Good and Bad Deeds and the Fate of the Performer

Subahu said:

1. Please tell me by (performing) which deeds men go to hell after death, (and) by (performing) which deeds they go to heaven after death. Jaitnini said:

2-5. Those brahmanas who give up (leading) a brahmana's life and deluded by greed live on bad deeds go to hell. Atheists, those who have violated the norms of (good conduct), those who are intent upon (satisfying) sexual pleasures, religious hypocrites, and who are ungrateful go to hell. Men who do not give wealth to brahmanas after having promised them, and also those who take away a brahmana's wealth go to hell. Wicked men, those who insult others, who tell lies and talk irrelevantly go to hell.

6. Those who snatch away the wealth of others, those who indicate others' faults and those who are adulterers go to hell.

7. Those who are always engaged in harming the life of beings and those who are engaged in reviling others go to hell.

8. Those who break good wells, lakes, places of water for travellers, or ponds go to hell.

9. Those who become averse to their wives, children, servants and guests and those who have abolished worship of dead ancestors and deities go to hell.

10. O king, those who censure the fourth stage in the life of a brahmana, or who censure the stages of life or who censure their friends go to hell.

11-13. Those who do not meditate upon Vishnu, the first (supreme) being, and the ruler and great lord of all the worlds; those who spoil the (principal sacrificial ceremonies like) Prayaja, or sacrifices or virgins or harm their friends or good people or the elders go to hell. Those who block the way with logs of wood or pegs or deserted stones go to hell.

14. Those who have no trust in all beings, who are always struck by desire of sensual enjoyments and are crooked towards all beings go to hell.

15-16. Those who prohibit brahmanas who are badly off and who have come (to them) for food, those men who cut off a sacred place, (somebody's) livelihood or house, or affection or hope go to hell.

17-20a. O king of kings, those who make weapons, lances and bows, and those who sell (these) go to hell. Those fools who do not show pity for a helpless or a frightened or a miserable person or one afflicted with disease or an old man, those who first take up vows and later not controlling their senses violate them through fickleness go to hell. O king, I have thus told you about those who go to hell.

20b-23. (Now) learn from me about them who go to heaven. Those men who follow religion with the practice of truth, penance, forgiveness, charity or study go to heaven. Those high-minded ones who are engrossed in sacrifices and exclusively devoted to worshipping deities and those who approve of (these) go to heaven. The pure men who, exclusively devoted to Vishnu, recite and sing (hymns about) Vishnu in a pure place go to heaven.

24. Those men who respectfully always serve their mother and father and avoid sleeping by day go to heaven.

25. Those men who are averse to all (kinds of) harm, who have the company of the good, who are engaged in the well-being of all go to heaven.

26. Those men who are free from (all kinds of) greed and who help all, who give refuge to all go to heaven.

27. Those men who give respect to their elders by means of service and penance and who are averse to accepting (any gift) go to heaven.

28. Those men who clothe (i.e. give garments to) thousands, similarly those who give (in or) to thousands, and those who protect thousands go to heaven.

29. Those men who free beings from fear, sin, suffering, grief and who free (from poverty and disease) those who are emaciated due to poverty and disease go to heaven.

30. O you born in the family of Bharata, those wise men who possess similarity with Brahman, who, though being young, have conquered their senses go to heaven.

31. O you descendant of Bharata, those men who give gold, cows and land, and food and garments also go to heaven.

32. Those men who are delighted when implored, and who talk agreeable (words) after having given (what is asked for), and those who have given up the fruit of what is given go to heaven.

33. Those men who themselves produce houses, grains and heroes and present them (to others) go to heaven, O hero.

34. Those men who never speak about the faults even of their enemies and (on the contrary) describe their virtues go to heaven.

35. Those men who are not distressed through jealousy on seeing the wealth of others, but are delighted and congratulate (them) go to heaven.

36. Those noble men who conform to the norms laid down in the Veda and the scriptures while engaged in work or abstaining from work go to heaven.

37. Those men, who do not speak disagreeable words to people, (but, on the contrary) speak agreeable words only go to heaven.

38. Those men who (even though) oppressed with hunger, thirst and fatigue share (their grains etc.) with others and make offerings to guests go to heaven.

39. Those men who construct reservoirs of water, wells, and water booths for travellers, houses and gardens go to heaven.

40. Those men who are truthful (i.e. behave truthfully) with, liars, who are straightforward with the crooked, who are friendly even with their enemies go to heaven.

41. Those men who, being born in whatever family, have many sons, live for a hundred years, are kind and of a good behaviour go to heaven.

42. Those men who always make their days religiously productive and who always take up a vow go to heaven.

43. Those men who with their minds tranquil and controlled look with equanimity upon a person shouting abuses or praising them go to heaven.

44. Those men who protect fear-stricken brahmanas, women or pilgrims go to heaven.

45. Those men who offer balls of rice to their dead ancestors at obsequial ceremonies or sraddhas performed on the Ganges or at the holy place of Puskara or especially at Gaya go to heaven.

46. Those men who are not under the sway of their senses, who remain controlled, who have given up greed, fear and anger go to heaven.

47. Those men who protect like their own sons, insects like lice, bugs or gadflies that prick the body go to heaven.

48. Those men (though) not knowing (the procedure) collect (wealth) according to the rule as told (in the scriptures) and who put up with all the pairs (of opposites) (like pleasure and pain) go to heaven.

49. Those pure and good men who do not dally with others' wives physically, mentally or in speech go to heaven.

50. Those men who do not perform prohibited deeds but do only those that are enjoined (in the scriptures) and who know their inherent power go to heaven.

51-52. O king, I have thus accurately told you everything as to how misfortune or good fortune is obtained by means of deeds. A man who behaves unpleasantly with others goes to a fierce, very terrible hell. For a man who always behaves agreeably, salvation, causing pleasure, is not far away.

 

CHAPTER NINETYSEVEN

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