The Death of Sinners, and the Terrible Messengers of Yama

Verse 1 (padma.2.15.1)

सोमशर्मोवाच- पापिनां मरणं भद्रे कीदृशैर्लक्षणैर्युतम् । तन्मे त्वं विस्तराद्ब्रूहि यदि जानासि भामिनि

somaśarmovāca- pāpināṁ maraṇaṁ bhadre kīdṛśairlakṣaṇairyutam tanme tvaṁ vistarādbrūhi yadi jānāsi bhāmini

Somasharma said: 'The death of sinners, O gracious one — with what marks is it joined? Tell me this in full, if you know it, O lady.'

Verse 2 (padma.2.15.2)

सुमनोवाच- श्रूयतामभिधास्यामि तस्मात्सिद्धाच्छ्रुतं मया । पापिनां मरणे कांत यादृशं लिंगमेव च

sumanovāca- śrūyatāmabhidhāsyāmi tasmātsiddhācchrutaṁ mayā pāpināṁ maraṇe kāṁta yādṛśaṁ liṁgameva ca

Sumana said: 'Listen, I shall tell what I have heard from that siddha — what indeed is the sign at the death of sinners, my dear.'

Verse 3 (padma.2.15.3)

महापातकिनां चैव स्थानं चेष्टां वदाम्यहम् । विण्मूत्रामेध्यसंयुक्तां भूमिं पापसमन्विताम्

mahāpātakināṁ caiva sthānaṁ ceṣṭāṁ vadāmyaham viṇmūtrāmedhyasaṁyuktāṁ bhūmiṁ pāpasamanvitām

'I shall speak of the place and the manner for great sinners too: ground joined with excrement, urine, and filth, a place bound up with sin—'

Verse 4 (padma.2.15.4)

सतां प्राप्य सुदुष्टात्मा प्राणान्दुःखेन मुंचति । चांडालभूमिं संप्राप्य मरणं याति दुःस्थितः

satāṁ prāpya suduṣṭātmā prāṇānduḥkhena muṁcati cāṁḍālabhūmiṁ saṁprāpya maraṇaṁ yāti duḥsthitaḥ

—'reaching such a place, that most wicked soul releases his life-breath in agony. Reaching the ground of a Chandala, he goes wretchedly to his death.'

Verse 5 (padma.2.15.5)

गर्दभाचरितां भूमिं वेश्यागेहं समाश्रितः । कल्पपालगृहं गत्वा निधनायोपगच्छति

gardabhācaritāṁ bhūmiṁ veśyāgehaṁ samāśritaḥ kalpapālagṛhaṁ gatvā nidhanāyopagacchati

'On ground trodden by donkeys, or taking refuge in the house of a courtesan, or having gone to the house of an executioner, he approaches his own destruction.'

Verse 6 (padma.2.15.6)

अस्थिचर्मनखैः पूर्णमाश्रितं पापकिल्बिषैः । तां प्राप्य च स दुष्टात्मा मृत्युं याति सुनिश्चितम्

asthicarmanakhaiḥ pūrṇamāśritaṁ pāpakilbiṣaiḥ tāṁ prāpya ca sa duṣṭātmā mṛtyuṁ yāti suniścitam

'Reaching a place filled with bones, hide, and nails, beset by sin and defilement, that wicked soul most certainly goes to his death there.'

Verse 7 (padma.2.15.7)

अन्यां पापसमाचारां प्राप्य मृत्युं स गच्छति । अथ चेष्टां प्रवक्ष्यामि दूतानां तु तमिच्छताम्

anyāṁ pāpasamācārāṁ prāpya mṛtyuṁ sa gacchati atha ceṣṭāṁ pravakṣyāmi dūtānāṁ tu tamicchatām

'Reaching yet another place of sinful conduct, he goes to his death. Now I shall speak of the manner of the messengers who come to fetch him.'

Verse 8 (padma.2.15.8)

भैरवान्दारुणान्घोरानतिकृष्णान्महोदरान् । पिंगाक्षान्पीतनीलांश्च अतिश्वेतान्महोदरान्

bhairavāndāruṇānghorānatikṛṣṇānmahodarān piṁgākṣānpītanīlāṁśca atiśvetānmahodarān

'Terrifying, dreadful, horrible, exceedingly black, with huge bellies; tawny-eyed, some yellow, some blue, and some exceedingly white, with huge bellies too—'

Verse 9 (padma.2.15.9)

अत्युच्चान्विकरालांश्च शुष्कमांसवसोपमान् । रौद्रदंष्ट्रान्करालांश्च सिंहास्यान्सर्पहस्तकान्

atyuccānvikarālāṁśca śuṣkamāṁsavasopamān raudradaṁṣṭrānkarālāṁśca siṁhāsyānsarpahastakān

—'exceedingly tall and fearsome, resembling dried-out flesh and fat; with terrible, gaping fangs, lion-faced, with serpents for hands—'

Verse 10 (padma.2.15.10)

सतान्दृष्ट्वा प्रकंपेत खिद्यते च मुहुर्मुहुः । शिवासंनादवद्घोरान्महारावान्महामते

satāndṛṣṭvā prakaṁpeta khidyate ca muhurmuhuḥ śivāsaṁnādavadghorānmahārāvānmahāmate

—'seeing these, he trembles and is afflicted again and again; they roar terribly, like the howling of jackals, with dreadful cries, O great-minded one.'

Verse 11 (padma.2.15.11)

मुंचंति दूतकाः सर्वे कर्णमूले तु तस्य हि । गले पाशैः प्रबद्ध्वा ते कटिं बद्ध्वा तथोदरे

muṁcaṁti dūtakāḥ sarve karṇamūle tu tasya hi gale pāśaiḥ prabaddhvā te kaṭiṁ baddhvā tathodare

'All those messengers let loose their cries close to his very ears; binding his neck fast with nooses, they bind his waist and belly too—'

Verse 12 (padma.2.15.12)

समाधृष्य निपात्यंते हाहेति वदते मुहुः । म्रियमाणस्य या चेष्टा तामेवं प्रवदाम्यहम्

samādhṛṣya nipātyaṁte hāheti vadate muhuḥ mriyamāṇasya yā ceṣṭā tāmevaṁ pravadāmyaham

—'and, dragging him forcibly, they cast him down; he cries "Alas, alas!" again and again. This is the manner of one who is dying, which I now describe.'

Verse 13 (padma.2.15.13)

परद्रव्यापहरणं परभार्याविडंबनम् । ऋणं परस्य सर्वस्वं गृहीतं यत्तु पापिभिः

paradravyāpaharaṇaṁ parabhāryāviḍaṁbanam ṛṇaṁ parasya sarvasvaṁ gṛhītaṁ yattu pāpibhiḥ

'The theft of another's wealth, the violation of another's wife, a debt — all the possessions of another taken by sinners—'

Verse 14 (padma.2.15.14)

पुनर्नैव प्रदत्तं हि लोभास्वादविमोहतः । अन्यदेवं महापापं कुप्रतिग्रहमेव च

punarnaiva pradattaṁ hi lobhāsvādavimohataḥ anyadevaṁ mahāpāpaṁ kupratigrahameva ca

—'and never returned again, out of delusion born from the taste of greed; and other such great sins likewise, and the acceptance of unworthy gifts—'

Verse 15 (padma.2.15.15)

कंठमायांति ते सर्वे म्रियमाणस्य तस्य च । यानिकानि च पापानि पूर्वमेव कृतानि च

kaṁṭhamāyāṁti te sarve mriyamāṇasya tasya ca yānikāni ca pāpāni pūrvameva kṛtāni ca

—'all these come to his throat as he lies dying. And whatever other sins were committed by him before—'

Verse 16 (padma.2.15.16)

आयांति कंठमूलं ते महापापस्य नान्यथा । दुःखमुत्पादयंत्येते कफबंधेन दारुणम्

āyāṁti kaṁṭhamūlaṁ te mahāpāpasya nānyathā duḥkhamutpādayaṁtyete kaphabaṁdhena dāruṇam

—'they too come to the base of the throat of that great sinner, and no differently; they produce dreadful suffering through the binding up of phlegm.'

Verse 17 (padma.2.15.17)

पीडाभिर्दारुणाभिस्तु कंठो घुरघुरायते । रोदते कंपतेऽत्यर्थं मातरं पितरं पुनः

pīḍābhirdāruṇābhistu kaṁṭho ghuraghurāyate rodate kaṁpate'tyarthaṁ mātaraṁ pitaraṁ punaḥ

'With dreadful pains his throat rattles; he weeps and trembles exceedingly, and calls again for his mother and father—'

Verse 18 (padma.2.15.18)

स्मरते भ्रातरं तत्र भार्यां पुत्रान्पुनःपुनः । पुनर्विस्मरणं याति महापापेन मोहितः

smarate bhrātaraṁ tatra bhāryāṁ putrānpunaḥpunaḥ punarvismaraṇaṁ yāti mahāpāpena mohitaḥ

—'he remembers there his brother, his wife, and his sons, again and again; and then, deluded by his great sin, he falls once more into oblivion.'

Verse 19 (padma.2.15.19)

तस्य प्राणान गच्छंति बहुपीडासमाकुलाः । पतते कंपते चैव मूर्च्छते च पुनःपुनः

tasya prāṇāna gacchaṁti bahupīḍāsamākulāḥ patate kaṁpate caiva mūrcchate ca punaḥpunaḥ

'His life-breaths depart, overwhelmed by manifold torment; he falls, he trembles, and swoons again and again.'

Verse 20 (padma.2.15.20)

एवं पीडासमायुक्तो दुःखं भुंक्तेति मोहितः । तस्य प्राणाः सुदुःखेन महाकष्टैः प्रचालिताः

evaṁ pīḍāsamāyukto duḥkhaṁ bhuṁkteti mohitaḥ tasya prāṇāḥ suduḥkhena mahākaṣṭaiḥ pracālitāḥ

'Thus joined with torment, deluded, he endures suffering; his life-breaths, driven forth by great agony and immense hardship—'

Verse 21 (padma.2.15.21)

अपानमार्गमाश्रित्य शृणु कांत प्रयांति ते । एवं प्राणी महामुग्धो लोभमोहसमन्वितः

apānamārgamāśritya śṛṇu kāṁta prayāṁti te evaṁ prāṇī mahāmugdho lobhamohasamanvitaḥ

—'depart by way of the lower passage — hear this, my dear. Thus does the being, utterly deluded, joined with greed and delusion—'

Verse 22 (padma.2.15.22)

नीयते यमदूतैस्तु तस्य दुःखं वदाम्यहम्

nīyate yamadūtaistu tasya duḥkhaṁ vadāmyaham

—'get led away by the messengers of Yama; his suffering I have thus described.'