The Fruits of Sinful Deeds and the Hells

Verse 1 (skanda.1.119.1)

नंदिकेश्वर उवाच । शुद्धसत्त्वगुणोपेतो लोकेऽस्मिन्दुर्लभः पुमान् । रजस्तमोगुणोपेता भवंति सुलभा नराः

naṁdikeśvara uvāca śuddhasattvaguṇopeto loke'smindurlabhaḥ pumān rajastamoguṇopetā bhavaṁti sulabhā narāḥ

Nandikeshvara said: In this world a man endowed with pure sattva is rare; men endowed with the qualities of rajas and tamas are common.

Verse 2 (skanda.1.119.2)

सात्त्विकः पुण्यशीलत्वान्निःश्रेयसमवाप्नुयात् । वैचित्र्यात्कर्मणामेषामनुभोगाय वेधसा

sāttvikaḥ puṇyaśīlatvānniḥśreyasamavāpnuyāt vaicitryātkarmaṇāmeṣāmanubhogāya vedhasā

The sattvic man, through his virtuous nature, attains the highest good; according to the variety of these deeds, their experience is ordained by the Creator.

Verse 3 (skanda.1.119.3)

वैचित्र्याण्येव सृष्टानि नरकाण्यत्र तत्र च । महारौरवभाग्भूत्वा खरः श्वा शूकरोऽपि वा

vaicitryāṇyeva sṛṣṭāni narakāṇyatra tatra ca mahārauravabhāgbhūtvā kharaḥ śvā śūkaro'pi vā

Manifold hells have been created here and there; falling into Mahararurava, a man becomes a donkey, a dog, or a pig.

Verse 4 (skanda.1.119.4)

चंडालो वा भवेत्प्रेत्य पुरुषो ब्रह्महत्यया । चिरं रौरवसंरुद्धः कृमिकीटपतंगताम्

caṁḍālo vā bhavetpretya puruṣo brahmahatyayā ciraṁ rauravasaṁruddhaḥ kṛmikīṭapataṁgatām

Through the killing of a brahmin, a man after death may become an outcaste; long confined in Raurava, he attains the state of worm, insect, and moth.

Verse 5 (skanda.1.119.5)

प्राप्नुयात्कर्मकर्तृत्वं सुरापानेन च द्विजः । ब्रह्मस्वहरणाद्ब्रह्मराक्षसत्वमवाप्नुयात्

prāpnuyātkarmakartṛtvaṁ surāpānena ca dvijaḥ brahmasvaharaṇādbrahmarākṣasatvamavāpnuyāt

Through drinking liquor, a twice-born attains a state fit only for menial deeds; through stealing a brahmin's property, he attains the very state of a brahma-rakshasa.

Verse 6 (skanda.1.119.6)

यद्यत्तु चोरयेत्तत्तच्छून्यं स्यादन्यजन्मनि । असिपत्रवने पीडामवाप्य सुचिरं पुनः

yadyattu corayettattacchūnyaṁ syādanyajanmani asipatravane pīḍāmavāpya suciraṁ punaḥ

Whatever one steals becomes, in another birth, void and empty for him; suffering long in the forest of sword-leaves —

Verse 7 (skanda.1.119.7)

नपुंसकत्वं संगच्छेत्पुरुषो गुरुतल्पगः । तप्तैः कालायसैर्दंडैः पीडितो यमकिंकरैः

napuṁsakatvaṁ saṁgacchetpuruṣo gurutalpagaḥ taptaiḥ kālāyasairdaṁḍaiḥ pīḍito yamakiṁkaraiḥ

— a man who violates his guru's bed attains impotence, tormented by red-hot iron rods in the hands of Yama's servants.

Verse 8 (skanda.1.119.8)

नरके कालसूत्राख्ये निवसेत्परदारगः । अग्निदो निवसेद्घोरे सुघोरे गरदायकः

narake kālasūtrākhye nivasetparadāragaḥ agnido nivasedghore sughore garadāyakaḥ

One who goes to another's wife dwells in the hell named Kalasutra; the incendiary dwells in the terrible one, the poisoner in the most terrible.

Verse 9 (skanda.1.119.9)

महाघोरे च पिशुनोऽवीच्यां धर्मविनिंदकः । वसेत्कराले मित्रध्रुग्भीमे हिंसैकतत्परः

mahāghore ca piśuno'vīcyāṁ dharmaviniṁdakaḥ vasetkarāle mitradhrugbhīme hiṁsaikatatparaḥ

The slanderer dwells in Mahaghora, the reviler of dharma in Avichi; the betrayer of friends in Karala, one solely devoted to violence in Bhima.

Verse 10 (skanda.1.119.10)

संहारे छन्नपापिष्ठो मृषावादी भयानके । असिघोरे वसेद्वापि कूपक्षेत्रनरादिहृत्

saṁhāre channapāpiṣṭho mṛṣāvādī bhayānake asighore vasedvāpi kūpakṣetranarādihṛt

The secretly wicked dwell in Samhara, the liar in Bhayanaka; one who seizes another's wells, fields, or men also dwells in Asighora.

Verse 11 (skanda.1.119.11)

वज्रे परद्रोहरतो मांसाशी तरले द्विज । तीक्ष्णे मातृपितृद्रोही तापने जपदूषकः

vajre paradroharato māṁsāśī tarale dvija tīkṣṇe mātṛpitṛdrohī tāpane japadūṣakaḥ

One delighting in harm to others in Vajra, the flesh-eating brahmin in Tarala; one who does violence to mother and father in Tikshna, the corrupter of another's mantra-recitation in Tapana.

Verse 12 (skanda.1.119.12)

अश्वघ्नोपि निरुच्छ्वासे वसेद्गोघ्नश्च दारुणे । भ्रूणहा निवसेच्चंडे स्त्रीहत्याकृत्कुकूलके

aśvaghnopi nirucchvāse vasedgoghnaśca dāruṇe bhrūṇahā nivaseccaṁḍe strīhatyākṛtkukūlake

Even the killer of a horse dwells in Nirucchvasa, the killer of a cow in Daruna too; the destroyer of an unborn child in Chanda, the killer of a woman in Kukulaka.

Verse 13 (skanda.1.119.13)

देवस्वहारी दहने घोरघोरे परस्वहृत् । कृतांतदूता नरके सर्वानेव हि पापिनः

devasvahārī dahane ghoraghore parasvahṛt kṛtāṁtadūtā narake sarvāneva hi pāpinaḥ

The plunderer of temple wealth in Dahana, the plunderer of another's wealth in Ghoraghora — Yama's messengers lead all these sinners into hell.

Verse 14 (skanda.1.119.14)

बध्नंति पाशैर्निघ्नंति दंडैर्विध्यंति शंकुभिः । तीक्ष्णायश्चंचवः कंकाः क्रूरदंष्ट्रा महोरगाः

badhnaṁti pāśairnighnaṁti daṁḍairvidhyaṁti śaṁkubhiḥ tīkṣṇāyaścaṁcavaḥ kaṁkāḥ krūradaṁṣṭrā mahoragāḥ

There they are bound with nooses, struck with rods, pierced with stakes; sharp iron-beaked kanka birds, great serpents with cruel fangs,

Verse 15 (skanda.1.119.15)

कालेयकाश्च व्याघ्राश्च हिंस्राश्चान्ये दशंत्यमून् । शकलीकुर्वते शस्त्रैर्दहंतिदेहमेव च

kāleyakāśca vyāghrāśca hiṁsrāścānye daśaṁtyamūn śakalīkurvate śastrairdahaṁtidehameva ca

kaleyaka demons and tigers, and other violent creatures bite them, hack them to pieces with weapons, and burn their very bodies.

Verse 16 (skanda.1.119.16)

खनंति गहने श्वभ्रे कशाभिस्ताडयंति च । तैलद्रोण्यां विपच्यंते तुद्यंते सूक्ष्मसूचिभिः

khanaṁti gahane śvabhre kaśābhistāḍayaṁti ca tailadroṇyāṁ vipacyaṁte tudyaṁte sūkṣmasūcibhiḥ

They dig them into deep pits, strike them with whips; they cook them in a cauldron of oil, prick them with fine needles.

Verse 17 (skanda.1.119.17)

बाह्यन्ते दुर्वहान्भारान्यमदूतैर्हि पापिनः । ब्रह्महा क्षयरोगी स्यत्सुरापः श्यावदंतकः

bāhyante durvahānbhārānyamadūtairhi pāpinaḥ brahmahā kṣayarogī syatsurāpaḥ śyāvadaṁtakaḥ

Sinners are made by Yama's messengers to bear unbearable burdens; the killer of a brahmin becomes consumptive, the drinker of liquor gets blackened teeth.

Verse 18 (skanda.1.119.18)

स्वर्णापहारी कुनखी दुश्चर्मा गुरुतल्पगः । अपस्मारी गुरुद्रोही चंडालो वेददूषकः

svarṇāpahārī kunakhī duścarmā gurutalpagaḥ apasmārī gurudrohī caṁḍālo vedadūṣakaḥ

The stealer of gold gets deformed nails and bad skin; the violator of the guru's bed becomes epileptic, the betrayer of the guru an outcaste, the reviler of the Vedas —

Verse 19 (skanda.1.119.19)

कूटसाक्षी चाक्षिरोगी मंदाग्निश्चाग्रभोजनः । विद्यापहारी मूकः स्यादंधः पुस्तकचोरकः

kūṭasākṣī cākṣirogī maṁdāgniścāgrabhojanaḥ vidyāpahārī mūkaḥ syādaṁdhaḥ pustakacorakaḥ

The false witness gets eye-disease, one of weak digestion is one who eats before others; the thief of learning becomes mute, the thief of books becomes blind.

Verse 20 (skanda.1.119.20)

परदाररतः पंगु बधिरः परनिंदकः । विड्वराहो निराचारो जिह्वारोगी च तस्करः

paradārarataḥ paṁgu badhiraḥ paraniṁdakaḥ viḍvarāho nirācāro jihvārogī ca taskaraḥ

One devoted to another's wife becomes lame, the slanderer of others becomes deaf; one of bad conduct becomes a filth-eating pig, the thief gets a tongue-disease.

Verse 21 (skanda.1.119.21)

अभ्यागतातिथित्यागी कपोलकंटको भवेत् । पर्वसु स्त्रीरतो मेही पूत्यास्योऽभक्ष्यभक्षकः

abhyāgatātithityāgī kapolakaṁṭako bhavet parvasu strīrato mehī pūtyāsyo'bhakṣyabhakṣakaḥ

One who turns away a guest who has arrived becomes afflicted with sores on the face; one devoted to a woman on sacred days gets a urinary disease, and the eater of forbidden food gets a foul mouth.

Verse 22 (skanda.1.119.22)

मर्यादाभेदको दासस्तटाकारामहृत्खरः । प्रतिश्रुताप्रदाता स्यादल्पायुः श्वा विकत्थनः

maryādābhedako dāsastaṭākārāmahṛtkharaḥ pratiśrutāpradātā syādalpāyuḥ śvā vikatthanaḥ

One who breaks a boundary becomes a slave, one who seizes ponds and gardens becomes a donkey; one who fails to keep a promised word becomes short-lived, given to boasting like a dog.

Verse 23 (skanda.1.119.23)

विष्णुद्रोही च सरठः शिवद्रोही च मूषकः । एवं पापफलं ज्ञात्वा प्रायश्चित्तं समाचरेत्

viṣṇudrohī ca saraṭhaḥ śivadrohī ca mūṣakaḥ evaṁ pāpaphalaṁ jñātvā prāyaścittaṁ samācaret

One hostile to Vishnu becomes a lizard, one hostile to Shiva becomes a mouse — thus, knowing the fruit of sin, a man should perform atonement.

Verse 24 (skanda.1.119.24)

तच्चास्मिन्नरुणक्षेत्रे कर्तव्यः सम्यगास्तिकैः

taccāsminnaruṇakṣetre kartavyaḥ samyagāstikaiḥ

And that atonement is to be duly performed, by the truly faithful, in this very field of Aruna.

Verse 25 (skanda.1.119.25)

इति निशम्य स दुष्कृतकारिणां बहुविधां नरकेषु नृणां व्यथाम् । चरणयोः पतितश्च तदा पुनःपुनरयाचत तच्छमनक्रियाम्

iti niśamya sa duṣkṛtakāriṇāṁ bahuvidhāṁ narakeṣu nṛṇāṁ vyathām caraṇayoḥ patitaśca tadā punaḥpunarayācata tacchamanakriyām

Hearing thus of the manifold suffering, in the hells, of men who do evil deeds, he fell at his feet and, again and again, begged for the means to allay that suffering.