rule



 

Canto 3

Gaura Ārati

 

 

Chapter 30: Lord Kapila Describes the Adverse Consequences of Fruitive Activities

(1) Kapila said: 'Just like a mass of clouds has no knowledge of the powerful wind, a person has no knowledge of this time factor, even though he is being conditioned by it. (2) Whatever the goods one with difficulty acquired for one's happiness, they are destroyed by the Supreme Lord [in the form of Time], and for this reason the person laments. (3) In his ignorance he foolishly thinks that the temporality of having a home, land and wealth for the sake of his body, would be something permanent. (4) The living being finding its satisfaction in this worldly existence, will irrespective the birth that was acquired, be in consonance with it. (5) Even being physically situated in hell a person, who in fact is deluded by the divine illusory potency of matter, does not wish to give up his hellish pleasures. (6) With his body, spouse, children, home, animals, wealth and friendships deeply rooted in his heart, he considers himself a great success. (7) Burning with anxiety about maintaining all the members of his dear family, he is always uncomfortable and with a bad mind acting like a fool. (8) With his heart and senses charmed by the woman he privately sees and by the display of the sweet words of his children, he is in the grip of the falsehood of the outer illusion [of considering non-permanent matters eternal]. (9) Engaged in the supposed duties of his family life - which cause him all kinds of trouble -, he is busy countering these miseries attentively while thinking that that will make him happy as a householder. (10) Only enjoying little of it, he maintains his family by means of the wealth that here and there with violence [and victims] was secured, but following that course he [ultimately] is ruined himself. (11) When he, despite his repeated efforts, fails in his occupational engagement, he will, ruled by greed, [enviously] desire the wealth enjoyed by others and thus get into trouble. (12) No longer capable of maintaining his family the unfortunate wretch, bereft of wealth and beauty, then with a bewildered intelligence full of grief sighs over everything he tried in vain.

(13) Thus finding himself incapable of supporting his wife and so on, he is not respected as he was before, the way an old ox is not respected by its farmer. (14) Despite being nourished by those he once maintained himself, no aversion [against a family life] rises in him while he, getting deformed of old age, at home awaits his death. (15) Remaining there he, like a pet dog, eats what indifferently is placed before him, falls sick with indigestion and eats and does only little. (16) Because of the inner pressure his eyes bulge out and with his windpipe congested with mucus he coughs and has difficulty breathing, only saying 'ugha ugha'. (17) Lying down surrounded by his lamenting friends and relatives he, with the noose of time around his neck, cannot respond to the things said to him. (18) He, who was engrossed in maintaining his family and had no control over his senses, thus passes away in great pain, with his relatives in tears. (19) Witnessing the arrival of the servants of death with their terrible eyes full of wrath, he, because of the fear in his heart, passes stool and urine. (20) Like the king's soldiers they immobilize his body by binding him in ropes for his punishment, whereupon they drag him like a criminal forcefully by the neck over a long distance.  (21) Innerly broken by their threatening presence he, overtaken, trembles on the road and is bitten by dogs in the distress of remembering his sins. (22) Afflicted by hunger, thirst and the radiation of scorching forest fires and winds on hot and sandy roads, he feels how he painfully is beaten on his back with a whip, while he, unable to move, can find no refuge or water. (23) Now and then he falls, gets tired and loses consciousness, and then again he reawakens on the road of his misery where he quickly is led before the eternal ruler of death [Yamarāja]. (24) He sees his entire life passing by in a few moments [he passes 'ninety-nine thousand yojanas'] and then receives the punishment he deserves. (25) With his limbs covered by firewood he is cremated or sometimes he sees himself eating his own flesh or that other creatures do that. (26) Vividly he then witnesses how dogs pull out his entrails at his last resting place where serpents, scorpions, gnats and so on pester him to his abhorrence. (27) One by one his limbs are separated from his body by big and small animals who tear him apart, throw him from heights or drag him under water or into caves. (28) Because of the [unregulated sexual] association one has,  one must, whether one is a man or a woman, undergo the reaction in hellish states of anger, self-destruction and bewilderment [tāmisra, andha-tāmisra and raurava and such, see 5.26].

(29) Because hellish reactions are also observed in this world, oh mother, one speaks here of both heaven and hell.  (30) He who thus [in greed, attachment and infidelity] maintained his family or lived for his stomach only, will upon leaving this world in his afterlife have to face the consequences for himself and his family. (31) After quitting his vehicle of time he will enter the darkness all alone and pay the price for the harm that he out of self-interest did to others in his envy of their fortune. (32) By divine arrangement a man who sustained his family has to undergo the hellish reaction of his foul play and suffer like someone who lost all his wealth. (33) When a person in his eagerness to care for his family is simply godless in his actions, he heads for the darkest region of self-destruction [andha-tāmisra]. (34) After he, beginning from the lowest position [of an animal existence] prior to a human birth, in due order has undergone all the reactions and so on, he, thus being purged, may again return to this life.'

 

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   Third revised edition, loaded February 18, 2024.

   

 

 

Previous Aadhar edition and Vedabase links:

Text 1

Kapila said: 'Just like a mass of clouds has no knowledge of the powerful wind, a person has no knowledge of this time factor, even though he is being conditioned by it.
Kapila said: 'Despite of its great strength do people not know about the time factor and are they carried away by it, just like a mass of clouds is by the powerful wind. (Vedabase)


Text 2

Whatever the goods one with difficulty acquired for one's happiness, they are destroyed by the Supreme Lord [in the form of Time], and for this reason the person laments.

Whatever the goods are that one for one's happiness with difficulty acquired; it is precisely that what is destroyed by the Supreme Lord and thereof does the person lament. (Vedabase)

  

Text 3

In his ignorance he foolishly thinks that the temporality of having a home, land and wealth for the sake of his body, would be something permanent.

Out of ignorance does he foolishly think that the temporary of having a home, a land and wealth in relation to the body, would be something permanent. (Vedabase)

 

Text 4

 The living being finding its satisfaction in this worldly existence, will irrespective the birth that was acquired, be in consonance with it.

Certainly does the living entity find satisfaction in that worldly existence, not being averse to whatever of the kind he may belong to. (Vedabase)


Text 5

Even being physically situated in hell a person, who in fact is deluded by the divine illusory potency of matter, does not wish to give up his hellish pleasures.

Even living in hell does a person, who in truth is in delusion about the Godhead, verily not wish to take leave of his hellish pleasures. (Vedabase)

 

Text 6

With his body, spouse, children, home, animals, wealth and friendships deeply rooted in his heart, he considers himself a great success.

With this body, his wife, children, home, animals, wealth and friendships deeply rooted in his heart, he thinks himself to be of high achievement. (Vedabase)

 

Text 7

Burning with anxiety about maintaining all the members of his dear family, he is always uncomfortable and with a bad mind acting like a fool.

Burning with anxiety about maintaining all the dear of his family, he is constantly in sin and with a bad mind acting like a fool. (Vedabase)

   

Text 8

With his heart and senses charmed by the woman he privately sees and by the display of the sweet words of his children, he is in the grip of the falsehood of the outer illusion [of considering non-permanent matters eternal].

He is deluded by the charm of the false of having his heart to the senses with the display in private of the woman and the sweet words of the children. (Vedabase)

 

Text 9

Engaged in the supposed duties of his family life - which cause him all kinds of trouble -, he is busy countering these miseries attentively while thinking that that will make him happy as a householder.

Involved in the household duties of family life, that give rise to all kinds of misery, he is busy countering these miseries attentively and thinks that that will make him happy as a householder. (Vedabase)

 

Text 10

Only enjoying little of it, he maintains his family by means of the wealth that here and there with violence [and victims] was secured, but following that course he [ultimately] is ruined himself.

By means of the wealth here and there with violence secured, he maintains them and thereof, eating the food they leave for him, goes he down himself. (Vedabase)

  

Text 11

When he, despite his repeated efforts, fails in his occupational engagement, he will, ruled by greed, [enviously] desire the wealth enjoyed by others and thus get into trouble.

When he, time and again being of that effort, has difficulties exercising his profession, finds he who longed for the welfare of others, overwhelmed by avarice, himself ruined. (Vedabase)

  

Text 12

No longer capable of maintaining his family the unfortunate wretch, bereft of wealth and beauty, then with a bewildered intelligence full of grief sighs over everything he tried in vain.

Incapable of maintaining his family grieves, bereft of the wealth, the unfortunate wretch with his efforts in vain and sighs he with a bewildered mind. (Vedabase)

  

Text 13

Thus finding himself incapable of supporting his wife and so on, he is not respected as he was before, the way an old ox is not respected by its farmer.

Thus failing to feed his wife and so on, he finds himself not respected as before, even as an old ox finds it with its farmer. (Vedabase)

 

Text 14

Despite being nourished by those he once maintained himself, no aversion [against a family life] rises in him while he, getting deformed of old age, at home awaits his death.

While there doesn't rise any aversion despite of being maintained himself by those he once maintained, he, getting deformed of old age, stays home to meet death. (Vedabase)

 

Text 15

Remaining there he, like a pet dog, eats what indifferently is placed before him, falls sick with indigestion and eats and does only little.

There he remains eating like a pet dog of what indifferently is placed before him, gets diseased with indigestion, eats little and does little. (Vedabase)

  

Text 16

Because of the inner pressure his eyes bulge out and with his windpipe congested with mucus he coughs and has difficulty breathing, only saying 'ugha ugha'.

From the inner pressure his eyes bulge out and from his windpipe congested with mucus he coughs and has difficulty breathing, only saying 'ugha ugha'. (Vedabase)

  

Text 17

Lying down surrounded by his lamenting friends and relatives he, with the noose of time around his neck, cannot respond to the things said to him.

Lying down surrounded by his lamenting friends and relatives he is gone, with the noose of time around his neck, not able to speak although it would be the time for it. (Vedabase)

 

Text 18

He, who was engrossed in maintaining his family and had no control over his senses, thus passes away in great pain, with his relatives in tears.

Thus, of being engrossed in maintaining his family, he has no control over his mind and senses and dies in great pain, while his relatives are crying over him losing his grip. (Vedabase)

 

Text 19

Witnessing the arrival of the servants of death with their terrible eyes full of wrath, he, because of the fear in his heart, passes stool and urine.

Witnessing the arrival of the servants of Death with their terrible eyes full of wrath he, out of the fear in his heart, passes stool and urine. (Vedabase)

 

Text 20

Like the king's soldiers they immobilize his body by binding him in ropes for his punishment, whereupon they drag him like a criminal forcefully by the neck over a long distance.

As the king's soldiers they immobilize his body as bound in ropes for his punishment and drag him like a criminal forceful by the neck for a long distance. (Vedabase)

 

Text 21

Innerly heart broken by their threatening presence he, overtaken, trembles on the road and is bitten by dogs in the distress of remembering his sins.

In his heart broken by their threatening presence he, overtaken, trembles on the road, bitten by the dogs of in distress remembering his sins. (Vedabase)

 

Text 22

Afflicted by hunger, thirst and the radiation of scorching forest fires and winds on hot and sandy roads, he feels how he painfully is beaten on his back with a whip, while he, unable to move, can find no refuge or water.

Afflicted by hunger, thirst and the radiation of scorching forestfires and winds on hot and sandy roads, he feels painfully beaten on his back with a whip, although he is unable to move and finds no refuge nor water. (Vedabase)

 

Text 23

Now and then he falls, gets tired and loses consciousness, and then again he reawakens on the road of his misery where he quickly is led before the eternal ruler of death [Yamarāja].

By and by, getting tired, he loses his consciousness, and again reawakens on the road of his sins and is soon taken to the presence of the eternal ruler over death. (Vedabase)

 

Text 24

He sees his entire life passing by in a few moments [he passes 'ninety-nine thousand yojanas'] and then receives the punishment he deserves.

Within three to two hours he sees his whole life pass by [he passes 'a ninety-nine thousand yojanas'], finding the requital he deserves. (Vedabase)

 

Text 25

With his limbs covered by firewood he is cremated or sometimes he sees himself eating his own flesh or that other creatures do that.

Then covered by firewood he is cremated or sometimes he sees himself being eaten like he was doing that himself or else sees the other creatures doing so. (Vedabase)

 

Text 26

Vividly he then witnesses how dogs pull out his entrails at his last resting place where serpents, scorpions, gnats and so on pester him to his abhorrence.

Vividly he then witnesses how dogs pull out his entrails at his last resting place where serpents, scorpions, gnats and so on pester him to his abhorrence. (Vedabase)

 

Text 27

One by one his limbs are separated from his body by big and small animals who tear him apart, throw him from heights or drag him under water or into caves.

One by one he sees his limbs coming off seized by big and small animals who tear him apart, throw him from heights or drag him under water or into caves. (Vedabase)

 

Text 28

Because of the [unregulated sexual] association one has, one must, whether one is a man or a woman, undergo the reaction in hellish states of anger, self-destruction and bewilderment [tāmisra, andha-tāmisra and raurava and such, see 5.26].

The men or women that were moved by loose association [illicit sex] undergo the requital in hellish states of anger, self-destruction and bewilderment [tāmisra, andha tāmisra and raurava and such, see 5.26].  (Vedabase)

 

Text 29

Because hellish reactions are also observed in this world, oh mother, one speaks here of both heaven and hell.

O mother, because one can see here for sure also the hellish punishments, speaks one of heaven and hell in this world. (Vedabase)

 

Text 30

He who thus [in greed, attachment and infidelity] maintained his family or lived for his stomach only, will upon leaving this world in his afterlife have to face the consequences for himself and his family.

He who in the course of maintaining his family lived only for his stomach, will, leaving from here, after death find himself as well as his family undergo the consequences of that. (Vedabase)

 

Text 31

After quitting his vehicle of time he will enter the darkness all alone and pay the price for the harm that he out of self-interest did to others in his envy of their fortune.

Alone he will enter the darkness after quitting this vehicle of time, paying the price for the harm he did to others in maintaining himself. (Vedabase)


Text 32

By divine arrangement a man who sustained his family has to undergo the hellish reaction of his foul play and suffer like someone who lost all his wealth.

By divine ordinance has the man sustaining a family, like one who has lost his wealth, to undergo the hellish condition that he obtained as a reaction to his foul play. (Vedabase)

 

Text 33

When a person in his eagerness to care for his family is simply godless in his actions, he heads for the darkest region of self-destruction [andha-tāmisra].

A person who, eager to maintain his family, does that by simply being of godless action, thus ultimately goes to the darkest regions of self-destruction. (Vedabase)

 

Text 34

After he, beginning from the lowest position [of an animal existence] prior to a human birth, in due order has undergone all the reactions and so on, he, thus being purged, may again return to this life.'

After from the lowest position in due order having gone through all the requital and such, he, purified, may again return to the human world on this planet.' (Vedabase)

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

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              License
The text and audio are offered under the conditions of the

Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License
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The picture is titled: "Death of the Strong Wicked Man".
It is an illustration to Robert Bair's 'The Grave', object 8, by
William Blake. Source.
Production:
Filognostic Association of The Order of Time


  

 

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