ca dānabhogādikāḥ kriyāḥ yā dṛśyante vainateya tatsarvaṁ karmajaṁ phalam

"O son of Vinata, whatever acts of giving, enjoyment, and the like are seen in the state of gods or of men, all of it is fruit born of deeds alone."

Verse 37 (garuda.2.46.37)

अकर्मविहिते घोरे कामक्रोधार्जितेऽशुभे । पतेद्वै नरके भूयो तस्योत्तारो न विद्यते

akarmavihite ghore kāmakrodhārjite'śubhe patedvai narake bhūyo tasyottāro na vidyate

"Whoever is given to terrible, forbidden, inauspicious acts born of desire and anger falls again and again into hell; for him there is no deliverance."